Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): Medium (Personal)

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/10/03

Acknowledgements

For Some Smart People: Views and Lives 1: Manahel Thabet for being the first in this series and giving a gauge on the feasibility of this project, and to Evangelos Katsioulis, Jason Betts, Marco Ripà, Paul Cooijmans, Rick Rosner; in spite of far more men in these communities, it, interview-wise, started with a woman, even the Leo Jung Mensa article arose from the generosity of a woman friend, Jade.

For Some Smart People: Views and Lives 2: Claus Volko, Deb Stone, Erik Haereid, Hasan Zuberi, Ivan Ivec, Kirk Kirkpatrick, Monika Orski, and Rick Rosner.

For Some Smart People: Views and Lives 3: Andreas Gunnarsson, Anja Jaenicke, Christian Sorensen, Claus Volko, Dionysios Maroudas, Florian Schröder, Ronald K. Hoeflin, Erik Haereid, Giuseppe Corrente, Graham Powell, Guillermo Alejandro Escárcega Pliego, HanKyung Lee, James Gordon, Kirk Kirkpatrick, Krystal Volney, Laurent Dubois, Marco Ripà, Matthew Scillitani, Mislav Predavec, Owen Cosby, Richard Sheen, Rick Farrar, Rick Rosner, Sandra Schlick, Tiberiu Sammak, Tim Roberts, Thomas Wolf, Tom Chittenden, Tonny Sellén, and Tor Jørgensen.

For Some Smart People: Views and Lives 4: Björn Liljeqvist, Christian Sorenson, Claus Volko, Dionysios Maroudas, DSandra Schlick, Erik Haereid, Giuseppe Corrente, Guillermo Alejandro Escárcega Pliego, HanKyung Lee, James Gordon, Justin Duplantis, Kirk Kirkpatrick, Laurent Dubois, Marco Ripà, Matthew Scillitani, Mislav Predavec, Richard Sheen, Rick Farrar, Rick G. Rosner, Thomas Wolf, Tiberiu Sammak, Tim Roberts, Tom Chittenden, Tonny Sellén, and Tor Arne Jørgensen.

For Some Smart People: Views and Lives 5: Anthony Sepulveda, Christian Sorenson, Claus Volko, Dionysios Maroudas, Erik Haereid, Giuseppe Corrente, Guillermo Alejandro Escárcega Pliego, Heinrich Siemens, Hindemburg Melão Jr., Jason Robert, Julien Garrett Arpin, Justin Duplantis, Marios Sophia Prodromou, Matthew Scillitani, Mhedi Banafshei, Rick Rosner, Tiberiu Sammak, Tor Arne Jørgensen, and Veronica Palladino.

For Some Smart People: Views and Lives 6: Anas El-Husseini, Andrew Watters, Anthony Sepulveda, Arturo Escorza Pedraza, Beatrice Rescazzi, Bob Williams, Byunghyun Ban (반병현), Casper Tvede Busk, Charles Peden, Craig Shelton, Christian Sorensen, Claus Volko, Erik Haereid, Gareth Rees, Giuseppe Corrente, Justin Duplantis, Krystal Volney, Mhedi Banafshei, Paul Cooijmans, Richard May (“May-Tzu”/”MayTzu”/”Mayzi”), Richard Sheen, Shalom Dickson, Thor Fabian Pettersen, Tiberiu Sammak, Tim Roberts, Tor Arne Jørgensen, and Anonymous Canadian High-IQ Community Member.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Foreword by Retired Nuclear Physicist Bob Williams

With numerous large volumes of interviews, conducted by Scott Jacobsen, now available, we have a valuable resource for the study of the lives and pursuits of very bright people. Despite the large impact of people from this group, intelligence research has been overwhelmingly directed towards the middle 98%, thereby leaving out the most important 1%. There have been only two important longitudinal studies of very bright people. The first was Terman’s study that showed the high level of productivity and life satisfaction among the cohorts who were known as “Termites.” This study was criticized for its selection process (heavily verbal weighted) and the involvement of Terman in the lives of some of the group. The second study was the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, started by Julian Stanley and presently maintained by Camilla Benbow and David Lubinski. The longitudinal study shifted from the SAT-M to the SAT math and verbal. Curiously, the cohorts in those studies give the impression of following different paths than a large number of the interviewed group. The important thing is that these interviews add to a sparse part of the spectrum of what is known about very bright people.

Detterman, D.K., 2016. Was Intelligence necessary?. Intelligence, 55, pp.v-viii.

From very early, I was convinced that intelligence was the most important thing of all to understand, more important than the origin of the universe, more important than climate change, more important than curing cancer, more important than anything else. That is because human intelligence is our major adaptive function and only by optimizing it will we be able to save ourselves and other living things from ultimate destruction. It is as simple as that.

[Douglas Detterman is the founder of the International Society for Intelligence Research and its journal, Intelligence.]

The volumes of interviews on In-Sight, while not research studies, give us multiple snapshots of very bright people, their beliefs, their experiences, and their life directions. These are things that are missed by Terman and Stanley.

I was surprised and pleased to see that some of the interviews in this volume are of people I have known — through the marvel of cyberspace — for a long time. If you are daunted by the number of interviews here and plan to read only a few samples, please take time to read the typically entertaining and thought provoking interview with Richard May, who continues to argue that he does not exist! Richard has the ability to be entertaining, abstract, and stimulating without being pedant.

One of the many insights we have from Charles Spearman is known as Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns. It tells us that the general factor (g, Spearman’s g, psychometric g) accounts for less and less of the differences seen in intelligence among increasingly bright people, shifting high level ability towards non-g factors and causing increased diversity of thought and interests. Although there are some mixed results in confirming SLODR, it is generally accepted by researchers as valid. In reading through this collection of interviews, the reality of this observation can be seen, as evidenced by the different interests and ways of thinking among this bright group.

Foreword by Gareth Rees

I’d like to take a moment to reflect on and appreciate the events that led to the compilation of these interviews. I extend my gratitude to all past and present test designers and candidates, regardless of the latent variables being measured. These individuals have played a key role in fostering communities that may endure for generations to come.

Intelligence is one of the most important traits. Through the contributions of the participants in this issue of Some Smart People, we catch a glimpse of its many facets.

In the distant future, we will eventually achieve superintelligence — a system where input from all intelligent beings is selected, processed, and integrated. Opposing views will create pathways for new insights when combined, and bias will be discarded in the pursuit of higher knowledge. While the world isn’t ready yet, when greater awareness emerges, we will have the opportunity to experience the true magic and harmony of elevated existence.

On a final note, we owe a huge thanks to Scott Douglas Jacobsen for his years of thoughtful dedication and persistence. So, THANK YOU, Scott!

Foreword by Author and Poet Krystal Volney

To introduce myself, my name is Krystal Volney and I’m a Sociologist, Computing and Public Relations graduate who has been the Co-Editor of the Phenomenon Magazine of the World Intelligence Network since 2019. The Author of Some Smart People: Views and Lives 6 Scott Douglas Jacobsen, is a brilliant writer and Interviewer who is the Founder of In-Sight Publishing. In this splendidly put together book, readers can view conversations between him and thirty-two High-IQ geniuses from interviews he conducted. The significance of the discussions is to demonstrate the opinions of those people on various matters in life in the fields of Philosophy, High-IQ societies & Intelligence Testing and I believe that this is a magnificent book to read.

To begin, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, Philosophy is defined as ‘the use of reason and argument in seeking truth and knowledge of reality, esp. of the causes and nature of things and of the principles governing existence, the material universe, perception of physical phenomena, and human behavior’. Metaphysics (a branch of Philosophy to be more exact) is an interesting topic that is discussed with the Philosopher Christian Sorensen and Scott Douglas Jacobsen in this book. The interview underlined his views on what is ‘Real’, different types of Philosophy and various belief systems. Another interview where this is discussed is with Arturo Escorza Pedraza who is a member of the International Society for Philosophical Enquiry. The interviewee Charles Peden stated his views on ethical philosophy, theology and religion when asked. In the conversation between Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Dr. Giuseppe Corrente, life philosophy such as in the political and social realms was examined. Glia Society member Anas El-Husseini gave his views on ethical philosophy when asked by the Interviewer. Shalom Dickson, a member of the Glia Society as well, stated his beliefs in Kantian ethics when ethical philosophy was inquired. A member of the World Genius Directory, Casper Tvede Busk dictated his viewpoints in ethical philosophy, theology and religion in an interview with Scott. Thor Fabian Pettersen, another interviewee, gives the readers a profound understanding of his philosophical values. In the next two interviews with an anonymous Canadian High-IQ Community member and Richard May, philosophical interpretations were underscored. Therefore, it is valid to declare that in Some Smart People: Views and Lives 6, that Philosophy is importantly discussed between Scott Douglas Jacobsen and those selected geniuses, making it a spectacular book to read.

Additionally, High-IQ societies are groups for people that share top IQ scores to meet, socialize and share their interests. By way of example, Mensa International, the Mega Society, the Prometheus Society, the Giga Society and the World Intelligence Network (that has many High-IQ clubs for child prodigies, students, college graduates and the Elderly). In Scott Douglas Jacobsen’s book Some Smart People: Views and Lives 6, he conducted interviews with those in the Intelligence Quotient community about their High-IQ memberships such as Christian Sorensen, Arturo Escorza Pedraza, Justin Duplantis, Tor Arne Jørgensen, Mhedi Banafshei, Claus Volko and Beatrice Rescazzi. Consequently, this makes the book by Scott a great choice for any reader interested in or a member of the High-IQ societies.

Furthermore, Cambridge Dictionary defines an ‘Intelligence Test as a test that measures the ability of a person to understand and learn by comparing it with the ability of other people’. These tests begin when pupils are at kindergarten and continue all throughout life for most humans who value being educated in the schooling systems. There are those who choose to take IQ-tests to measure their intelligence by qualifying and becoming members of High-IQ clubs or pursuing undergraduate and/or graduate degrees or doing both IQ testing as well as testing in schools or homeschooling. In Some Smart People: Views and Lives 6 Scott Douglas Jacobsen’s interviews demonstrate the opinions of the geniuses Byunghyun Ban, Christian Sorensen, Justin Duplantis and an Anonymous Canadian High-IQ member with regards to Intelligence Testing, that proves that his book is something all in the High-IQ community would enjoy. As a result, it is valid to announce that this is magnificent work to read.

To conclude, the book Some Smart People: Views and Lives 6 authored by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is great for leisure reading for bibliophiles and those in the High-IQ clubs. It truly demonstrates the genius of ‘some intelligent people’ literally who are qualified through Intelligence Testing via I.Q. tests as well as constant learners with educational attainments. Great Job Scott!

Krystal Volney

(Poet and Author)

Foreword by TNS Former Editor Justin Duplantis

It is both an honor and a pleasure to introduce this insightful work by Scott Douglas Jacobsen, a distinguished author renowned for his explorations into the realms of intelligence and the human mind. Drawing upon expertise and a wealth of personal experiences, Jacobsen paints a comprehensive and vivid picture of what it means to belong to one of the most intellectually gifted segments of society, through his in-depth interviews.

As someone who has served as the Editor for the Triple Nine Society, an international High IQ society that prides itself on community, shared knowledge, and mutual support, I am deeply familiar with the unique challenges and incredible potential that high IQ individuals embody. My personal interviews with Jacobsen provided a platform to discuss these themes in detail, bringing light to the often underrepresented narratives of exceptionally bright children and their navigation through life.

In our conversations, we delved into topics ranging from educational strategies tailored to high IQ children, the importance of emotional intelligence alongside cognitive prowess, and the societal perceptions that often overshadow these young minds’ capabilities. The high IQ community at large, including organizations like the Triple Nine Society, plays a crucial role in fostering environments where brilliance is not only recognized but also nurtured — a core theme that this book captures so eloquently.

Jacobsen’s writing is accessible yet profound, offering both scholarly depth and practical insights for individuals, parents, educators, and anyone interested in the psychology of intelligence. His dedication to understanding and communicating the intricacies of high IQ individuals is evident on every page, making this book a valuable resource for those within and outside the high IQ community. It is my hope that readers will gain not only knowledge but also a greater appreciation for the extraordinary capabilities and needs of high IQ children and adults. May this book serve as a beacon of understanding and a call to action for a more inclusive and supportive society.

Sincerely, Justin Duplantis

Former Editor and Executive Committee Member, Triple Nine Society

Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

License & Copyright

In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ©Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use or duplication of material without express permission from Scott Douglas Jacobsen strictly prohibited, excerpts and links must use full credit to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with direction to the original content.