Prog Fans: High IQs?

CaptainWafflos wrote: maidenrulez wrote: Well if you would define intelligence as being able to solve different problems quicly then a proper iq-test surely gives you a good idea on how intelligent you are. I define intelligence more as "the ability to produce output of variable quality", output left intentionally vague. Output could mean the answer to a simple math problem, a compelling novel, a pop song, or a painting. I have met people who aren't endowed with the logical intelligence required to excel on IQ tests, but instead excel in other areas. For example, I have met people who don't score well on standardized tests but instead produce paintings better than anything I could hope to accomplish. I still consider these people to be highly intelligent.

Well then we can not change the defintion for intelligence as this was original defintion for a reasonably inelligent person is a person with knowledge and understanding for these different subjects:

Language

Memory

Logics

Calculation

Technical understanding

Logics

And understanding of figures and room

And remember that mentally retarded people still can be masters of painting, playing music and even math although they are not really intelligent by the true definiton of the word.

CaptainWafflos wrote: There are many different definitions of intelligence. That is mine. If mentally retarded people are capable of being math geniuses, then how are they mentally retarded given that math requires logical and calculational skills?

Well i dont know exactly how this works...forexample the movie rainman shows one of these special cases where he throws a box of matches on the floor an he counts them all in one second...

Their brains is basically wired different and well very weak at all other things they become geniouses in specific things like that...However given a full IQ-test they still would not receive an high intelligence overall as there is much more to it than just the logical and the mathematical stuff...

But generally these special cases are better in maths than any other human with "normal" brain wiring

I tink I em ferry zmart and have a hai Intell... intallige....kwoti....kwit...IQ.

A couple people in this thread have criticized the validity of IQ tests. Sure, they're far from perfect, but that's not the point of this thread. However, even the informal online tests can be somewhat accurate - I took one once, at it exactly matched the two formal ones I've taken.

The point is whether prog fans - in general - have higher-than-average intelligence. (And I'm not including fairweather friends who listen only to Fragile and Dark Side of the Moon).

This was intended to be a serious discussion. For me, the answer is clear. Compare, for example, the writing ability (spelling, grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, wit, etc.) of this newsgroup to, say, alt.music-vanhalen, and I think there's a clear difference. It's well-known, for example, that readers of fantasy books generally are bright. I believe there are similar parallels to prog (and prog lyrics often are fantasy-based)

Finally, a lot of people in this thread underplay or doubt their intelligence. That's not surprising, because it's a well known pyschological principle that people generally think they're "average" in traits, skills, etc. For example, an American male who's 6' tall might think he's average and thus be surprised to learn that the average is 5' 9".

So for the guy who said his IQ is 115 or so, you're well above average and in the top 15% in the nation, and the two who said they're in the low 140s, you're in the top 1/3 of the top 1%.

So give yourself credit prog fans, you're probably bright. Who else can appreciate Soundchaser, or have the attention span for Supper's Ready or Karn Eviil 9?

I think it may be true nowadays, and I have a lot of respect for many of the younger members of this forum for routing out prog music today when its much harder to find. I think it draws a certain type of person today and you only have to look at the postings of TP and the like to realise you are dealing with smart cookies.

When I first got into prog in the 70's it had wide appeal and attracted a broad spectrum of people. I was chatting to one of the admin staff in my office the other day, who does not seem to have much intelligence (bless her) but in 70's she was a major ELP fan and went to see them on numerous occasions. One of the most gormless people I have ever met used to like YES and had a large prog record collection.

I guess though a lot of the 'less accademic' people who caught the prog bandwaggon in 70's fell off it when punk/Disco/etc came along.

NutterAlert wrote: I think it may be true nowadays, and I have a lot of respect for many of the younger members of this forum for routing out prog music today when its much harder to find. I think it draws a certain type of person today and you only have to look at the postings of TP and the like to realise you are dealing with smart cookies. When I first got into prog in the 70's it had wide appeal and attracted a broad spectrum of people. I was chatting to one of the admin staff in my office the other day, who does not seem to have much intelligence (bless her) but in 70's she was a major ELP fan and went to see them on numerous occasions. One of the most gormless people I have ever met used to like YES and had a large prog record collection. I guess though a lot of the 'less accademic' people who caught the prog bandwaggon in 70's fell off it when punk/Disco/etc came along.

This is a good point. I'm sure there were plenty of people soaked in Everclear requesting"Stairway to Heaven" during Yes concerts in the 70s.

A lot of people who bought prog in the early 70s did so because it was top of the charts. But for a young person to discover Close to the Edge in 2005, and "get it," I think requires a certain level of intelligence.

Young prog fans are - I imagine - curious, open-minded people looking for kindred spirits. Although it's getting more hip now to be a prog fan, in light of Mars Volta, etc., I think anyone listening to early Crimson or ELP 5 years ago would surely have been quarantined.

So the consensus is that prog music lovers are more intelligent than people liking other kind of music.

Strechting this opinion this means that within this group there must be some distinction as well.

Would prog metall heads be less intelligent than neo proggers? Can someone who likes the Tales from the Topographic Oceans be considered more intelligent than some one who prefers Union?

Let us rate some albums: If you find Godbluff is the best from VDGG you get 5 points, but if you like Pawn Hearts more you get 6 points.  Would be a great test. Not sure if I personally woudl like the results.