Is your IQ higher than your SO?

[AprilBaby]

My husband has a Phd so he is smarter in many areas...he just doesn''t have any common sense. I would survive longer than him in any other situation.

 

[decodelighted]

People with high IQs may have an easier time getting advanced degrees ... but I''d bet there are as many folks with high IQs that do NOT have advanced degrees. I know my own childhood score

... but not DH''s. If I had to guess I''d say they''d be about even. Our SAT scores are about the same -- not that THAT''s a good comparison really. Two of my younger siblings blow us both out of the water though. Top 1-2%-ville.

Kaleigh ... I''m not surprised about your kids! They say intelligence progresses & MOST times the "smartest" person in the house is a *child*.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 12/14/2009 8:38:18 PM
Author: decodelighted
People with high IQs may have an easier time getting advanced degrees ... but I''d bet there are as many folks with high IQs that do NOT have advanced degrees. I know my own childhood score

... but not DH''s. If I had to guess I''d say they''d be about even. Our SAT scores are about the same -- not that THAT''s a good comparison really. Two of my younger siblings blow us both out of the water though. Top 1-2%-ville.

Kaleigh ... I''m not surprised about your kids! They say intelligence progresses & MOST times the ''smartest'' person in the house is a *child*.

Well, it''s not too hard, they blow us out of the water.... DS is taking Arabic his Freshman year and is thriving.. Arabic?? I can''t imagine how hard that must be.

 

[LGK]

No clue what either of our IQs are. I lost faith in that test meaning a thing when my dad, who had his IQ measured at 170 when he was, shall we say, chemically altered, at 18 or so. Didn't help him hold a job, keep a home or a family, or really do a thing with his life.

I've always been very good at standardized tests and whatnot- like my dad- but it really isn't something that's made much difference in my life one way or the other.

Actually my DH is really fascinating the way he learns. We took an intensive Spanish class at the end of college together, and I got to watch first hand at how he puts information together in a rather unusual way. It's absolutely opposite of me- I can absorb book learning (foreign languages etc.) with very minimal effort and I tend to do well in classes and tests, but I forget stuff just as fast. For example on my SATs, I didnt' study at all and I hadn't taken math for a year so I'd forgotten, like, EVERYTHING, so I got an almost perfect score on english (I think I'd been docked 10 points for something) and almost 0 in math. Erm, I think staying up all night the night before didn't help either.

(I'd already been accepted to the art college I wanted to attend, so it really didn't matter what my score was at all.)

Anyway, my DH struggles and struggles for the first part of a new concept (like Spanish) and in our class was absolutely behind everyone for the first two weeks. We would work for hours after the class together, me trying to get him to stop wondering "why" about everything and just accept you had to pronounce things a certain way, that grammar didn't make sense necessarily but you had to do it only one way rather than trying to invent new ways of doing it. Then, it was like something clicked in his head, and he suddenly was the best student in class by far and away- he'd gotten the gestalt of the language, and that's what he'd needed. He is such a big picture person that learning fiddly details is really hard for him. I suspect he wouldn't test as anything amazing on an IQ test, but he is nevertheless is incredibly intuitive, unbelievably observant, and very, very smart. He just always does things his own way- like handwriting, he starts all his letters in bizarre places and mixes uppercase and lowercase indiscriminitally. And as a result he's done very well in many things in life. But an IQ *test*? No, I bet he'd probably test as high average, and it wouldn't be an accurate picture at all of his intelligence.

 

[packrat]

No clue what our IQ''s are. He can read people and is good at managing and we could survive in the wilderness for a month with a roll of film and jar of mustard. But he can''t for the life of him change the toilet paper roll.

 

[HVVS]

I know I was higher than my ex-husband. It was just more more problem in that marriage. My mother''s IQ is over 145. My father is also above average. I don''t know what my IQ is for certain, but it''s up there. My ex was more of average intelligence, and my mind goes lightning fast. I have found that to be a problem in dating, as well. I get impatient with people who can''t keep up. I also analyze things, and clock things, and watch for trends, and can keep track of huge amounts of information in my head, and that bothers men, lol. Most like to think that they are always in the lead.

 

[JSM]

His is Mensa level (not the first in the family), mine is not! But he''s a terrible underachiever, and I have the advanced degrees in molecular biology. Go figure!

I''m just happy I''m with a guy who can read and write intelligently, and whom I can have real conversations with beyond who Tiger Woods is sleeping with!

 

[vc10um]

I think mine is higher, because my mental processes are more aligned with those skills tested on IQ tests, but SO definitely is way more diligent that I am when it comes to difficult tasks, so I think he''s learned more over time.

FWIW, we''re both engineers--him with a BS in ChemE, and I have my BSE and MSE in Biomedical Engineering...

 

[meresal]

I just asked my husband if he has ever taken an IQ test, and his answer... "They can''t test genius, babe."

 

[vc10um]

I think mine is higher, because my mental processes are more aligned with those skills tested on IQ tests, but SO definitely is way more diligent that I am when it comes to difficult tasks, so I think he''s learned more over time.

FWIW, we''re both engineers--him with a BS in ChemE, and I have my BSE and MSE in Biomedical Engineering...

 

[lulu]

I''m 10 points higher, but I jump from interest to interest. When he''s interested in something he absorbs info like a sponge. I wish I had his focus. Luckily it''s never bothered him . I think he likes having a smart wife.

 

[packrat]

Date: 12/14/2009 9:57:45 PM
Author: meresal
I just asked my husband if he has ever taken an IQ test, and his answer... ''They can''t test genius, babe.''

hahaha! JD and I were teasing each other a few days ago and he said "You''re just jealous of the massive amount of knowledge I have in here" and on purpose to be funny, he pronounced it kuhnoledge and ohhh did we laugh. That''s our new thing now.."are you going to impart some of your kuhnoledge?"

 

[miraclesrule]

Date: 12/14/2009 6:31:39 PM
Author: gemgirl

Date: 12/14/2009 5:50:47 PM
Author: purrfectpear
I made Mensa in the 1970''s (but only by one point)

Yeah, me too pp. I made Mensa in the ''70s by four points, but that''s OK because we both got in

and considering that the average IQ for an adult in this country is 100, that''s not all that shabby to get in with any score that qualifies. In is in! I''d rather be on this side of the fence.

Yes, definitely. Mine is higher than my hubby''s, but he could put a second story on your house in no time flat.
Our individual strengths compliment the other and create a strong twosome.

I''d get married in a heartbeat to a man like that.

 

[KimberlyH]

My husband''s IQ is extrodinarily high, or it was when he was tested years ago though I can''t imagine it''s diminished since, he is brilliant. I''ve never taken a true IQ test; I''m not nearly as smart as he is, but I make up for what I lack in innate intelligence through drive and determination.

 

[miraclesrule]

Date: 12/14/2009 9:57:45 PM
Author: meresal
I just asked my husband if he has ever taken an IQ test, and his answer... ''They can''t test genius, babe.''

Hahaha, Priceless....

 

[Karl_K]

no clue
wifey2b has a lot better memory than me.
I can never remember names 5 seconds after I'm introduced to someone.
I'm better at problem solving

She is better at simple math, I'm better at complex math.

She is an artist, I suck at traditional art but am good at engineering art.

She can spell better and use to/too/two better hehehehehe

My saving grace is very high reading comprehension and reading speed.

 

[Kelli]

My IQ is higher than his, but he''s much more knowledgeable. Not that I like to admit that, but it''s true. He went further than I did in school, since my job revolves around creativity.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I am much smarter than my husband, but since I am a genius this was bound to happen in my marriage

We love watching Bones because it reminds us of our marriage: I am just like Bones and he is just like Booth

But he is much nicer than I am, and I have never seen him in a bad mood in the five years we have been together. Lucky for both of us he likes smart broads and I like nice guys. Non-overlapping skill sets and interests means no competition in our marriage.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/14/2009 8:38:18 PM
Author: decodelighted
People with high IQs may have an easier time getting advanced degrees ... but I''d bet there are as many folks with high IQs that do NOT have advanced degrees. I know my own childhood score

... but not DH''s. If I had to guess I''d say they''d be about even. Our SAT scores are about the same -- not that THAT''s a good comparison really. Two of my younger siblings blow us both out of the water though. Top 1-2%-ville.

Kaleigh ... I''m not surprised about your kids! They say intelligence progresses & MOST times the ''smartest'' person in the house is a *child*.

Very true. It is a... ummm... "special" kind of smarts

that makes you crazy enough to pursue graduate work. I have also thought that you don''t actually need to be *that* smart to get a PhD either. Not based on what I have seen!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 12/14/2009 6:23:24 PM
Author: Liane
Mine is a lot higher (> 40-point difference, and he tests well above average), but he''s every bit as smart (otherwise I would not be marrying him!). It just happens that I''m very very good at taking tests and he has a peculiar difficulty with them. Partly because of this experience, I don''t credit IQ as measuring much beyond how good you are at taking tests; it certainly doesn''t gauge actual intelligence.

Just curious... are you referring to tests like the WAIS, or to pen and paper quicky-IQ tests?

I was always really sceptical of IQ tests. Then when I was working on a clinical psych degree (switched later) we spent the first couple of years learning psychological assessment. One thing we had to learn was how to properly administer IQ tests like the WAIS, which can take up to 2.5 hours to administer, longer for very intelligent people. Then we had to write a 7-10 page report on the results. Few people ever take this type of test, because it is so time consuming to administer, and we did it primarily as a way of identifying learning disabilities in school settings.

After learning how to administer and interpret the results of that IQ test, and the child version, the WISC, I actually became pretty convinced that it does a really good job of summing up a person''s pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The summary score usually doesn''t mean much though -- few people are equally skilled in all areas (as the comments in this thread suggest). But if you take one of the longer tests it can give an amazingly comprehensive snap shot of a persons cognitive abilities.

 

[Circe]

We''re both brilliant (and modest, natch!), but he''s much better with numbers than I am, so odds are good that he''d get a higher score on a traditional IQ test. Eh ... s''okay. I''ll bet on my EQ anyday!

 

[musey]

I have no idea. Neither of us have ever been tested. My parents stopped after the first two kids, and his parents didn''t believe it necessary or helpful, as he always excelled in school regardless.

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Stephen Hawking, when asked about his IQ: "I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers."

 

[meresal]

Packrat- That is too funny. DH and I have the most random converstaions and it usually involves some kind of "dumbing down" being made fun of.

Miracles- DH makes me laugh, just like you would marry a guy that could build a house. That matters more to me than a high IQ... or "genius" as he prefers to refer to himself

I have a high IQ, and I can be very short with people that don''t think quite as fast. DH reads and and remembers things at an amazing rate, but my analytical skills and processing time are much much much faster than his.

Dreamer, our marriages are much alike, in that our abilities are completely different than our DH''s. My ex was very intelligent; Mathmitcal guru, born on 3/14... go figure... Anyway, we were in very similar classes, and though he was a math major, I would go to some of his classes with him and him with me... and heaven forbid we had one together, it always bothered me to share scores, like it would make one of us "less intelligent" than the other.
With my DH, you couldn''t even compare our careers paths if you tried. His college major was Sociology and mine was Finance/Econ. He works in a machine shop and I work at a bank. I LOVE that we never share the same story after a long day of work.

 

[CNOS128]

Probably not. I feel like he's smarter. He's also got better social skills than I have, and he's better at sports. But my SAT and LSAT scores were better than his, and I'm definitely the more creative one in the relationship. And I will have more advanced degrees.

In my opinion an IQ score isn't that useful except to see if someone who's struggling in school/life has below average IQ. Otherwise, I don't think people need an objective measure of how "smart" they are.

 

[Haven]

Date: 12/14/2009 11:20:35 PM
Author: musey
I have no idea. Neither of us have ever been tested. My parents stopped after the first two kids, and his parents didn''t believe it necessary or helpful, as he always excelled in school regardless.

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from Stephen Hawking, when asked about his IQ: ''I have no idea. People who boast about their IQ are losers.''

This was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread! (I didn''t want to be the one to post it, though.

)

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Nooo idea. I am willing to bet his is about the same or even higher than mine. He''s a smart cookie!

 

[pennquaker09]

We''re both intelligent, but I think he''d say I''m the smartest. Even though he''s the physician in our household, my MCATs were higher than his. Actually, all of my standardized test scores are higher than his (SAT, ACT, SAT IIs).

He has a B.S. in Cellular Biology w/ a minor in Biochemistry, and a MD and MPH. I have a B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics with minors in English and African American Studies, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. We both graduated with honors, and I graduated Phi Beta Kappa. His knowledge is mainly limited to biology, whereas I know bio, chem, and physics (even though I don''t want to teach life sciences, I prefer chemistry).

Even though we''re both into science, I have a huge creative side and he doesn''t really.

 

[AdiS]

Barely by a couple or so points, yes. But our minds are just polar opposites, our brains are wired differently. He''s a genius when it comes to math and numbers, I''m more of a creative person, interested in art, literature and foreign languages (and can''t for the life of me sum more than two numbers). So I don''t think it''s comparable.

 

[Liane]

Date: 12/14/2009 11:09:40 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie

Just curious... are you referring to tests like the WAIS, or to pen and paper quicky-IQ tests?

Whichever one it is that takes about a half day. I guess that would be the WAIS?

I''ve never taken one of the "quicky-IQ tests" although I did have to go through a couple of exercises from one while doing a schizophrenia simulator for my job last month. That was fun. We had to walk around with little MP3 players that simulated auditory hallucinations (mostly laughter and voices) and try to conduct routine life activities, along with doing parts of an IQ test to see how much a schizophrenic''s concentratrion might be hampered by hearing voices.

It was a fun simulation, but ignoring voices isn''t actually any harder than tuning out your iPod (and who''s never studied while listening to their iPod?) so I''m not sure how helpful it really was. I think having actual schizophrenia must be very different from just hearing voices, because the voices themselves are no big deal.

/threadjack.

 

[Lynnie]

I haven''t a clue as to who''s IQ is higher.
As far as learning, I can learn things quickly... I could cram for a few hours to ace a test in high school. But if I don''t use it, I''ll lose it. He takes longer to learn things, but he can hold on to them for years and years.

Now I''m curious, though... anyone know of a good online IQ test?