Python IRC dictatorship

[Robin Munn]

Cliff Wells <LogiplexSoftware at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
> --=-FK+OtUyvyIb2iy15XR3T
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> On Mon, 2002-11-25 at 14:50, Robin Munn wrote:
>> Timothy Rue <threeseas at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> [Snip a large IRC log]
>> > ThreeSeas I'm a genius... If I can't answer your question I will try an=
> d make
>>             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> > out that you don't know what you are talking about..... but are there r=
> eally
>> > 120 users here that hail to ...... dash
>>=20
>> A free piece of advice for you. It's been my experience, along with the
>> experience of many others, that anybody who claims publicly to be a
>> genius:
>>=20
>> a) Almost certainly has an ego problem, and
>>=20
>> b) Usually isn't worth listening to.
> 
> I would shorten the second to
> 
> b) Usually isn't.

Except that they usually are, at least by the definition of "Genius:
someone with IQ >= N" (where N, IIRC, is something around 130). Of
course, we know how utterly meaningless IQ tests are when it comes to
measuring "intelligence" -- but the kind of person who will publicly
proclaim (him|her)self a genius is also the kind of person who will
stubbornly argue for hours about dictionary definitions, completely
ignoring the point about the usefulness of IQ tests.

So I decided to bypass that fruitless argument by not questioning his
claim to be a genius.

> 
> It's odd how someone who purports to be a genius can be so stupid when
> it comes to dealing with people.  Since he seems to be incapable of
> communicating with anyone on any level, I wonder how he is able to
> compare his own intelligence with that of others.

By IQ test results, of course. How else?

Yes, I know IQ test results aren't worth the paper they're printed on
when it comes to measuring any kind of "real" intelligence level (by
which I mean the ability to actually achieve complex tasks). And I know
that comparing IQ "scores" is nothing more than an empty bragging
contest. But it wasn't worth getting in that argument with him. The only
reason I posted any response to Mr. Rue was, basically, that I feel
sorry for him. He appears to be the kind of person whose overinflated
ego will ultimately bring them nothing but suffering. And yes, the
chances of getting through to him and helping deflate his ego are only
slightly greater than a snowflake's chance on the surface of the Sun.
But every now and then, someone ought to try.

-- 
Robin Munn <rmunn at pobox.com>
http://www.rmunn.com/
PGP key ID: 0x6AFB6838    50FF 2478 CFFB 081A 8338  54F7 845D ACFD 6AFB 6838