11. Anonymous

When I was young, I consistently tested in the 99th percentile. I was significantly ahead of my peers in school, possibly due to having a father that was a mathematics professor and could only really relate to me by teaching me mathematics as a toddler. I was in gifted/talented programs as a child. My school grades started off good, and degraded as I discovered just how little I could get away with doing, and was not fortunate enough to have a teacher who could challenge/motivate me. I was the youngest child in a large family, so my parents didn’t invest heavily (either fiscally or emotionally) in my education…not to berate my parents, they did great with the burdens and resources in their lives. I was not a child savant…I was just a good reader and (far) ahead of the curve in mathematics.

In middle and high school I had trouble relating to most of my peers…my grades were horrible as I generally refused to do homework because I could understand the concepts adequately without it, and didn’t have anyone pushing me at home for grades. I tested about 1550 on the SAT, and a 31 composite on the ACT without any studying, and was able to get into a state college engineering program. I ran into a bit of trouble in college, first by carrying to heavy a class load, and trying to ‘get by’ the way I had in high school…but eventually graduated with a computer science degree.

To answer the question: I find in general that I am lazy…in large part because I can be. I am not an especially ambitious person. I have no great yearning for riches, power, fame, acclaim in my field, etc. I have never related well to others, but I don’t know if this relates to intelligence, as clearly there are intelligent people who get on just fine with others. I don’t regard myself as especially intelligent these days. I’m financially comfortable, have a job I don’t really care about and am free to pursue my likely ADHD-driven interests. It is unlikely I will ever accomplish anything of significant interest, and I’m okay with that.

I suppose, to sum up…all my ‘problems’ are of my own making depending on your view of the universe. Intelligence by itself is not a disadvantage. We are all products of our environment, whether brilliant, average, or mentally deficient.

12. Harris Siddiqui

This is how the disadvantages start:

Initially you are totally unaware of your abilities, so you’re a hard worker (because you are a kid who wants to be the best). Sometime hence, maybe the 3rd grade, you experiment a bit. Reduce your hard work, to some extent. Still on top, no harm done.

About the time you reach high school, you stay back and watch others run, trying so hard to get ahead of you. Deep down, you just keep smiling to yourself, knowing that you can take them down anytime. And just before the final run, you do beat them. That was awesome.

From there on, it kinda becomes boring, you get tired of the rules and the damned grading system and stuff. So you just don’t give a fuck to run with them anymore. You find challenging mischievous things (drugs, alcohol, smoking) around you and do them, until you’ve had enough.

Then you move on, find that one thing that you’re gonna do for the major part of the rest of your life. You find your true passion. Some of them, are not able to get to this phase, so that’s how the genius ends for them. For the rest, they do the best works of their life now. (Not really a disadvantage, this one).

Towards the later stages of your life, you know what you’re capable of, and you have your fair bit of experience, so you keep the disadvantages away.