Overexcitable

Almost everyone knows about the IQ test, and I often use it as a reference point when explaining what I do. However, there is so much misinformation and baggage attached to the results of this one test, that at times I think talking about it does more harm than good.

There are people far more qualified than I to discuss the actual testing process, the merits of different tests, the things they miss, the biases, the meaning of the scores, etc. It may surprise you to hear that I don't know my own IQ. I've been given lots of tests and told it's high, but never given a number. I'm a member of Mensa and that requires two IQ tests, but they just say yes or no. I've been offered an individual test by a professional with a high profile in the gifted community, but I don't really see the point. The subtests scores might give me some new information, but the number itself is useless to me.

The important thing for me is knowing that I'm different, not crazy! The reason I don't make sense to a lot of people is clear - my brain works in an unusual way. I speak an esoteric language, with lots of words and questions, and I experience the world more intensely. I have strange enthusiasms. I need mental stimulation like I need air. Now that I've done the research, I can use the information as I please. My IQ was just the clue that led to this discovery.

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