It is going against every sence of modesty I have, but I feel the need to say this as a precurser. I am a strait A High School student. I know more than most of the people my age on the school subjects, I have information/knowledge on more subjects than most people my age even take a glance at. I can very easily get a A with a medium amount of effort, and can get a B by only half-heartedly trying. Most people my age don't even make an attempt at trying to understand my vocabulary. The one friend I did have abandoned my ship once he learned of my Atheism. I crave knowledge in much the same way a drug addict craves drugs. If there is ever a day that you ask me what I've learned on that day and I tell you "nothing", something is horribly wrong.
With this established, I have a few questions to ask.
Is it wrongfor me to say I am above a good portion of people my age?
Is it wrong that I don't consider anyone my age to be a " peer"?
Is it wrong that I cannot, even with full effort, carry on a satisfying conversation with someone my age?
Is it wrong that the only people I really have good connections/conversations with are those twice or thrice my own age?
And, is it wrong for me to crave knowledge in the way I do?
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The only real question is: Do YOU think those things are wrong?
The things you have asked about have no substantive impact on anyone but you. Therefore, what anyone else thinks about them doesn't really mean shite.
As long as you behave in a way that doesn't purposefully hurt others, then do and think whatever the hell you want.
Well, with wording like that, how could you be wrong. :)
1) Wouldn't that be redundant? Let your actions do the speaking. Much more dignified!
2) No. Peers have to share your views.
3) No. It's just a fact of life.
4) No. It's just a fact of life.
5) Heck no! Pursuing the mysteries of life, seeking the unknown, is possibly the greatest adventure available to an active mind! Make it a life-long habit. You will find college vastly more challenging and fascinating than High School. By the way, what would your major be?
Years ago my brother and I visited one of the caves in Oregon (USA) and our tour guide was this girl who would have been younger than you! I gathered that she was attending Purdue university at the time and was doing this cave tour thing during her summer break. After the tour, the last one of the day, we got into a wonderful conversion about various things as she waited for her ride. There was still a hint of a little girl in her, but she spoke with the confidence and vocabulary of an adult. She was from India and I casually mentioned that my brother studied southwestern Indians. She abruptly stopped for a second and you could practically hear the little gears at work inside her head before saying "That's not true." with a smile. (See the map of India.)
I cannot imagine her relating to the kids of her age, which left only adults at Purdue. I suppose it's like being stuck between two worlds.
The fact that your grades are all A's is proof that you are smarter than the average bear.
Good point.
I know how you feel. I was once there. Unfortunately at that time there was no internet to use as an outlet. When I left my small community for college i was amazed to find others like me. People who were actually proud to be smart and used their intelligence and creativity and curiosity in wonderful and innovative ways. As Shakespeare alludes to, brave the slings and arrows of your supposed peers. Your day is coming. When you can move out into the larger world you will find your true peers. And from what I've seenof you on this forum, I know you will thrive.
BenC - "Not once that I recall did anyone in this forum brag about how smart they are"
Let me refresh your memory:
http://www.atheistrepublic.com/forums/debate-room/joel-osteen#comment-25800
(Kenny) - "Why would anyone get pissed off at me when I am such a smart, adorable, handsome..."
http://www.atheistrepublic.com/forums/atheist-hub/completely-topic-compl...
(Kenny) - "Why not I am so smart and handsome."
Hold on pad'ner!!!!
Just because you are well accomplished in high school doesn't make you a world genius. I suspect that you are a fine individual with above intelligence, but that isn't all to be all. Grades in high school are more about self esteem than anything else.
I for one made straight A's through out my academic life.
Your question list reads like a "push poll". It is more about asking people to praise you than actually seeking answers to the thinly veiled questions.
Are you exception? Well maybe. Perhaps. Remember that there are millions your own age even younger that are at least your level academically. I met a 10 year old with a Phd. at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Berkeley. So there are many incredible young people out there.
No. In fact I did not actually want to post this, but I got tired of questioning myself on these issues. I have no doubt that there are people that were and are much smarter than me at a far younger age. I never claimed to be a world genius either.
And, for your information, high school grades do anything but help my self esteem. Not that I've ever really had any.
If this seems at all like an attempt to get gratification or approval, I apologise. That was not my intent, and was actually afraid that it would be read that way. This is why I don't ask questions: someone always assumes I'm some sort of attention hog out for gratification.
Nope, I don't think that you are seeking attention like BenC. does. I think you are seeking confirmation. A very different thing. The attention seeker is being dishonest. You are not being dishonest. You are being perfectly natural. We can't see ourselves and we wonder how others see us. That was all you were trying to do. I was just being honest with you. Yes you are smart, but that is relative. If you compare yourself by your immediate surroundings you get one perspective. If you widen your view you get an entirely different one. The key is to be comfortable in your own skin. You're smart, you know you are. be happy with that and don't hold others to your personal standard. Take them for who they are. When you do they will accept you for who you are. If they don't they aren't worth the trouble.
Yes, I suppose you are right. That post was actually quite insiteful, and I thank you for the advice.
Well, You're kind of Like Me, I'm 14 and Well not as Smart as you but my Knowledge And World View (How Much I care about what's going Around and About Humanity) "Surpasses" (If I can say) to that of the People of my Age.
I also cannot really carry a Full Satisfying Conversation with someone, it's actually Really Short and it Only gets Big when we Actually have Musical or Any Other Similar Interests (I.e Did you see Nicki Minaj Song? Dang it was some hot shit. - No, I didn't. - What's it About? Etc...)
I TOO actually have Good Conversation with People Twice or actually Thrice my own Age, I found it Weird at First and then I looked up in Google and the "Problems" that we have are actually caused by our Soul Age (If you believe in that 'cause I kinda do, Atheists can believe in that Actually, we only oppose the Idea of Gods to begin with).
My Soul Age is Old, and by the Calculation it's 60+ or more correctly 93.
Take a look at this - http://lonerwolf.com/soul-age/ - you might find it Revealing.
Also, try the test - http://www.higherperspectives.com/age-of-your-soul-1406172133.html
Assumimg grades measure intellegence, which is not the case. The education system is highly flawed.
Well, the School is kind of Problem. I mean it doesn't teach, it's only making us Remember things that we will forget Somewhere in Time or even Tomorrow. What's the point of reading something repeatedly, it's only tiring the Mind, nothing more.