Shaker Koach sends this Newsweek piece (which is almost a year old now, but is just intended as the starting point for the discussion) about a British researcher who found that women tend to underestimate their own intelligence and men tend to overestimate their own intelligence.
I don't particularly find that someone's (allegedly objectively quantifiable, ahem) "intelligence" is of any interest or use to me: Everyone I call a friend is clever as hell, but I'm sure some of them wouldn't score off the charts on an IQ test, and IQ tests measure neither common sense nor empathy nor creativity, which are all intelligences of their own.
And that doesn't even get us into the idea that treating a certain kind of intelligence, specifically expressed, is ablist in its frequent exclusion of the neuro-atypical.
All of which is to say that this discussion isn't really about the sort of limited definition of intelligence as defined by IQ test fetishists. It's really more a discussion about intelligence as defined by one's subjective and individual capabilities and potential—the evaluation thereof and its relationship to involvement in social justice work.
Because, going back to the article linked at the top of this post, I have an idea what might account for the disparity...
Do you find that your self-evaluation evolved after you came in contact with feminism/womanism, or anti-racism civil rights theory, or LGBTQI pride narratives, or disability blogs, etc.? (i.e. "I'm know I'm a fuckin' genius. Thanks, feminism!")
What about your evaluation of other people belonging to un-privileged groups of which you're not a member?
Discuss.
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