working with educated clods

The first thing Magda noticed when she started university - and then went on to higher education before starting work with an international financial organization - is that the ability to gain a university education does not necessarily mean you've got a high IQ.

"Let's face it," laughs Magda, "the majority of people have an average IQ of about 100, and that's just about the norm for university students, too."

"A popular misconception is that if you gain a place at university - and graduate with some sort of degree - you must be pretty smart, smarter than the average guy," says Magda, "but this isn't true at all. Nothing could be further from the truth!"

"It's probably true of rocket science courses that students will be endowed with high IQ," laughs Magda, "but for the majority of courses, an average IQ is all that's required."

"IQ tests incorporate with basic language, memory and arithmetical skills some pretty high level skills in reasoning," explains Madga, "and it is this type of reasoning skill that differentiates a Darwinist from a Creationist, a pacifist from a warmonger and a genius from a clod."

"People with high IQ are able to see things that ordinary people cannot see," explains Magda. "They don't have closed minds. They see all angles. They see all possibilities. They are open to new ideas, new paradigms and new ways of doing things."

"This was the sort of company I expected to be keeping at university," laughs Madga, "but instead I found myself with a bunch of clods - and now that I've started work I'm with a bigger bunch of clods. All educated, just like me, but clods nevertheless."

"Don't get me wrong," adds Magda. "These guys don't look like or act like what you'd expect clods to look or act like."

"They're good looking, athletic and street smart."

"They're clods because they have closed minds. They are one-eyed. They don't see all angles. They don't see all possibilities. They aren't open to new ideas, new paradigms and new ways of doing things."

"In effect, they're good looking, athletic and street smart clods - they know how to pass exams and how to hustle, but they don't know how to think for themselves."

"I'd say that the highest IQ of the students in my class - and the graduates where I work - is about 104," sighs Magda. "My own IQ is about 130, but I keep quiet about that because my employer isn't interested in hiring innovative and thinking people."

"Why?" laughs Magda. "Well, people like me are likely to rock the boat, ask questions and refuse to do work that compromises integrity. Employers want sheep around them, yes men and women motivated by personal greed. They don't want people capable of pointing out the Emperor's clothes."

"I'm working in the finance industry - no brains required - and it's a given in the world of money that the people in it are only interested in personal gain and personal shows of wealth."

"Well, that sort of thinking doesn't define me and I'm looking at my present job as a stepping stone to working for the United Nations where I can make a difference in the world."

"I believe that people with a high IQ are more likely to be poor than wealthy," laughs Magda, "and that fact in itself shows just how smart these people really are!"

"When I see someone dripping with diamonds I think IQ of about 80," says Magda, "and when I see someone building a mud brick home I think IQ of about 140. Anyone can acquire diamonds but only a genius is capable of building a mud brick home. And only someone with a high IQ is capable of discerning the difference."

"All of which brings me back to my initial point," laughs Magda. "A degree is no more an indication of IQ than a driving license is."

"I think it's a shame that our universities are dumbing down because people with education usually end up in positions of power - affecting huge number of people," says Madga. "If these people don't have the ability to see all angles and reason things out logically then God help us all."