[kuma]

If people understood the IQ testing better they would know that while it can test overall intelligence it is also designed to show that people are not intelligent in all areas but each individual has talent in a few.

A person can have an average IQ and be extremely intelligent in one area.

However, intelligence does not mean someone cannot be mentally ill. Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Napolean etc... were all intelligent, but frighteningly so.

Einstein is an indisputable genius but his private life was equally dysfunctional.

Thomas Jefferson was intelligent but there is no debate his personal life was riddled with problems. He couldn't solve the problem of slavery in his own life and was unable to resolve it while in public office as well. Even though he knew it would result in a civil dispute eventually.

Often times I think that those who are pecularly talented are more inclined to be dysfunctional. It's as though they can only channel all their thoughts & energy into that one area.

[RobbyS]

I think of the difference between Washington and Hamilton. Hamilton was obviously tremendously more intellectual than Washington, yet without Washington Hamilton could never have succeeded. After Washington's death Hamilton blundered into a fight with Adams, a fight that not only cost Adams the presidency but put the government in the hands of Jefferson. I hate to quote Gore Vidal--incidentally another example of one who is too clever by half--but Hamilton and Aaron Burr were mortal enemies because they were so much alike. Neither had what the English call judgement although each was fertile in expedients.