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From: steven@luke.UUCP (Steven List)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Intelligence
Message-ID: <214@luke.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 13-Jun-85 00:34:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: luke.214
Posted: Thu Jun 13 00:34:03 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Jun-85 03:29:44 EDT
References: <253@unc.UUCP> <270@looking.UUCP> <371@h-sc1.UUCP> <2763@nsc.UUCP> <1209@cbosgd.UUCP> <1571@hao.UUCP> <1270@houxm.UUCP>
Reply-To: steven@luke.UUCP (Steven List)
Organization: Benetics Corp, Mt.View, CA
Lines: 42
Summary: 

In article <1270@houxm.UUCP> gregbo@houxm.UUCP (Greg Skinner) writes:
"
I had the same experiences when I was in junior high and high school.  I was not
only smarter than most of the kids (junior high) but I wore thick glasses which
made me look like a nerd.  I was teased a lot and I was miserable and started
...Does anyone have any ideas why
adolescents treat each other so cruelly?  Has anyone done a study on it?  I 
think it would make a good study in child psychology. 
"

This does sound a bit self-indulgent and self-pitying.
Attributing your troubles to intelligence seems to be stretching things
more than a little.  I too had my problems in school, but I hesitate to
attribute them to my intelligence.  Maybe to being an out-and-out
smartass!  And maybe that was because I KNEW I was so bloody smart.

Adolescents are cruel.  There doesn't have to be a reason.  As a matter
of fact, I believe it's related to power, pecking order, and an immature
means of improving one's self image (aka ADOLESCENT!).  The demeaning
and degradation of others makes them lower than the one doing it.
Therefore that person is better.  Logical, no?  Yes, to an insecure and
unsure adolescent.  Their whole life is an eggshell.  Sexuality,
responsibility, pubescence, socialization... GAD, it's a wonder any of
us ever survive.  The trick is to manage not to be too cruel, not to let
the others drive you under, and still manage to develop some semblance
of normalcy.

Check any normal group of adolescents.  If a particular GROUP is normal
height, then anyone too short or too tall is ostracized.  If they're
jocks, the `wimps' and `nerds' are ostracized.  If they're precocious,
don't be a virgin.  It goes on and on.  They all want to belong and to
be better than SOMEone else.

And, y'know what?  It doesn't stop when we grow up.  We just get more
sophisticated.  And clever.

Most of us, that is.
-- 
***
*  Steven List @ Benetics Corporation  *  (415) 940-6300
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