It seems to me that normal range IQ persons have difficulty understanding anything that is not in a commercial or drilled into their subconscious minds via television, from the time they are infants.
A genius is not a savant. A savant clearly is more limited within the realm of social circumstances than is a genius. A savant’s mind runs like a train, absorbing details of a particular subject and unable to grasp much else. Whereas a genius’ mind is more like a galaxy spinning about a great magnet. A savant can seem aloof due to neuro-biological reasons. A genius is aloof because one can only pay attention to so many things and people just aren’t that interesting when one has the possibility of time travel or altering DNA on one’s mind.
To begin with, understanding requires mental processes. Let’s say an average IQ individual sees a genius climb a tree at the park to better see the swimming patterns of geese in the lake below. Why? Have you never done this? Anyway, the average says to himself, “Geeze Leweeze, that guy is wierd!” The average says that because most 35 year old men don’t do such things. And if she’s a woman? Forget it, she’ll be on the wierd list forever.
The average take everything for granted. They don’t question. They remember what they learned in kindergarten, which basically is, “Don’t ask, don’t tell”, “If you have to ask, then you’re dumb”. etc… Their brains are set, based on what other people think or will think of them. Most of their lives have been spent doing what they are told and doing what will make them “look good”. They are absolutely honed and conditioned to be who they are and to not question. To not admit to recognizing some things are “out of whack”. And usually when they do, it has something to do with how someone is dressed or how they wear their hair.
Many years ago, I knew a young man. A genius, in the classical term. His father was a red neck and treated the genius badly because he was not quick witted. Rather, he was a thinker of high degree and would have made a fantastic lawyer or doctor. I remember him telling me that he could not make up his mind which he wanted to do. And he did not feel good about himself. His esteem was greatly lacking.
I, personally, have laughed a great deal at red neck jokes which I thought were incredibly stupid, just to keep myself alive. If you know what I mean.
Lumping genius and savants into the same category is an oxymoron of a concept. Its assumption being that genius is somehow limited, intellectually or “retarded” in some means. This again, is a tendency among the average, to belittle that which is different from them.
Because they are the majority.
When in fact, savants are much easier to train to make the bed, set up straight and be quiet.
