Q: Mike, I cannot
go on any longer
living this way. I
have no friends and
the people I do
associate with hate
talking to me
because all I do is
complain about my
life. I took an IQ
test when I was 13
and found out that
my IQ is only 93.
I'm a microcephalic
loser! I wish I
could actually be
somebody and
accomplish
something. I've just
sort of accepted the
fact that I will
always be a failure
no matter how hard I
try. Are these
symptoms indicating
a serious mental
breakdown? Sometimes
I really wish I
could be confined
within some
institution so I
don't have to deal
with life anymore. I
tend to be cynical
and mistrusting of
others. I was
diagnosed with
bipolar. How am I
going to be able to
live with myself?
When will the time
come that euphoria
sets in and all
doubts fade away?
Will I ever have at
least a 120 IQ?
A: I have no faith
in IQ tests, nor do
I believe
intellectual
intelligence is even
half as important as
you make it out to
be.
Emotional
intelligence is far
superior, and from
reading your email,
you have lots of it.
Learn not to let
other people’s
thoughts matter so
much to you. It’s a
trick we all have to
learn.
I also doubt that
you are as cynical
or mistrusting as
you think, or you
wouldn’t have
written me.
Sorry to minimize
things, but it just
sounds like you’re
going through a very
difficult phase.
I’ve felt many of
the things you now
feel, but with time
it was amazing to
see how my views
changed and
improved.
Forget the idea of
euphoria setting in.
For me it hasn’t.
Instead, by
challenging myself,
by sometimes doing
things I didn’t want
to do, but knew were
wise anyway, and by
keeping busy with
work (whether mowing
lawns, flipping
burgers, or cleaning
the kitchen in a
hospital) time
passed and I somehow
grew smarter. Then,
by watching my life
unfold, and asking
deep questions like
you’re already
asking, answers,
books, and teachers
were drawn to me.
I’m definitely happy
now, but there will
always be
challenges. It’s
just that now I know
challenges only
appear when there is
some new insight I’m
missing – and so
they become like a
game.
Thanks for reaching
out! Always a good
idea!
