The Sad Story of the Smartest Man Who Ever Lived

[@Newsthink]

*For everyone asking, Einstein's estimated IQ of 200 was cited by Amy Wallace in her biography of William James Sidis* Try brilliant.org/Newsthink/ for FREE for 30 days, and the first 200 people will get 20% off their annual premium subscription.

[@Mike-lh1rq]

Yes, definitely you can push children too hard. You have to let them enjoy life, including letting them follow their interests, being encouraging and supportive of them and most importantly of all, love them a lot.

[@jamescaley9942]

No good blaming the parents if you are smart beyond your years, he lived his life his way. There are plenty of abstract problems ideal for people who want to work in seclusion: Fermat's last theorem, the Reimann hypothesis, cracking the Enigma code. It sounds like he didn't find any or contibute anything. It needs motivation, obsessive curiousity and love of the subject, not just IQ. People with much lower IQs have made much bigger contributions, even if they sometimes had obnoxious personalities. His most positive contribution is that he allows the rest of us mediocre types to feel a bit better about ourselves.

[@artawhirler]

Yes. His parents should have taught him to function in society, not to be a trick pony.

[@ozymandiasultor9480]

@@damnwereinatightspot If ignorance is bliss then dunces and m0r0ns are enlightened and they should be philosophers, scientists, and people who lead countries. But that is not so, ignorance is just ignorance, not bliss. That is a stupid saying, and it stems from the fact that ignorant and fools are not concerned too much about anything because they don't know much, and if something bad happens they will simply accept it "blissfully".

[@shaunhall960]

Our society is cruel and no matter what his parents did he would still have to deal with society. Having said that if his parents were more empathetic to him he probably would have been able to deal with society a lot better. What is more important here is tht we learn from this and treat people better. We lost a great mind.

[@jadezee6316]

This is not a story about a man who had remarkable gifts...it is a story about a world where people destroy anyone who has remarkable gifts....

[@ФеофанЭтополедолжнобытьзаполне]

@@j.manuelp.vicens3888 Pity.

[@godblesshamas]

There's no place in society for someone who doesn't believe the fake news.

[@mjleger4555]

Hunman beings are, sadly, very suspicious of anyone who doesn't meet their standards of normality! Bullying occurs, unacceptance, and woes in general are commonplace for a human who is abnormal, whether they are less or more intelligent! Sad, but true. Sometimes it is almost better to have less intelligence because they don't understand that they are low IQ, but they DO understand bullying, and it hurts everyone involved in their care because it is just plain cruel!

[@durrontanzanite187]

Yes ..people seem to thing , autistic people are not, in one's right mind, his mental pain is unstood ?

[@BOG0690]

People are sort of a joke these days

[@rrni2343]

The reason why smart people go crazy is that there are so many dumb ones that are hellbent on driving them mad. In this chase the media was basically bullying him for decades..

[@therealchad140]

And who’s fault is that, might I ask? I mean, if you’re smarter than 99.9 percent of people, don’t be surprised that everyone seems dumb to you.

[@bobdillon1138]

Exceptionally high intelligence is usually a byproduct of having some form of high functioning ASD and that unfortunately that can come with a raft of other not so desirable traits.

[@sasquatch1554]

There is nothing sane about being well adjusted to an insane world.

[@matthewdavis6118]

That would explain my persistent sanity.

[@Stierenkloot]

You think you're smart.

[@eltonalonsopompeu615]

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes” (Sigmund Freud)

[@Exornion]

​@isaacnewton6930Dear Quotes Investigator: There is a saying about maintaining emotional health that is both heartfelt and sardonic. The words have been attributed to the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the award-winning science fiction author William Gibson. Here are two versions: "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes." "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounding yourself with assholes." so before you say BS confirm the facts

[@wildfire9280]

@@Exornion Thank you Ness, very cool.

[@RhinoStompin]

* William Gibson

[@scottwarren4998]

Carl gauss had a similiar iq that if james sidis. Both had 275 iq. Gauss could solve insane problems, even though he could not speak 25 languages like sidis.

[@LaurenceDay-d2p]

Wonderful comment. Associating with such people can make anyone depressed.

[@Wahinies]

He taught his sister reading and writing, that shows quite some heart and patience.

[@rustyhowe3907]

He sounded like a genuinely caring person looking after his sister and marching for humans rights against war.

[@kylemenos]

What if it took him a week to do it|? A lot of projection here from people because no one will ever understand what it was like to flee ethnic cleaning lets say and the impact of human self implosion. The thing is when you have two smart people and the average intelligence of the society is beneath them the normal outcome is the child is less intelligent than the parents but still far smarter than the norm and visa versa on the low end. This is something people do not know about or expect. Sometimes humans self destruct as part of natural selection because they fit too far outside the norm. This also goes for population size we are seeing it today. replenishment rate is down across the board because we force people together too much and have a natural tendency to self destruct when that occurs.

[@ringozeitgeist]

His parents failed him by not letting him have a childhood. The key was mentioned early on, his father thought play was frivolous and unnecessary. Play is essential, not only, but especially, in childhood.

[@ereder1476]

so much so that even animals play

[@MaTeTris]

Yeah. The fact that he didn't attend his dad's funeral to avoid his mother speaks of a terrible lack of love. Also the fact that he could not do maths because it affected him emotionally in a negative say speaks volumes too: he might have been forced to study or excel at them, the same way Beethoven's dad would do when he was a child. Beethoven said that it was a miracle that he loved music given his father's abuses. I think that Michael Jackson suffered a similar fate. I think that this man's fate is probably very common around the world, not so much Beethoven or Jackson's cases. 13:44

[@BlinkinFirefly]

Not to mention play can boost your intellect and creativity ten fold! It's absolutely necessary in childhood. It's such a shame how Sidis was treated and his untimely death.

[@sanepillow59]

/r/RaisedByNarcissists/

[@joshuawipf2884]

IMO we need “jobs” that we don’t consider the work as work but as play. Society and the individual would both prosper.

[@tylernol3830]

Lack of affection from his parents. Constant attacks from the media. Bullying from his peers and never fitting in … Yeah that’ll that’ll destroy anyone

[@jordanphilipperris]

Damn straight...

[@alphadog1961]

Earth is the Heart of all planets,The Gem.Humans have what other beings lack compassion.LOVE is from the heart.,we all need love.

[@alphadog1961]

@@BewarethebearersofFALSEgifts Never mentioned Animals

[@macho_420]

@@alphadog1961 Only compassion i ever recieved was from God and God alone. Not from my parents,friends,strangers,family.. There is no compassion from most people without any ulterior motives bro. Obnoxious people like you really really make me mad.

[@mrandersson2009]

humanity

[@See_through866]

“If you knew what smart people knew you’d be depressed for life” -a book I read

[@oftin_wong]

The dumber you are the more friends you'll have too lol

[@aastik_agnihotri]

Which one?

[@BPrashantMehto]

Which Book?

[@originalways7220]

I love this

[@FromRootsToRadicals_INTP]

Yep

[@b.bailey8244]

This broke my heart. He was tortured in every way by people who never treated him as simply a human being in need of love, play, and to be accepted how he was.

[@BeHempy]

Dude sounds like an annoying little shit.

[@davesmith1695]

Don't worry, it's mostly bullshit. At 2.36 it says he learned 8 languages at the age of 8 by understanding the "fundamental principles of language structure". Nobody has done that. In fact, linguists can't even agree if there is a fundamental language structure. It's a KZbin video. It only exists to make money.

[@thought_criminal14]

I guess you'll be surprised to learn the story didn't go exactly as portrayed. He never took an IQ test, his sister just claimed he did and she was known for exaggeration. "It has been acknowledged that Helena and William's mother Sarah had a reputation for exaggerated statements about her family. Helena may have falsely stated that the Civil Service exam William took in 1933 was an IQ test and that his ranking of 254 was an IQ score of 254. It is speculated that the number "254" was actually William's placement on the list after he passed the Civil Service exam, as he wrote in a letter to his family. Helena also said: "Billy knew all the languages in the world, while my father only knew 27. I wonder if there were any Billy didn't know. This statement was not backed by any source outside the Sidis family, and Sarah Sidis also made the improbable statement in her 1950 book The Sidis Story that William could learn a language in just one day." Supposedly, it has been disproven he had "254" IQ, not surprising after learning what I just quoted. As always with these people, they write a bogus story with insane exaggerations and sell these books for naive gentiles.

[@thought_criminal14]

I guess you'll be surprised to learn the story didn't go exactly as portrayed. He never took an IQ test, his sister just claimed he did and she was known for exaggeration. "It has been acknowledged that Helena and William's mother Sarah had a reputation for exaggerated statements about her family. Helena may have falsely stated that the Civil Service exam William took in 1933 was an IQ test and that his ranking of 254 was an IQ score of 254. It is speculated that the number "254" was actually William's placement on the list after he passed the Civil Service exam, as he wrote in a letter to his family. Helena also said: "Billy knew all the languages in the world, while my father only knew 27. I wonder if there were any Billy didn't know. This statement was not backed by any source outside the Sidis family, and Sarah Sidis also made the improbable statement in her 1950 book The Sidis Story that William could learn a language in just one day." Supposedly, it has been disproven he had "254" IQ, not surprising after learning what I just quoted. As always with these people, they write a bogus story with insane exaggerations and sell these books for profits.

[@thinkinsidetheboxsquarecir3303]

He had the Profile of a Skool parachuter! He would be a watch list as he seemed to have been even back then!

[@MCRuCr]

Being treated like this, knowing you are much smarter than everyone else but seeing others suceed in life is indescribably painful

[@CTimmerman]

Reminiscent of Einstein's watchmaker comment. Seems like not everyone believes other humans can be trained to be good.

[@MCRuCr]

@@CTimmerman Can you elaborate?

[@CTimmerman]

@@MCRuCr “The release of atomic power has changed everything except our way of thinking ... the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker. (1945)” ― Albert Einstein

[@Arkytross]

Because you are born with a superior intelligence, you will be attacked for inspiring envy within nearly all around you. I have suffered greatly anytime I did anything intelligent around people. People do not care about progression and helping our species prosper or fixing every issue we have like the disease of aging, rather, the selfish nature in the common person ends in the death of us all being pulled down with them, whether born with exceptional abilities or not. This has been the story throughout our history and perhaps the advent of artificial intelligence will finally make a change we have never had.

[@CTimmerman]

@@Arkytross Were Einstein and Hawking attacked? Both were popular with the ladies.

[@drbettyschueler3235]

How sad. I knew my biological children had lots of intelligence but my father pushed me to succeed to the point where I didn't have a normal social life in my teens. So when my kids came along I gave them lots of opportunities to learn, and an enriched environment in which to do it, but left the pace of learning up to them. I did the same with my foster and adopted children because, to me, success is being happy with your life and what you are doing.

[@precisionleadthrowing4628]

parental abuse of high IQ kids is quite common. It's pretty sad. They always try to make themselves the center of the attention at the expense of the child. "look at me - my kid is smarter than anyone else" and when kid gets beaten up and bullied at school they never realize it was because of their bragging and indirect insulting of other kids and not the kids fault. The parents often say " ah well, it's because he is too smart, what can you do about it" which pisses off the other kids even more and cycle continues until the kid goes into isolation or learns to pretend to be dumb

[@dannwing4224]

Absolutely. A happy and healthy life is a "Perfect" life. That involves balancing many aspects of life. Try not to go to extremes if u have choices.

[@boryswwa]

I've become a father almost 2 years ago and I started facing questions like "what is the role of a parent?", and I came to similar conclusion - The major role of a parent is to ensure, that their children are happy in their life. Of course achieving this is not easy, but care should be taken not to push parent's own ambitions or unfulfilled dreams onto their children, especially not respecting children's own interests and passions.

[@user-jq3ht2wj8j]

great of you ❤️

[@radicalpotato666]

How is it sad? He lived his life in his terms without harming society?

[@rose_clips]

Not everyone with brilliant mind wants a Nobel prize or fame. Nothing wrong with living the life one wants for oneself, no matter how "simple" it is.

[@rinzler9775]

There are plenty of not brilliant people who want to be recognised though.

[@clydegray9714]

Fame comes with a price, like everything. In all your glory, you discover their all just strangers in a crowed. They dont matter, nor do you to them. A recognized slip or scandal, no mercy for Mr perfect. In the end, there's you, the one you never knew. The best life has to offer is priceless if it can be bought its not that big of a deal. TIME spend it wisely. It will end

[@ACuriousChild]

That's why GOD ALMIGHTY CREATED all HIS CREATION equal and at the same time as individuals. IQ is a concept of THE HUMAN MIND trying to pretend it is something extraordinary not realising it is ONE ASPECT of GOD'S CREATION. By elevating one type of existence into the realm of godliness it becomes THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN.

[@hagenanon9484]

he was smart enough to understand that his achievements in life mean nothing in the greater scheme of things :'D

[@rinzler9775]

@@hagenanon9484 very smart people see the greater picture of nature and appreciate it. The dangerous ones are the moderate level IQ that have cravings for power, control and destruction. Example is your typical university social justice professor. Too stupid with their illusions of their own intelligence to realise how dumb they are.

[@PersonalVx]

Just cause he was a genius, doesn’t mean he HAS to do something “impressive”

[@VIVALAVERSA]

Everyone, from parents to Colleges, from students to the press, literally everyone broke this young man. He never once was able to experience life by himself and at the end he was left to rot. Poor poor soul. R.I.P william j sidis

[@lkoyumil]

@____________________________51 wow, everyone is written about in the newspaper, everyone is under the pressure that he had, yes, I’ll see you know everything about this world!

[@freniisammii]

@____________________________51 On the flip side, you clearly need a media comprehension course. Dealing with social drama at school as well as regular adolescent troubles is VERY different from having the entire world around you constantly pressuring and bullying you into becoming a genius with giving you either the social or the emotional support.. Even people like Einstein, Hawking, and Ramanjun has friends an people by their side to support them while they were doing their research. He had no one, and was literally restricted from basic childhood pleasures. Are you seriously going to sit their and tell me that your own parents locked you at home and didn't allow you to go to Kindergarten because they thought it too "childish"? Learn a thing or two about nuance. Please, For the love of God.

[@freniisammii]

​@____________________________51 Enlighten me then, considering how much you must know about everybody's individual lives and how they grew up. And once you're done with that, tell me how that at all compares to perpetual social ridicule and the parental neglect that this man went through.

[@Wade_Fucking_Wilson]

@____________________________51you're such a misanthrope

[@Wade_Fucking_Wilson]

@____________________________51 coward

[@jayasanthoshs.r.3993]

If their parents just saw him as a child and allowed him experience the happiness of his age , probably nobody would have have seen him as machine rather than human.

[@Dave_of_Mordor]

this is what happens when losers are allowed to have kids. they put all their hopes and dreams into that child and demand excellent despite having done nothing themselves. it's 2023 and i can't believe there is no law to prevent these pos from having kids

[@Decimus-Magnus]

This exactly. Children need the opportunity to experience a normal healthy childhood free from the idiocy of parents who use all sorts of dysfunctional and nonsensical approaches like treating their child like an adult or their friend instead of being an actual mother and father to them. It's very clear that his parents were so busy preparing him to learn technical knowledge, they completely disregarded the practical knowledge that a young person needs to prepare them for the "real world," and how to live in it.

[@ACuriousChild]

ABSOLUTELY - BRAIN without BODY AND SOUL equals MADNESS! Which is what THE WORLD is experiencing right now. THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN in its pursuit to conquer GOD'S CREATION on its last legs! GOD ALMIGHTY lurking through the cracks of the mental prison cell THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN has been allowed to turn GOD'S CREATION temporarily into!

[@BelindaShort]

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ I hope that you realize posting things like this doesn't help anyone, I hope you get the attention you are clearly seeking

[@korycassel5197]

The story seemed an awful lot to me like he got sucked into hard Left agit-prop and became a bitter disillusioned slob rejecting humanity AFTER that. I think it's very highly unlikely that he wasn't groomed by his parents and attended Harvard reeking of awful BO. Highly likely that he wrote his polygamist Utopian Socialist phantasy after being introduced to hard Leftism and THAT is what ruined his life.

[@Cle47]

Even the greatest minds can’t outshine bad parenting and bullying

[@jackb8598]

Imagine beyond surrounded by idiots? Trust me, it’s torture.

[@frankculaga5169]

@@jackb8598 Look what they did to Sylvia Likens.

[@Qichar]

Maybe intelligence is the wrong tool for overcoming bad parenting and bullying. Maybe spiritual focus, discipline, and realization would better serve one in this life. I was bullied relentlessly (mostly due to racial discrimination) as a child, beaten by my older brother regularly, and suffered from incompetent parenting. But these days, most people think I "really have it together" and my wife reluctantly informs me that women find me attractive despite being of only average height and appearance. I have pretty much what everyone might want out of life: loyal friends, a beautiful wife and daughter, a fine house, and plenty of money (despite being quite poor growing up as the child of first generation immigrants). But none of this matters much when I compare it to progress along the true spiritual path. The real problem is that there is no instruction manual for being a human being, but trust me when I say that the purpose of everyone's many lifetimes is simply to realize the self and realize the God within oneself. And no, I'm not talking about religion. William, the subject of this documentary, sadly lacked spiritual guidance and therefore had no clear purpose in his life. Without such, it is nearly impossible to feel fulfilled. And no, I feel no need to have anyone believe as I do. I simply want others to know that it is possible, death is NOT the end, and yes, there is a God, despite the true God not being present in any church, temple, mosque, or ashram. Like solving a math problem, sometimes just someone telling you that there IS a solution is enough to motivate the right kind of person to find it.

[@hwplugburz]

@@Notaven because moest ppl are stupid, and our brains are wired to ceare about such things unless your a sociopath

[@Qichar]

@Aven To make them stronger, I believe. To teach them to overcome challenges.

[@RavenTwoSix.]

Ernest Hemingway wrote, “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know”.

[@kennethbaird968]

Anybody that has experienced burnout would understand, William must have suffered extreme burnout and needed a long recovery.

[@SoloAdvocate]

He had no social outlets and no skills to build one.

[@jrock5830]

@kennethbaird968 I relate… except for 100IQ.

[@jomdizon6930]

because his parents forgot to teach him how to socialize, they're too focus on creating walking computer instead of human being. I read his life story, all I can say is that this boy is just a byproduct of his father's experiment.

[@louistournas120]

@@jomdizon6930 Wasn't there one human being that was willing to become his friend?

[@mitrimind1027]

As someone who is dealing with burnout myself, I totally understand why he didn't try to live up to his expectations.

[@VideoCesar07]

The fact that he educated his sister when her father refused and she eventually got into college because of it is a lifetime success in itself. It really is sad how society in general stigmatize high IQ people into thinking that if they don't achieve great things then they are a failure. A normal, average life is not acceptable. A friend of mine was pretty high IQ and I remember her being stressed out all the time cause parents and teachers kept shoving that in her face over any little mistake. She was in all sorts of AP classes, honor roll, valedictorian, etc but never enjoying anything. I will never forget when she dropped out of MIT, her parents made that her goal, that they were livid and said she had thrown away her life. She spent years afterward drifting from place to place and frequently getting into drugs and alcohol. Thankfully today she has cleaned up and is "just" a massage therapist to the dismay of her immediate family. At least today she is happy and calm and has cut all ties with them since her "failure" to become great kept causing friction between them.

[@wicked5999]

Asian parents? Sounds like a textbook case of "no room for mistakes" culture

[@VideoCesar07]

@Wicked Didn't wanna go there but... yeah 😒.

[@slimzy1017]

I've had people call me 'unambitious' because I have little more desire than a solid, middle-income job. They think that just because I'm a little smart I should do 'this' or 'that' when life is (ultimately) stressful enough, and having enough to be comfortable in near middle-income is fine by me. It's bold of them to assume I'm unambitious, when my own desires form my ambitions. After all, why should I share the same ambitions of another??

[@dreddmann9292]

massage therapist?? so in other words, a prostitute. With all her genius she ended resulting in a profession where she makes people feel good by touching and rubbing them all over there body. I mean why cut off all ties to the family unless she ended doing something like prostitute herself.

[@slimzy1017]

Granted, that IS more money than I have now and people change, so perhaps I am wrong on those ambitions??

[@Mutrax4706]

its honestly sad how people can just completely ignore the gifts someone has, but rather choose to make fun of their lack of common experiences

[@alexanderbanman9288]

So true.

[@a.e.jabbour5003]

That is what jealousy does. If someone is "exceptional" in some way the vast majority of people can't understand, that person is demeaned for it; if, OTOH, they are exceptional in a way most people can understand (to some degree), such as they get more dates, make more money, whatever -- they are demeaned for it. Let's face it: most of "society" is populated by that large percentage at the center of bell curve. People are naturally jealous.

[@CalLadyQED]

Isn't that why "The Big Bang Theory" was so popular? Audience can feel good about themselves because these geniuses are losers in other areas of life

[@Mutrax4706]

@@CalLadyQED huh

[@Kingzt369]

@@CalLadyQED or it was a feel good show? you know the kind where you turn off your brain and just relax to bad humor with goofy scenes.

[@soomayahsoomayah2110]

The public was indeed cruel. They mocked him! They didn't care about his work! It broke his heart!

[@pdatnc]

Childhood trauma has enormous consequences. So sad. Many children become the unwitting subjects of their parents' experiments, albeit unintentionally.

[@alexanderbanman9288]

Truer words were never spoken.

[@RoySATX]

Someone should tell this to the parents claiming their prepubescent children are trans.

[@Peekaboo-Kitty]

My dad always told me I was a "good for nothing stupid whore that would never amount to anything." So I stopped trying in School and eventually dropped out and became everything he said I would be. What a great father huh? It's amazing how anyone can curse their own flesh and blood. He was pure evil.

[@pdatnc]

@@Peekaboo-Kitty I'm so sorry 😞

[@karlmakhwa4182]

​@@Peekaboo-KittyLike @pdatnc I also want to say I'm sorry, but in addition I'd like to say something encouraging. Even if you're 95 years old, I'll say it's never too late to do something. If you look deep enough, you can find something which you want to do and are capable of doing, step by step, enjoying every small victory. I try to follow this principle and as a fellow human being, I believe in you😊 I recommend chatting to anyone about what inspires you and I recommend the amazing heartwarming videos of Thoraya

[@atomicdiamondx]

I find it remarkable that in an age without the internet, social media still managed to haunt him and contribute to his detriment in mental health.

[@pinecedar180]

The general masses are so dumb not to realize that it was his parenting and specially his mother who caused his downfall. Not the media. Intelligence is rare

[@ericorozco4017]

Holy sht 🤯🤯🤯 great point

[@Michau940]

Yeah, it looks like this kind of social mechanism was always there, only now these scumbags have new tools at their disposal.

[@crosswordpuzzle2952]

I guess he was not as smart as they say.

[@mirananaim5971]

​@@crosswordpuzzle2952IQ is different than EQ, emotional intelligence. Unfortunately, he was brought up in such a distortive way that it broke his self image and intrapersonal skills. Despite his intelligence, he lacked love and support. The rest is the logical result of that.

[@elu5ive]

highly developed intelligence is nothing without emotional stability and a strong character which is exactly what his parents COMPLETELY neglected

[@bbmbmm2829]

You are absolutely right👏

[@FromPanictoParis]

Exactly 💯

[@Blinkers2007GameDev]

I agree

[@mikes3637]

I suffer so much, i have high IQ but i get super affexted by people around and i’m emotional. So i can’t agree more what with you wrote above.

[@secretsecret1713]

Well this was the price paid for such high intelligence or do you think high iq comes free? Strong character like steel strenghens in life trials. Shortly no person can be both super smart and super strong, he can be either balanced or inclined in one side, but never be successful in both.

[@catherinemarsh5453]

The problem is not early success, it was the absence of affection, imagination and social interaction in his youth.

[@crosh3301]

Learning 8 languages by age 8 is some scary level intelligence. This dude is gifted beyond belief.

[@ytehrani3885]

But then again many Dutch people speak 4-5 languages. It's great he learned 8 languages, but he should've studied a hard science.

[@JeremyCaron]

it's supposedly not that hard to pick up another one after a certain point, especially if they're in the same family

[@crosh3301]

@@ytehrani3885 no but he wasn’t even “studying” per say because this is an 8 year old we’re talking about. The kid just picked up these languages just thinking about it for a bit.

[@paulvandenberg4969]

​​@@ytehrani3885more like 2-3 languages. 4-5 is still quite impressive in the Netherlands

[@nexusxmoon]

He was not gifted at all. They just gave him a good education early in one area while failing to educate him in basic life skills. Nothing he did was brilliant. Nothing he did was genius. His idea of Utopia is hellish, proving he was not intelligent at all. I can get a young child to memories a lot of math formulas, does not make him a math genius. James could not even handle doing math when asked to.

[@carissafisher7514]

He was so smart, he decided to do easy jobs, now that is brilliant.

[@GenerationX1984]

That's what I've been doing all my life. 😂

[@michealjohn7192]

smart people dont get mortgage

[@carissafisher7514]

@@michealjohn7192 do you pay rent?

[@michealjohn7192]

@@carissafisher7514 yes

[@devinkipp4344]

@@michealjohn7192 I don't see how that makes someone smart though.

[@mossball07]

His parents treated him like a machine, a test subject. not a human. The fact that his parents claim that his intellect is because of upbringing and not genes... they've basically admitted that he grew up broken and unable to live a normal life, because of them. My heart breaks for him, he deserved to be raised with love, support, encouragement, play and everything a normal child should have had. Of course he could not function properly into adulthood, being a functioning adult is so much more than pure intellect. It's communication, being able to receive and give out love, being resilient and feeling secure, knowing how to take care of one's own needs and so on. He was taught none of that. This is a very saddening example of bad parenting.

[@Beveyboygames]

it actually could have been his upbringing, bc of the way the human brain forms, obviously not 100% but definitly to some degree, however they should have taught him to care for himself

[@trumansteinberg]

Some parents try to force their dreams on to their kids rather than letting them be who they truly are. I would know

[@ijustwannabeadrummer]

Yeah perhaps his parents initially being immigrants caused them to overcompensate and push him too hard. Maybe they should have been more patient with his development,socialized him,let him cook in the “grow oven” for a longer period at a lower temperature. He definitely had the smart genes but was pushed to a breaking point.

[@trumansteinberg]

@@ijustwannabeadrummer and just because you’re a genius doesn’t mean you’ll be successful, his story is a testament to the importance of ambition

[@bighoss8793]

There's a fine line between extreme intelligence and insanity.

[@Rebander1549]

Poor William. The world is so cruel to people who are thought of as different.

[@gustavibrowzinbehrd3871]

How do you know this short documentary got it right?

[@dreddmann9292]

that's why I always say FUCK EVERYBODY. Fuck what everybody says or thinks especially if what they are saying and thinking has to do in thinking and saying bad things about me. So when I say FUCK EVERYBODY I mean to everybody that falls under talking negative or looking for reasons to pick or dislike me. The ones that I care about know I don't mean them. But if the ones I care about fall under as onr of the ones that are talking about me on the side lines as if I'm different or as if there's something wrong with me, well then I say FUCK THEM TO. If people have a problem with me, then guess what that means, it means I'm NOT the one with the problem. They are. I am perfectly fine with how i am, so FUCK everyone else who has a problem with who I am and how I am. I'M NOT LOOKING FOR ANY APPROVAL FROM ANYBODY. So that's why I always say "FUCK EVERYBODY".

[@proudpolishherbsman2583]

So intelligent, so pro-freedom and a socialist at the same time? Was his IQ really that high while his thinking being so illogical? He claimed to an be anti-war libertarian, while at the same time he supported socialism which always ends up with war and oppression, see USSR/Russia. Socialism punishes people for their creativity, initiative and will to do something more than average, while it rewards people for their lazyness, idleness and humility towards socialist authorities. That's why in a perfect socialist society creative and courageous people will pay large taxes while lazy and obedient people will have big allowances and benefits. Perfect system for thieves and banksters.

[@WhoAmI2YouNow]

​@@gustavibrowzinbehrd3871 How do you know they got it wrong?

[@musicful7036]

His parents were cruel too, forcing him to learn..learn and learn...NO play, no childhood fun as a kid.

[@cheesecoole]

He just needed someone to love him when he was young, not as a genius, but as a fallible human like everyone else, unconditionally. The best way to raise a genius is to provide love and safety without giving unnecessary attention to the intelligence. Otherwise they begin to feel like they have to perform incredible feats just to be seen .

[@Edisimo]

@____________________________51 Don't you think that is part of the reason he was dysfunctional?

[@clarkbowler157]

​@____________________________51So you are telling me that the reason for general public often being cruel is because they eat too much carbs?

[@shonabrowne6324]

Excellent parenting advice.

[@jimbaker5110]

@____________________________51 You sound like a complete nitwit. This is the type of reasoning that smart people try to avoid at all costs.

[@puchacz199]

​@HowDidIGet3700Subs no evidence of that. It could be as well the upbringing affecting his early brain development. That may be even more probable than a diet..

[@luciusseneca9162]

It's easy to miss the tremendous role luck plays. From finding your best friend, to meeting your mate, to getting your hard work recognized. They are all lucky breaks.

[@X-Prime123]

Yup.

[@berattaren]

There is ”luck” but that’s something we can increase exponentially. Best friend? Join communities with the same passion. Mate? Work on yourself to become someone who radiates love & positivity, then be present everywhere & show yourself. Recognition? Work a lot on your craft, earn bucks, put your bucks on promotion. Just a few examples, and I’m not riding a horse, just saying, we kinda create our chances of luck. 🍀 PS: Good luck 👐

[@luciusseneca9162]

@@berattaren One does not choose to be an introvert, or any personality trait for that matter. Some people are inherently uncharasmatic, not by choice. Hard work does not guarantee a promotion or recognition; mathematically, it doesn't add up, there are simply fewer jobs at the top. One does not choose their genes, their parents, their income bracket, when or where they were born, all of which impact future prospects. All of these claims have scientific research to back it up, but a few moments of honest self-reflection can demonstrate how very little is within ones control. I realize it's a bitter pill, but it's also freeing, and, more importantly, a catalyst for empathy and compassion.

[@joejohnson6327]

@@luciusseneca9162 Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi.

[@chriswest8389]

That's why, as I write In sympathetic to libertarian ism but, even believing in freewill, equal opertunity is not nature's way.

[@rsuriyop]

"Smartest Man to Ever Live" is seriously open to debate and interpretation.

[@gamesthatiplay9083]

Back then, gasoline had lead in it lowering IQ by 20+ points... supposedly.

[@richardsackler7627]

Imagine the ego on his parents claiming it was the way they raised him that allowed for his genius. What a great way to ruin a childhood and cripple your own child.

[@peppipeppi51]

only the cold hearted raise was leading to his lack of grooming competence. If you treat children like adults and give them no love but let them struggle on their own in order to not to starve they might get some sort of smartness but also deeply hurt emotionally. The parents were monsters.

[@sheryljoyholder5901]

😊 4:18

[@alanciyc4801]

If it were just upbringing it would be duplicated by all.

[@adamlouiecardwell4610]

Lol. Kids develop despite their parents.

[@therearenoshortcuts9868]

@@peppipeppi51 the parents won the darwin awards

[@frankstared]

In my opinion he did leave his mark by investing his energies in building something meaningful: he advocated and acted in favour of human and labour rights.

[@googlesucks662]

A socialist and antiwar activist. The secret service agencies probably harassed the hell out of him. 😢

[@indamaking]

It’s sad. It seems like the pressures from his parents forced an inevitable imbalance in his life. You can’t control an entire childhood like that and then expect social competence when you leave him on his own in the world. Also disgusting from the media who does the same type of stuff today. It’s even worse that a lot of us continuously disseminate bs and bullying like this in todays society

[@gwendolynsnyder463]

that is actually what happens to most autistic people for being different. Idk if that guy was actually autistic, or neurotypical and just brought up very different, but as an autistic woman, that is the experience I usually go through, and now I'm scared of making social connections because I don't have any healthy connections to compare aside from my mom, but my mom is older than me and will probably die earlier than me. I will be all alone once my mom is gone. I'm lucky enough that I live in Germany, so I found a German dating site for autistic people, but I don't know if I'll ever be ready for a boyfriend, but I know that I will be less ready for a neurotypical boyfriend than for an autistic boyfriend.

[@danielfaatz]

They thought of him as an experiment. How horrible.

[@Learning_Account_School]

Interesting Stories...! This Motivates Me To Work Harder!

[@profhenriquecezar-cfa]

Never argue with idiots. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. - Mark Twain

[@mimszanadunstedt441]

Evidently.

[@I-AM-YOUR-MOM]

It’s like arguing with the Trump cult…

[@ay-tj7pj]

don't befriend idiots...they never see their faults & will always try to bring others down

[@MVuke84]

💯... This is one of my favorite Twain quotes

[@novusparadium9430]

And yet the man died in 1910, truly got the one up on us all? Fuck off.

[@fuddwrecker3773]

To get the full picture of Sidis's life, it's important to include more information from his sister and his close friends. They refute much of what appears in his biography. He lead what many would consider an unremarkable life by choice . He simply wanted to be left alone and not be treated like a circus freak or spectacle everywhere he went.

[@alicejyi4705]

The part of him teaching his sister to read is touching, and it must be some of the rare moments he felt like some normal dudes.

[@43nostromo]

At 18 months, he learned how to read "The New York Times", tragically causing him to lose several IQ points which he never regained.

[@The-Mother-Tree]

How does that work? I’m shocked that studying at such infant age would trouble his mind. Is there any information as to why it happened?

[@huntershaffer8771]

@@The-Mother-Tree It was sarcasm..

[@The-Mother-Tree]

@@huntershaffer8771 we should have laws on sarcasm lol

[@victorvictor369]

@@The-Mother-Tree One more prodigy child

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

@@The-Mother-Tree r/whoooosh

[@D_A_R_K_Sage]

He was a great man and the society can't understand him. I think he was the man and alone in the world who can comprehend the universe itself to that deeper level.

[@allisonlangford9798]

He never got to play and have fun as a little boy. That breaks my heart.

[@frankG335]

Learning can be play. When your brain is a certain way, it craves stimulation. He had very narrow interests, and may have been on the spectrum. Let's NOT go back in time and return to mocking people and being rude and obnoxious to people, all MAGA, where people are so eager to tear people apart the way Trump does, calling people names and being cruel and dehumanizing people.

[@FringeWizard2]

I don't care. You're the kind of person who'd waste my time with superfluous nonsense as a child, retarding my development just to impose some idea about what a child should be, rather than letting me develop at my own pace and spend my time and interest upon things you arbitrarily define as being "for adults only".

[@allisonlangford9798]

@@frankG335 Ummmm. I do totally agree with your opinion on Trumpy Dumpty.

[@Bialy_1]

@@frankG335 Right, MAGA people are the ones that jump on cars, break windows in other people's premises and set fire to everything after they have stolen other people's premises as part of "recompensation" for the injustice they have never experienced but heard a loot in media that you are so happy to quote without thiking even a little about stupidity of your claims. The fact that stores are going bankrupt and leaving Chicago is probably also the fault of the MAGA people?

[@Bialy_1]

@@allisonlangford9798 Because you accept the pulp served to you by the media without thinking about what opinions you accept in your head as yours. German propaganda before the war came up with the idea of ​​repeating a lie a thousand times until people accept it as the truth, and the comments on the Internet are full of people who still repeat the nonsense Germans invented over 80 years ago. As for the orange man himself, I would like to remind you that he was a Democrat his whole life and owes 98% of his fortune to political connections with important figures of this party... That's why he has to pretend to be such an extreme republican now, but no one is forcing you to blindly believe in this whole circus for the masses.

[@UnicRat]

The fact that his parents did not teach him how to tie his shoe laces or how to take a bath says it all. Shame on those parents!

[@kathyyoung1774]

Or any social skills.

[@Beveyboygames]

@@kathyyoung1774 that part might have been autism lol

[@PHRCpvh]

Sidis struggles somehow felt very similar to the ones I had in my youth due to my undiagnosed (at time) autism; maybe he could have achived way more if he wasn't too focused in Perfection, but also with mundane Happiness. He was kinda the opposite of Richard Feynman, who had half of his IQ, but wasn't pressured by his parents to be exceptional, just stimulated to be curious and find pleasure. Instead of taking math and science too serious, he just went "Hakuna Matata", started to look at life around him and let the curiosity do the work, that's how he became a great teacher and did amazing discoveries. Being born and raised gifted shouldn't be taken with a duty to be successful through a path of misery, but as tools to make your life more enjoyable and less painful for you and others, that's how success really comes.

[@harshaananya]

Well Said

[@janorhypercleats]

M autism was undiagnosed until I was 60! Before 10 or 15 years ago, they didn't know anything about autism.

[@AliciaGuitar]

​@@janorhypercleats false. I was diagnosed with autism 35 years ago when the DSM III came out. It just wasnt as well known as it is today. "The DSM-III-R (1987) merged "infantile autism” and "childhood onset pervasive developmental disorder" as the new “autistic disorder”. The manual provided a checklist for this condition." Wikipedia

[@theharshtruthoutthere]

@@AliciaGuitar Rich and famous: From child star to world wide pop-star. From catholic to satanism. From just a singer to a sell out. From amongst the living to amongst the dead. There is 1 interesting thing which is always missing; nones never CHRISTIAN. They are religious, who move from 1 religion to another, but nobody comes out from lies(darkness) and into the truth(light). The road they always on: From catholic to satanism From Jehovah witness to satanism From Islam to satanism From Hindu to satanism From atheism to satanism From ignorant to satanism And one to be a CHRISTIAN, why on earth to go and believe the lies? Why on earth would soul go from light to darkness? From being out from the BABYLON and going into the Babylon? There is no such road nor souls who have walked on it, there is no soul who started as a CHRISTIAN. Reminder: All have sinned, thats why all are called to repentance and born again. A sinners life must be left behind and PUT TO DEATH and a new creature must come forth. There is a difference between being: Bible BELIEVER AND OBEYING, born again Christian = Christian with living faith and Bible believer = lukewarm Christian with dead faith. James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. If you must say "Idk what to believe", then soul, what is missing? The lack of ....? Why GOD`S people perish? Sinister background about 1800s alive burial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iobFhGueoJhpiLc As the bible says: Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Meaning, we live not under the rulership of humans (flesh and blood), but under the rulership of the devil and his offspring (hybrid creatures). So meany stories we hear about 1800s timeline where souls got buried alive and when body stealing's was normal. Lets go little over our heads and think over an unthinkable topic: Lizard (hybrid) people, biblically, the evil spirits in high places, not flesh and blood beings. These creatures are knows as human eaters, who, rumors have it, that drink humans blood. That way, nothing surprising that souls were placed to rest alive and bodies stolen. Today, not heard that alive burial takes place, but going missing takes place. 1000s of people missing every year. Crazy stories have it that, all these missing souls are taken underground cities, where the hybrid creatures live, the true and only government of this fallen realm (the evil spirits). In the underground cities are cloning centers, where all kinds of insane evil takes place. Stories, which have come out: All rich and famous people are cloned and killed off, blood sacrifice to the Baal. All missing souls, eaten, blood sacrificed to the Baal. In reality, there is nothing surprising about all these crazy talking. BIBLE + FREEMASONRY - a searching material, through which truth is unsealed and lies are exposed. BIBLE = Truth and masons = mankind's enemies. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3bdi2qmo5Vmmck Bother you all little to search/read/study, and then you too shall not surprise anymore, for then you`ll say; "it all makes sense". GOOD LUCK to you all and GOD BLESS. What is LIFE? - LIFE IS SPIRIT. John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Ecclesiastes 12:7 - Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

[@janorhypercleats]

@@AliciaGuitar All i know is what my therapist told me. They diagnosed me with autism and i started getting treatment for autism earlier this year. And then finally I ask her, "Why hasn't anyone told me about all this before? I've been going to psychotherapy since 1985". She said they didn't know very much about autism in those days and it's just been in the past 10 or 15 years that they've known very much about it.

[@alexanderpanzarella355]

This is why children need to be allowed to be children. The emotional scars he faced by constant pressure and spotlight eventually made him incapable of performing at a higher level.

[@vilefly]

"You've come here to solve our engineering problems?" "Oh no, I want the job with the least amount of responsibility." When you're insanely smart, you have a much greater appreciation of simplicity. Like a tranquil evening in the wilderness. The last thing you want is a complex life or a life full of complexes, for that matter. I remember reading about this guy. They said he cracked and was broken ever since. I still am cross with the parents for this. Didn't teach him to tie his shoes....ye gods.

[@game-editor2]

His parents ultimately created something that resembles a human being, but different enough to be declined by society. There is only one thing worse than not being happy and that is being unable to be happy. He was in prison from the day he was born. I know that many parents justify themselves with "I haven't exactly read a parenting manual" - a video like this should probably be the foundation of such a textbook.

[@CrazyGaming-ig6qq]

His parents did not create that, he was probably autistic. The parents certainly likely made things a lot worse, as did the human rights hostile culture and society that existed everywhere at that time. The rest of what you said is probably true.

[@daexion]

He would have ended up at the same spot in life no matter what because it wasn't how his parents raised him that caused his breakdown it was the treatment he received from the rest of the world.

[@bryancable7764]

@@daexionpeople are shite yes, but his parents didn't teach him the skills to deal with any of it.

[@juanduarte1898]

wow, I believe they actually created the perfect human being. This was his purpose all along.

[@subotai-m3e]

Wait 'till you meat my parents!

[@alicejyi4705]

He was the victim of his parents and society that made out of a scientifique experiment. The result was a disaster. It breaks heart when he said he can't bear any mathématique thinking without having mental or physical suffering. The irony is his father as a renowned psychologiste and psychiatre didn't detected he was on the a nervous breakdown. So sad.

[@The77Game]

I have NEVER heard anyone claim that Einsteins IQ was estimated that high. The most reliable sources seems to claim around 160 up to 180

[@patrickderp1044]

its because we are probably watching a ukrainian propaganda piece....not even joking

[@Ggb427neo]

Exacly was i going to say

[@兀rSquared]

@@Ggb427neo Same

[@RonaldArthurDewhirst]

I was poor, scruffy and a bright pupil. My classmates where annoyed when I scored higher than them. It doesn't pay to be different, you have to learn to defend yourself from bullying and social exclusion. Thankfully I got the hang of spotting verbal attacks and countering them. A punch sometimes worked also.

[@RoySATX]

Those in the middle of the bell curve are not too keen on those at either end of it.

[@anitapodsudek8041]

Let me guess... they stopped bullying you when they heard yo say you " scored higher than them" because they realized your English was poor and in fact you were not smarter than THEY.

[@jout738]

Back in elementary school I used to be one of the worst in my class. Maybe it had something to do with me being the youngest student in class, but I was in language immersion school in elementary school, so I had bit difficulties, because I wasent that good with languages. I wasent ever jealous or envious that other students get better results from tests, when I used to get worse results from tests, than I thought I would get after doing the test. Maybe I was bit annoyed how teachers tend to help girls overall bit more at school, because boys will do better in work life, but its up to yourself how well you do in work life with what profession you pick and how many hours you work. I dont think its good to ruin boys mood and motivation to even want to study or work by helping them less at school. I used to be more shy and quiet as kid, but jealous I never really was about anything. I think being jealous is prevalent phenomenon among emotional American kids, when they dont get what they want. I dont get jealous about rich people, when are the really that happy with what they have. Only thing were I could jealous is maybe not having any access or be restricted to get something I want what everybody else then gets to be happy, but otherwise I wont be really jealous about anything at all.

[@jout738]

@@RoySATX Their butthurt that their too normal and ignficent wortheles humans beings with nothing special in their soul, so they start bulling anybody who is even little bit diffrent.

[@tommy10436]

Glad you made it out of that experience with a strong mind and good spirit.

[@ts9576]

I think the problem is when a man just wants to be normal and not use that insanely rare gift, it frustrates too many people that could use or need his skills.

[@CHCrux]

That's exactly it, though. They want a person to perform a task, and if he does not do it to their specifications or refuses to do it at all, they are unhappy. They don't take the person's desires into account. All they think about is what they themselves desire. To say nothing of certain people finding joy in tearing others down.

[@ShavinMcCrotch]

I read that as little as a 30-40 point difference in IQ between 2 people is enough to make connecting/socializing extremely difficult. He was 150+ points out of range of everyone he ever met. 😔 💔

[@blondebimbobee8969]

As little? That's a massive difference.

[@MLGDuckk]

@@blondebimbobee8969Well..relative to the 150+ difference.

[@rahulrs6301]

this is true. i experience it everytime i play apex with random squads

[@L_MD_]

The media were horrible to him. Between that and the bullying he encountered from students, what an ordeal he had from the very beginning.

[@sunkeyavad6528]

This is why narcissism is one of the most vicious psychological disorders. Just being better at something injures the narcissists pride, which then prompts them into viciously attacking to tear that person down, so they're not better anymore. That's why the newspapers attacked him from the start and kept gloating about him having low status jobs.

[@enednas801]

My father is a narcissist and he used every oppurtunity to tear me down and ignore my knowledge of things he didnt have.he even went out of his way to argue basic physics to gaslight and bend my mind. they have damaged souls and envy anyone who can do what they can or better.and sees them as an enemy to be brought down.

[@skydaddy2692]

Everybody on this planet is a raving narcissistic mental case no idea what you're on about little kid

[@skydaddy2692]

the only way to avoid that would be an abundance of love and thriving conditions. And we are so far from that you can get lmao

[@skydaddy2692]

literally on the border of societal collapse

[@sanepillow59]

His parents were the narcissists

[@daudietongano7395]

It's always a good day when Newsthink posts a new video

[@ImN_.]

This really strikes a nerve for me. It's deeply saddening to see the impact of my husband's troubled past on him. Growing up, his parents neglected and abused him, he doesnt remember his mother warmth or loving toward him, she was always cold and would put all her frustration on him , leaving him with emotional scars that still haunt him today. Their constant pressure to succeed and their lack of love and support have left him paralyzed with fear of failure. Even his friends have teased and belittled him, further undermining his confidence. It breaks my heart to witness this, but I'm here for him, supporting him in his healing journey. I pray every day that he finds the strength to overcome his past and reclaim his brilliance. His parents and his friends have failed him.. And my love goes out to all the children and adults who has been going through this, please remember there is someone will love you and take care of you. Don't give up on healing and seeking help from those who truly understand. You all deserve love and care. ❤

[@johnbernays-b5y]

It’s impossible for someone to have 200+ IQ, how come every new website I enter it shows a completely different IQ for Einstein?

[@ddr-qg8jg]

Guess your husband is lucky of course its just a projection did he do any scientific achievements ? You talk about his brilliance but this is a Story about a man who did not Find his oh so fairytale forever Love

[@puchacz199]

​@@johnbernays-b5y why would it be impossible to have over 200 IQ? It is a quotient. Einstein's IQ is just an estimate not a precise score he got from any test, hence the differences.

[@37rainman]

@@johnbernays-b5y Why would that be? How do you know that someone cant have iq 200? There are several different types of iq tests, and the same person will test different on each one. Also, was his iq test ever even tested? It could be an infirmed estimate. I dont remember ever getting tested, but my high school had a figure for me, I was told.

[@Doggieman1111]

As someone else in the comments pointed out, just because you're smart or talented doesn't impose a duty upon you to serve mankind.

[@beltigussin81]

Parents thought life consisted of intellectual success. Forgot about the basics like keeping clean, learning to play and get along with others. Example of the difference between intelligence and wisdom on the part of the parents.

[@Dave_of_Mordor]

this is what happens when losers are allowed to have kids. they put all their hopes and dreams into that child and demand excellent despite having done nothing themselves. it's 2023 and i can't believe there is no law to prevent these pos from having kids

[@dreddmann9292]

it has nothing to do with intelligence or wisdom. it's simply the lack of FUN. Fun is something that is spontaneous and free and it doesn't take any kind of intellect to obtain it. Just like laughter. You cant plan it or schedule it like how parents do with play dates. Fun doesn't work that way. When we laugh it comes without thinking. Fun is spontaneous and free. They simply did not know how to be happy or even let there kid be happy. They saw fun as a waste of time. The best way to make sure your kid is happy is to LEAVE THEM THE FUCK ALONE.

[@DaveBallOW]

well then kids can figure it out themselves? dont all kids have freedom and phones right now? they can accomplissh anything now

[@corwinblack4072]

Too much ego, not enough comprehension and lack of actual scientific approach.

[@thomassawicki2065]

My sister has 2 Phd's and passed the pennsylvania bar exam to become a lawyer at age 64. She is one of the most miserable people I have ever known. Mean as a snake , uses her intelligence for hurting people.

[@deepinthegrooves]

i'm curious: was she the same both pre + post this accomplishment?

[@thomassawicki2065]

@@deepinthegrooves She was mean from little girl time.

[@thomassawicki2065]

@@deepinthegrooves When I was about 5 years old she threw a rock and hit me in the forehead, blood everywhere and I had to get stitched up.

[@deepinthegrooves]

that's horrible. :( it's ugly when people use their gifts as weapons. don't know ya, but i already don't like your sister. hopefully, her new career will require the majority of her venom.

[@deepinthegrooves]

it's not a saying for no reason: misery really does love company. unfortunately, the miserable don't offer rsvps.

[@stdew07]

His parents and the society over eager to see exceptional people fail... were the reason of his sad life

[@kristofferhedlund4504]

His parents neglect messed him up. Not letting children to be children will increase the depression hundredfold by adulthood.

[@anthonygillette]

7:00 crazy, an extremely intelligent person who understood socialism is far far better than the unchecked capitalism we have become.

[@Oskar-S-]

I have been looking into the case of William James Sidis also called by family members "Billy" for about a year now. Great Video! Accurate! Just a few corrections and additions. Firstly addressing the dog myth. Many wrong things have been said in the newspapers which has shown to be entirely wrong having no chance of being verified until later. He even as I have read reportedly had a dog as a pet when young. He also supposedly was happy in his childhood demonstrated by his mother's later biography and memoir brimming over with humor and fun. Also, seem to play with other kids his age and even went bowling in one occasion with a former friend Norbert Wiener (Mister Cybernetics) at one time. While it is still true that he had very few friends. One friend he had was his roommate the playwright Samuel Nathaniel Behrman. Something that stuck with him was his love and hunger for knowledge which he kept with him throughout his life. Afterward well into his adulthood, from his mom's notes it seems like they have kept in good touch even until his 40s while Sarah was living in Miami and his sister working as a high school teacher. Portrayed with Billy sending jokes to both his sister and mom and even visiting his mother occasionally. He had collected well over 2000 unique transit tickets in total when he passed away, found later by his sister and mother, which is a ton! Then in his 30's continuing by writing and publishing the book; Notes on the collection of transfers together with some aid from his friends who shared his enthusiasm in the hobby. Comment on when teaching at Rice University. Stating he was asked to leave because of various reasons like not fitting in well, being made a laughing stock by students older than him, his reported untidiness, and finding a replacement who would take his place. He was teaching Euclidian geometry at the time. His mentioned IQ of 250-300 seems to be a myth with his sister Helana "bessie" Sidis, saying things like: William know all of the world's languages while my father only knows 42. Aswell as a mistake in interpreting william's civil service exam test score which was 254 of the candidates. It could also be just a myth growing out of the scrutiny of the press at the time as this is one of the most calumnious spreading of false news in history. There is not a single evidence that he ever even took an IQ test which would even be highly dubious. An IQ more than 160-170 is really hard to measure, not to mention the the steady climb of 30 points from 1900 to 2012. The psychological setting of loving the story of Genius and the like seems to play an important role. The languages he knew also at different levels of "knowing". Like reading 3 pages of a book, puh. His grades from Harvard indicate an A in french & C in English weirdly enough. Norber Weiner commented on the lecture in which he attended stating in his book Ex-Prodigy: "The talk would have done credit to a first or second-year graduate student of any age...talk represented the triumph of the unaided efforts of a very brilliant child." Having many good friends who enjoyed his company, forming clubs, playing sudoku, singing songs and much more it seems like he had found a good company, with a notebook containing long lists of names from many different states under which was interested in collecting. After a while of being anonymous, he was pleased of inviting people to where he would tell Indian lore while snacking, singing songs and the guests listening to the prodigy talking for hours on end. During some period, he was fairly fond of writing fiction, helping his friends including his best friend "Isaac Rabinowitz" with some mathematics made as an exception and sometimes still discussing math with his younger sister while in school. Other notable works published under pseudonyms were: Collisions in Street & highway transportation, The Tribes & The States, Grey Wolf, he also was a fanatic of boston history, telling stories and facts about Boston in the newspaper really demonstrating his love for history. Also interestingly enough notes from his time in the asylum under his prison sentence as well as an invention of a perpetual calendar. In the time of his childhood, his mother had left her job to take care of william and nourish his genius even before he was born. In Amy Wallace's book it is stated that Mathematics could not be a more distasteful subject to him way back when he was 6, later being instructed by his parents he moved on with speed. Also important to note how much dedication in which was invested in his studies with having 2 years from 9 to 11 for studying and preparing for harvard and that harvards curriculum was very different from how it is today with Calculus being one of the highest courses in mathematics at that time. Being one of the subjects of the dramatic tale called genius often comes with really hard work or false information, many time both. His parents seem to brag alot publicizing him fore the public. As in Boris Sidis's (father) book "Philistine & Genius". The sidis method lived on a fair bit with Sarah (mother) being in contact with the president at the time and teaching around the globe to numerous schools and parents. Still beliving that every normal child could be a genius she was certaint it would make a big impact. If you want to know more and find all sorts of more than not validated trivia or things not listed here then visit "Sidis.net", also look at Sarah Sidis's own memoir of stories and trivia from his later life. Thanks to Daniel H. Mahony who has been researching about William for over 10 years. Unfortunately also passed away a while ago. Some quotes from William showing a part of his humor when Sarah were conserned about his weight: "A layer of fat acts as an insulator". "Honey, have you seen my belt around the house". An also interesting fact is one of his relatives, including his previously famous cousin show host Clifton Fadiman or that his other cousin being named William James Fadiman (writer & producer at hollywood) showed that his mother affectionate as she was were possibly trying to convince her sister of going in a similar trajectory maybe in an extreme degree. Also written in Amy Wallace's biography which is very recommended to read if you are interested. As per his character, it is probably up for debate, but from some memories from students, teachers, roommate, friends & his mother it seems like he was pretty egoistic and quiet. Saying when soon graduating college that "I wonder if this day will be famous because this is the day in which I was to graduate". When asked about calculating under what day a certain date would fall pacing a moment and answering selfishly. Being disrespectfull to elders while questions were asked during his teaching of 4 dimensional bodies. Though we do not really know if all of this was true, he seemed to have kept his childish charm all throughout his life. Being a kid, vulnerable still yet as amplified to the spectrum of life. Another word which could describe a lot is tragic or it may be (essentric). Remember that with a story like this there are always false accusations, beliefs, and wrong evidence of the whole truth while being a part of history. At William's death he was said to be well respected by his friends and perhaps had found his perfect life after all.

[@stupid_fishie994]

Ay good shit

[@ATomRileyA]

Thanks for posting that was really interesting,

[@Hcloudbear]

"At WIlliam's death he was said to be well respected by his friends and perhaps had found his perfect life after all." I agree with this sentiment. It seems like the story is tragic for 2 main reasons: William didn't "succeed" in life (That is, others wanted to see him accomplish something that they would consider to be great), and he was disregarded by society. I have no idea how accurate the given narrative actually is, but I'm not sure how much that matters. I think people just want a story to tell. In this case, the story of how society failed the most intelligent person. What do you think is the take away from this narrative? The part about the thoughtless cruelty of the public really resonates with me.

[@calebwysong4521]

I wish you could be in every comment section, that was a work of art. You are a fantastic story teller. Care to list any books you would recommend?

[@korycassel5197]

I'm constantly amazed by these IQ scores over 200 being touted all over the place. There isn't any validity to something like that, you can't understand the variety of possible conceptions leading to different 'valid' interpretations of test 'questions' past a certain point. We're sitting here right now discussing Sidis theorizing about fourth dimensional geometry for instance, and there are IQ tests using spacial relations puzzles and patterns, so that would be a huge problem right there: What if Sidis is conceptualizing a fourth dimensional series represented on the test in a two dimensional perspective? Can the people 'grading' the test even understand that if he explained it to them? Unlikely. IQ over 200 is basically meaningless, the subject is beyond evaluation by inferior minds past a point.

[@CrazyLinguiniLegs]

Quite the leap there from “highest IQ ever recorded” to “smartest man who ever lived”

[@debbieanne7962]

True. There's 80 billion people that have lived and died on this planet

[@nicolebonney51]

No leap necessary……but based on accomplishments made and legacy’s left, one is hard pressed , IMHO, to dispute it would be one of these two men…… Charles Proteus Steinmetz…..Nikola Tesla

[@winkydinky1436]

iq is dumb. it does not measure intelligence.

[@GizmoMaltese]

There is no such thing as "smartest man." Just like there is no such thing as "most athletic man." Is Michael Jordan a better athlete than Muhammad Ali? They played different sports so it's hard to compare. It's the same with intellectual activities. You can't predict who will be a great novelist or a great mathematician based on some test or how early they started learning 5 languages. These are very specific skills that a few people excell at.

[@jmodified]

A 250 IQ was certainly not "recorded". Even 170 is not testable or meaningful and 160 is borderline meaningless. There aren't enough people with 160 IQs to enable the development of a moderately reliable test at a reasonable cost and there would be no reason to do so with mass standardized testing. And of course, you can question that such testing measures intelligence, but even assuming it does, to claim a 240 IQ the human population would need to spread through our galaxy - lets say 10 billion around each and every star, then you would need to test them all repeatedly with a very long test with a wide range of question difficultly (or it could be adaptive, but that's kind of sketchy) and score highest most or all of the time.

[@JJSolitude]

That is indeed a lot of pressure to live under. Not to mention the obstacles in his own intelligent mind to battle with. If I were of that high of an I.Q. I can imagine it would eventually come down to the awareness of how trivial and cruel the world/people can be and I would simply want to unplug.

[@noneyabidness9644]

#Preach

[@joejones9520]

but simply by you writing this means you are aware of how cruel it can be...there is no secret or special reality that super-smart people have access to, if there was then when they tried to describe it thered be no words or language we could understand that would describe it.

[@frankculaga5169]

That reminds you of Elliot Rodger's manifesto.

[@justjosie8963]

I'm no where near his intelligence, yet above average and I've long ago come to that conclusion....I believe it was somewhere around 10-11yrs old.

[@ununhexium]

As someone with a high IQ, for me it is not just that the world is cruel, but rather that you endlessly have to watch systems, individual people, communities, and persons in authority continue to make the most glaring and repetitive mistakes (whether with intentional cruelty, callous indifference, or genuine ignorance) with almost no lasting progress toward something better. These mistakes over time gradually add up to an infinite structure of non-ideal circumstances, which lead to further cruelty, suffering, and constant roadblocks in your own goals, the goals of your loved ones, and your dreams for the world. The sheer magnitude of this misfortune is extremely disturbing and overwhelming to constantly observe. In my experience, the intelligent people who find happiness are able to forget about the world at large, release involvement with or investment in world systems, and seek joy in a simple way among loved ones, hobbies, academic passions, and the local community. Focusing on and protecting something small seems to allow them to not be overwhelmed by the mass catastrophe of this planet at large. I grew up with the "gifted" kids and a very large number of them spun out of control or gave up on life. I struggled to find a way to be functional within the world systems well into adulthood. I think the most successful/happy people are perhaps those who are a little above average intelligence, can reap the benefits of the world systems by functioning a little better than the average person, but don't bear any kind of foresight about where this is all going or deep concern about what is truly going on in the world. The glorification of high IQ is misguided. There isn't really a place for us in the world because the world belongs to those with average intelligence. I think there should be more attention paid toward helping those with high IQ be raised correctly and potentially contribute more to society as adults. But I have 0 faith that that will happen in any meaningful way.

[@rizkhan3368]

He did NOT want to be a Scientist OR Engineer OR. mathematician, Period.

[@djamburere]

He did " fail to achieve greatness" . People failed to acknowledge his greatness.❤

[@ouknow1446]

No, he was made great but in the eyes of society failed to live up to it. What I recognize is his success denying society public and secret what it bred him to do.

[@lou_sasoul1578]

A gifted boy raised by parents who were utter sociopaths intent on moulding their son into their image of perfection. He'd probably have succeeded without their intervention.

[@maxcorey8144]

He needed a best friend, the kind who cares and willing to listen and perhaps help him to focus on some life adventure that fitted him well.

[@Qichar]

Would he have been able to recognize such a friend, or offer him something in return even if he did? I feel his parents really let William down by not teaching him the basics of human socialization.

[@Omicronthewiperofyouknow...]

Just out of curiosity... you showed some toys at the beginning of the clip. You think they are expensive? I would like to buy something similar. Can you provide a link in the description? I'm not smart enough to find them on my own.

[@sequoyah59]

Most of the very smart people I know are reclusive or at least avoid serious encounters and relationships with others. I have also heard them say more than once that they would simply like to stop thinking and wish they didn't know so much. That it would be best if they were simple minded and lived in blissful ignorance like so many. There is also the emotional quotient to deal with. You may know something but not be prepared emotionally to deal with it. Another factor is risk aversion in an irrational way, knowing the risk, being able to quantify it between alternatives but just not being able to accept it.

[@klausbrinck2137]

To the question "do genious persons see normies as ant-like-creatures that creep over the Earth", I always say, that the only thing they then feel, isn´t disgust, but solely envy, about how straight-forward and careless a human life can be (if one is retarded ;-) ...

[@Phosgames]

U will change your mind if u ever experiense how life feels like as a disabled person physically or mentally and not knowing what happen to you and why u feel pain. Ignorance and not knowing dont make pain disapear it will make it worse, pain will always present wheter you know it or not.

[@MasterBlaster220]

@@klausbrinck2137 SOme dort of do, but they are often people with personality disporders. Freemasons see the normal people as the "vulgar", they look down on them to an extend. ANd tbh, just knowing a lot of things can make arrogant,a s i know from experience, the true despise though comes when you see teh arrogance and irgnorance of dumb people that are stupid and pride. In my country those people are abundant. This is just my 5 cent.

[@JFHeroux]

It's a CLASSIC case: Parents taking full credit for their child being a prodigy... when in fact, it's mostly due to a fluke combination of genes.

[@carissafisher7514]

I wasn’t teaching my children the alphabet before six months of age.

[@Ziegfried82]

@@carissafisher7514 most parents can't, because their children simply would not understand. I'd say it's a combination of both, but ultimately his parents failed him by not training him in the extremely important arena of social skills.

[@dylangraf7626]

Love is so mysterious and so tragic. To think this man carried a picture around of this women for over a decade not knowing that his affection for her was not even a star in her life's galaxy of accomplishments. That is incredibly sad and probably far more normal then any of us will know.

[@khaledzarad3841]

I can't help but think this was the straw the brought him down

[@jasonjr376]

Women genuinely ruin some men and don’t even care 😂

[@felipericketts]

What is success? Is it what society says it is? That is certainly a part, an outwardly part, of what success is. The other part, the more important part, when it comes to the individual, is the individual's sense of success. Am I successful if people think I am but I don't think so myself? Whatever the answer to that riddle may be, and there are probably as many answers as there are people, it seems to me it is fundamentally important to feel successful on one's own terms, in one's own heart. Thanks for these interesting and thoughtful stories! 🙂

[@sylviaowega3839]

The world is not ready to house such intelligent and brilliant minds. We as a human community need to evolve further.

[@SCYLDUP]

They will all kill eachother soon.

[@Abitibidoug]

That's what I thought. Society quite simply didn't know what to do with such an exceptionally bright man and ultimately failed him.

[@Ziegfried82]

You expected upright walking primates to evolve? Come now, either you learn to live amongst them or you get stoned to death.

[@JeremiahJai]

we are way behind on becoming the next civilization type we were created to become. stories like this are probably why.

[@JeremiahJai]

could u imagine wlkn the earth and knowing no one is on your level intellectually

[@susangibson9123]

He sounds a lot like my brother who was a genius. He could read fluently by the age of 2 yrs old. My parents didn’t do a thing. If you knew my parents you would know that they did nothing to further his intelligence whatsoever. He was just naturally intelligent. He was a member of Mensa. He also had Asperger’s syndrome. He was obsessed with trains and collected train numbers. He was also obsessed with computers. Despite his amazing intelligence he was never able to put any of it to any use. I think this is where the huge failure of my parents came in. They knew of his amazing capabilities but never nurtured any of them. No encouragement. Nothing.

[@BAM-NZ]

I feel where you are coming from, but the main question is, is he happy? If so, he is absolutely fine and needs not to give to society (he would figure out how to do that himself), If not, give him an awesome train set for his birthday and keep loving him, that's all. At least he can live and love freely. Parents don't need to be responsible for working out how to make good use of his genius, that should be left to him, shouldn't it?

[@N8Dulcimer]

I find this so relatable. When I look back at how far ahead I was as a kid, to this day it still makes me angry that my parents never even noticed my capabilities, let alone nurtured them. I had a *really* easy time reading and doing math starting at about 4. I got put in classes with older kids starting in first grade. Basically every teacher I ever had told me to my face that I was very intelligent, but my parents were generally neglectful and never really pushed me in any academic directions. One year, my father actually refused to drive me to the California state spelling bee, when I qualified. I ended up getting into a lot of criminality and trouble as a aimless teenager, selling drugs and drinking a lot. Wrong crowd and all that. Sometimes I think about how different my life would be right now if I had access to intellectually stimulating hobbies and peers as a kid. I probably wouldn't have fallen in with the burnouts. My life is going fine now. Well paying job and I enjoy my hobbies, but part of me will always feel robbed of the opportunities that could have come from my parents introducing me to intellectually stimulating concepts while my brain was still developing.

[@TotalDramaOwenandNoah]

@@N8Dulcimer keep it going brother. Ik you have it in you to defy your parents.

[@TiberiusX]

This is all written in past tense. Which worries me.

[@studyonly9994]

Not everything can be done by parents!

[@theshadowhunterknight]

I have realized overtime.. The smartest people are the scardest The kindest people are lonely The messed up are the most depressed The givers never get back The most perfect people want the opposite Media, Society, and this world is messed up But you can choose what to do and I really mean it You can ignore and go on with life You can help and change Or choose an other path or make your own But first you have to learn to take care of yourself But honestly just live a simple happy life

[@soloauditor]

accordingly your reality and your experiences.

[@dcterr1]

This is a very sad story indeed! I can relate to much of his life personally, since I've faced many of the same problems. I'd say most of the fault lies with society, and perhaps his upbringing to a lesser extent. We need to be much more tolerant, not just of prodigies, but of those who stand out in any way whatsoever.

[@christinehutchins123]

What a sad, sad story. The things he might have done. Too bad his parents didn't realize the importance of the other things in life that may have gave him happiness. He was still, only human.

[@bambooboobamb3335]

He was denied love or care by everyone and everything. And was expected to solve the problems of everyone, why many men fall ill in todays society.. how has everything changed and everyone just wants to use and throw men similar to machines or robots. Lacking basic decency and any respect for their fellow members of human race.

[@freshskittles92]

"they didn't read him fairy tales, they read him greek myths" what is the difference

[@solomontobi7597]

word!

[@Ginkgobonobo]

Probably that fairy tales are meant for children, Greek myths are meant for adults. No matter how intelligent a human is, they are still human and must go through the process of being a child, growing into an adolescent, and eventaully to an adult. If you take out one of those steps or try to create a shortcut, you'll (most likely) permanently damage the person. I knew of a kid in highschool, younger than myself but he was taking half of his classes in a university. He looked stressed, unhappy, and worn down at the age of 15. I'm betting with all that extra studying and work and responsibility to perform, he didn't have a carefree day in his life. Childhood is the one time of life where things get to be carefree. If you don't have that as a foundation, how can you possibly deal with the stress and rigors of adulthood? This same story is repeated with Ted Kazinsky (or however you spell it), AKA the unabomber. A genius that was rushed through life, never got to experience anything positive, and instead of having an extremely productive adult you have a withdrawn and resentful outcast. They should have treated their child, like a child. Not some nuisance that they had to rush to adulthood.

[@magnetospin]

@@Ginkgobonobo I read greek myths as a child. They are fairy tales. There is no difference. Also, before Disney, there's no such thing as fairy tale stories. Stories like snow white or sleeping beauty are completely fucked up stories in their original form.

[@crazy808ish]

If you don't know the difference, you must have not read either

[@SavatageIsMyReligion]

Big one, my friend! But, I am bored to explain, read Joseph Campbell. Myths are NOT fairy tales!

[@kmlund42]

As a teacher working with gifted children, fitting in and learning to be social is really important. I had more behavior problems with gifted students than even my regular behavioral problem kids. I worked on engaging in social fun projects, games, and how to communicate in a basic ways to make friends, it helped reduced stress and pressure allot of these children feel and it can quiet their minds from thinking to much. Just because a child is gifted does not mean it is easy to manage or that they are socially adept. I dislike very much the pressure we put on kids with high IQs. Very sad story and shows that children are not little adults and love, understanding, and gentle guidance is far superior than pushing a child beyond their emotional capacity.

[@Newtttton]

Experiencing a romantic rejection can be incredibly tough. I still remember my first rejection vividly-it was a brutal blow that left me feeling shattered. Thankfully, I was able to weather the storm by seeking the help of a life coach who guided me through the healing process and helped me bounce back stronger than ever.

[@CS.AtheistChannel.VoteBidenAOC]

​@green grass 😂😂I thought so too. I was expecting the 1 reply to endorse some doctor.

[@o00nemesis00o]

@@CS.AtheistChannel.VoteBidenAOC Was that life coach a Dr Harold Scrembling? Dr Harold Scrembling was hugely helpful to me and now I earn $38974 USD dollars a week without even doing any work.

[@gimilkhad8169]

@@o00nemesis00o I'm on to you!

[@BlinkinFirefly]

I've seen time and time again brilliant people do nothing with their gifts. Including myself, though I am by no means near the top. The pressure is too great when it's from those who only care about your intelligence. When you're someone who is highly sensitive and prefers to take in life slowly and serenely, the pressures of capitalizing on your brilliance become loathsome. Geniuses are people too. They deserve to have their absolute humanity taken into consideration when considering their potential. Nurture all aspects of your mind, including your dreams. That's the key to success. And please love your children and let them be who they are. Teach them everything, not just the things that you plan for them to use to impress society. Nurture their person

[@nexusxmoon]

He was not brilliant at all. He was not gifted at all. They just gave him a good education early in one area while failing to educate him in basic life skills. Nothing he did was brilliant. Nothing he did was genius. His idea of Utopia is hellish, proving he was not intelligent at all. I can get a young child to memories a lot of math formulas, does not make him a math genius. James could not even handle doing math when asked to. The story is a fraud.

[@olivia-performanceartist3693]

I think you will see this in any workplace too...incompetent bosses / workers exploiting smart, hardworking workers, who want nothing for themselves but to get the job done. Eventually, after years and years of putting up with it, the smart worker becomes very depressed, and accused of 'being lazy' when they hit back and say 'no'. My tip to anyone in this situation (it happened to me): establish your boundaries early and REFUSE to do anyone else's work who is too lazy to do it themselves.

[@alliwishis_2]

I am in this same corner right now trying to get out

[@arcadev3426]

Thank you so much. And very true. I've worked hard and taken my job seriously, but it doesn't mean anything if you don't kiss A$$. I'm still in the same position. I've been taken advantage of and treated like sh*T (also because of my social anxiety). Yet, co-workers and managers come to me for help because all are too lazy to problem-solve and find solutions to work issues. I'm sick of all of them.

[@EvonneLindiwe]

It broke me mentally 😞.. I’m yet to fully recover

[@br78910]

No bedtime stories? He didn’t even deserve to be sung lullabies or told bedtime stories? Totally insane his parents must be. The man deserved better.

[@gmaureen]

I knew a fellow with what seemed a bright future. He had a high IQ...and went to a school for the gifted. To my knowledge he was not pushed by his family to do anything he didn't want, just pay attention to his studies. Last I heard he was working a low paying job as a waiter. Being different carries its own set of problems.

[@stevecooper7883]

Indeed, in the modern world it is better to be handsome or beautiful than intelligent.

[@robharding5345]

Such a heartbreaking story, I have never heard of this young man, until now, How cruel for his life to end at such a young age.He was a genius for sure !.

[@dxan493]

Being intelligent is difficult. I’m no genius, but I’ve always been gifted. It’s a lonely life. Dating is hard bc most can’t/don’t/won’t keep up. Depression is common. People always assume you’re some stuck up know it all. I started avoiding parties because anything I brought up was like alien to others while they discussed the Bachelor. Luckily, at 39 I found my wife and she’s also very smart (masters in chemistry).

[@CastorRabbit]

You don't need to be a genius to be as depressed as William, just a facebook account.

[@SuperNevile]

Ah, intelligence. Could any of us survive alone without support, on an uninhabited island (without a source of fresh water), for say 10 years? "Don't let schooling interfere with your education”- Mark Twain

[@thaistick2412]

@@SuperNevile survival vs live comfortably, happy and such. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@SuperNevile]

@@thaistick2412 Sometimes you don't have the choice.....🏝

[@newtoniantime8804]

I have this problem, I can't find a girl because of my high IQ curse. I just don't find common ground with most people.

[@Steve_Edberg]

It's absolutely sad how brilliant this man was only to be ridiculed in the media. Everybody needs to feel and deserves love, kindness and acceptance but the world deprived him of this. It's such a shame that so much raw talent and brilliance would go unappreciated and laid to waste. God forgive us. 😢

[@sunkeyavad6528]

The only way he ever would have had a chance would have been with 2 loving, non-abusive, non-neglectful parents ("helping mode" in psychohistory terms) to develop the enormous resilience needed to withstand all that lifelong bullying by newspapers and peers. Such parenting almost didn't exist back in those times of more traumatizing parenting practices. Again see psychohistory for details on that. I recommend *The Origins of War in Child Abuse* by Lloyd deMause as the starting point. It's publicly available.

[@ADViators]

William went to my high school, BHS, simply because he was too young to enter Harvard and this high school was walking distance to Harvard but also known for staging to elite universities. I love how this video focuses on the importance of his upbringing and environment but I think only starts to uncover what should be more broadly published. That is a comparison and blueprint of the various early education methods with implementation plans including the Sidis method. Having debriefs on real world cases and areas of improvement would also be helpful for parents formulating an early education gameplan (e.g. Sidis suffered from serious social disfunction).

[@mikopiko]

That's so cool, any interesting story you'd like to share with Williams encounter?

[@ADViators]

@mikopiko he went there at the beginning of the 20th century, so long before I went there. There are details about his upbringing online, more information on the Sidis method.

[@cardboardface52]

@@mikopiko This guy would have to be like 130 years old to have gone to high school with him lol

[@MrEdWeirdoShow]

Thanks to Ms. Gay this year, Harvard is now considered a piece of trash.

[@soozkoozhooz5902]

And I agree with that.

[@rayrwyr]

I see some similarity with my life although I am not nearly as intelligent than William Sidis. My father's education got cut short at age 14 when his father suddenly died. He had to drop out of school and start working immediately to feed his mom, his dead elder brother's big family (wife and 5 kids). So my father tried to vicariously execute his unfulfilled ambitions through me by putting me under extreme academic pressure since I was 4 year old. As a result I had an extremely miserable childhood, and I lost all interest in studies despite being brilliant. When I was 14, fortunately my father gave up on me after becoming extremely disappointed in my very poor academic performance. Interestingly, once he stopped putting pressure on me, I gained interest in studies, and in just one year, I became the best student in the school with the highest academic score by a huge margin. Each year my academic scores became higher and higher than the rest of the students. That streak of academic performance continued till I went to a top college. I was always putting just the bare minimum effort just to pass the exams because there was no ambition or competitive instinct in me. I think my ambition instinct was killed due to my father's overzealous ambitions for me when I was very young. My tendency to put bare minimum effort still carried me during my college and later graduate school although I was always performing well below my potential. After university, my lack of ambition/drive, resulting from my childhood trauma, did not serve me well because academic success using pedantic IQ does not translate into the real world success. So I am now living a mediocre life well below my potential. My situation is not as tragic as Sidis (I am also not a genius like him). I am however no longer resentful against my father (who died recently) and I want to move on and rebuild myself.

[@seafoambeachcomb]

Finding your happiness is the most important thing, in my opinion. And that can look different from year to year!

[@brooks8792]

Trauma has a tendency to follow in life perceptions and triggers. I am happy you are seeking happiness or contentment, so much more important than success.

[@enrgy-xh5uq]

You sound really fragile. Try doing sports it can help your critical thinking, which you lack of...a smart person is not measured by his IQ. A smart person is well rounded- streets smarts, personality, drive etc.

[@ACuriousChild]

@@seafoambeachcomb Happiness is the label THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN uses to trap everyone susceptible to it into the mental prison cell of it in order to be able to direct its members into the abyss of worldly enslavement. THE SPIRIT is free to wonder about all GOD'S CREATION...

[@comeoncarebear]

Will I hope your found your happiness, sending good thoughts

[@olserknam]

This video has the most self-important "he's literally me!" comment section I've seen in a while

[@Hagelnot]

There's a german novel about his life which made me aware of him. He was like the real life Sheldon but even more bizarre. The stuff he was able to do is mindblowing. For the german speakers if you're interested in a fun and astonishing read, its called "Das Genie" by Klaus Cäsar Zehrer.

[@Dunderslag]

I know this book and read it in a few days a few years ago because it is very exciting - it is highly recommended. Intelligence can indeed be nurtured from early childhood, but there is more to a happy life than intelligence. Social competence, warmth, feelings like security, love and recognition are at least as important. This becomes more than clear after reading the book.

[@surprisedpikachu3782]

Maybe the creators of BBT took inspiration from that he and Sheldon both loved to ride trains.

[@PiratDunkelbart]

@@surprisedpikachu3782 Pretty sure after this video. Too many similarities.

[@MCRuCr]

@@Dunderslag Believe me, intelligence does not make you happy in any way.

[@MCRuCr]

I instantly ordered the book, thanks for the tip !

[@sallyh.6362]

His parents sound like a piece of work. I don’t believe he learned things so early because his parents were so wise as to put a bowl of food and spoon in front of him as an infant. It’s like his mother wanted the direct and complete credit for his intelligence. That she wanted his every achievement to be about her. For smart people there was a lot they didn’t understand.

[@Celisar1]

I must have watched a different video because I didn’t hear anything constituting your impression.

[@kebman]

It wasn't genes, guys (but he learned the alphabet at 6 months old and could read the NY Times by 1 1/2).

[@robertm3561]

Pretty much my thoughts also. The parents used him as a tool for their twisted ambitions & disregarding his needs as a boy, man and a human being, which was one of the reason he failed in life. Better be strong, if you different, even if you are highly talented. Most people start mirroring their own demons etc. shortcomings to you, by disingenuously imagining sinister etc. negative stuff to where their talent ends/what they can never understand.

[@ouknow1446]

Well, lets not quibble. Whether you give her credit for raising him or credit for half his genes she still gets credit. His parents were smart so he was already going to be. What put him over the top I agree was her and her man. The kid was literally a psychological operation. or *psy op* .

[@kebman]

@PaulKinley54 We do. Reading that early isn't natural. Can't really be induced either. Unless the kid is genetically predisposed, or there's a mutation.

[@arfriedman4577]

I'm female. I was bullied from 1st grade to college. My friends mother said it was because I was smart and pretty. The crazy thing is I was bullied by other smart kids. My parents always told us to ignore the bullies. I was always pretty confident and focused on school and the activities I was involved with. I was always glad to help someone if they needed help in school or work.

[@scottholley4712]

I also was bullied for years in elementary and middle school , UNTIL I fought back like a tiger anytime I was bullied. The bullies began to leave me alone and find easier prey. My newfound confidence changed my life.

[@ricwhk]

In my opinion the smart should learn martial arts and be equipped with that skill as early as possible. Not to fight but to send a message that you are not to be bullied

[@johnwirk]

Social pecking order being established. Be peacful, not harmless.

[@arfriedman4577]

I was a female that did gymnastics and drove race cars. As I said, I just ignored the bullies. The one that threatened and hit me, I went to the dean. I was glad to recently read this girl owns a hair salon.

[@JKenny44]

​@@arfriedman4577 Why does that make you glad? It sounds like you're being spiteful but that sounds like a normal-nice living. And honestly bullying is normal in high school. I've met up with people I didn't like in high school and there's no hard feelings there anymore.

[@techman2553]

If there is one thing that I've leaned, it's that success in life comes from other people. It doesn't matter how smart or talented you are, if you don't get along with people, you're doomed to failure. Too many brilliant kids are taught to focus only on learning, and master science and math and language and art, but never learn how to interact with people. People control all the opportunities in life. If they don't like you, they won't let you succeed.

[@nathanielross295]

“Loneliness does not come about by having no people around you, but from holding views which others find inadmissible.” -Jung “When a man knows a lot, he becomes lonely.” -Jung In a world where the median IQ is 100, the genius is alienated. Many genius die without recognition. Society prefers shallow forms of entertainment, en masse. Our ‘celebrities’ are idiots, we make idiots famous, instead of beatifying genius. I love humanity but I despise the structure of society; we have allowed egotistical brutes to become the rulers of our world. The simple reason for that, is this: the Self does not seek to conquer, that is the egos pursuit; but it is high time we change that. There are too many knowers who don’t act, and too many actors who don’t Know.

[@A.Rose.G]

Parents not valuing social skills, physical skills and humour can be a problem. Teamwork and empathetic communication skills are especially valuable. All this can be learned somewhat in conjunction with technical skills. Just by modeling. Strange limited point of view his educated parents seemed to have.

[@SomeoneCommenting]

Genius and intelligence are not the same thing. There was a "genius kid" in my country, even shown in TV for his good grades and stuff. Same thing, he attended college super early because _academically_ he would excel. But when asked about his plans as an adult, he said that he wanted to study some weird physics stuff. Then later he changed to law school because he didn't like what he originally chose, and at the end of the day he didn't end up becoming any big deal and disappeared. Probably frustrated with the excess of expectations from everybody, or even himself.

[@JJSolitude]

bingo

[@atomictraveller]

erm... let's make this clear. why are things the way they are? someone profits. "they" like it that way, and they keep it that way not by pretending you're never gonna get riled up and try to change it they see you coming, they have a brotherhood and lodges to take care of that do you know where the world's biggest gold mine is? it's in west papua. it's operated by the u.s. the west papuan genocide has been on media lockout for over sixty years. 1.8 million dead you never heard a word. so there's your story of the smart child who never seemed to change anything in the end. gabrielle giffords was shot in the head.

[@fireteamomega2343]

It doesn't matter how much potential you have if you never use the potential to accomplish anything.

[@Jimmy911ism]

Genius and intelligence actually are the same thing. Smartness is the difference. You can be as intelligent as all get out, but if you're not smart, it won't work for you.

[@DreamingWithEyesWide]

This is a classic example of fixed mindset, where he wanted to always show how clever he is, and never wanted his intellgence tested in any way. The opposite would have been growth mmindset, where instead of wanting to prove how smart he is which is fixed mindset, he would continue progressing even after he initially sucked at something. But he was hailed as a genius from the beginning, and couldn't bear having to struggle later on in life at any point, as his intelligence (or the perception of it) was the only thing that he actually had.