/sci/ - Science & Math

Can't we find some balance between those two?

>considered
I found your problem OP

I'd rather be considered extremely stupid and retarded, while pulling the strings from shadowy background making people believe they are in control.

true,
ocd
control freaks

often unhappy

>take happy pills

relieve psychosis

get some selegiline and stop being a nigger

>>2823775

Deliberately polarising question, so try and answer within the parameters.

>>2823765
I would give up my intelligence to be happy.

Thankfully, this dichotomy doesn't exist in reality.

>>2823791

Actually, higher IQ (if we are going give it any qualifier as to what constitutes "intelligence") generally shows trends of greater prevalence of depression.

Ergo, intelligence can be correlated to depression. The dichotomy does not exist per se, but it is a possibility.

>>2823765
Alternatively you could learn to find inner peace and happiness.
That doesn't take much intelligence as it clearly works for those who are ignorant.
So why not you?
Just learn to sort the stuff you learn in your head and to overlook things in certain situations if you have to.

Also, do things that make you happy.
Most people who are actually intelligent are usually curious people who find joy in learning new things and "constructing" things, whether it be equations, structures or beautiful works of art.

Find what works for you and nurture it.
You'll get there eventually.
Besides, what point is there to being depressed no matter if you're intelligent or not.
All it does is keep you stagnant until you die, which everyone does.
The world is your playground. Set your own rules.

>>2823791

Happiness is a state of mind. You choose to be happy or not.

depression is not an unhappy state

>>2823765
I'll take b. As soon as I feel like I want a; alcoholol.

>>2823814
>in denial

>>2823808

Nice post and this is OP; despite being a long-term sufferer of depression, I have mostly overcome it. I am just seeing whether happiness or status/prestige is greater to people here or not. It is not really some proclamation of me being personally tortured by my intelligence (I would not really consider myself that intelligent anyway).

>>2823814

Oh no, anhedonia is the greatest!

>>2823807
In those cases, the high intelligence (and fuck IQ BTW, not by accident that I won't use that measure) correlates with depression due to a common cause, which is that the brain has evolved since the upper Pleistocene in these individuals.

Evolution since the upper Pleistocene has allowed for behaviours which would not, in the ancestral environment, lead to greater reproductive success. A whole lot of behaviours stemming from a difference in psychology all correlate together because of the expansion of the neo cortex. This would include intelligence, depression, atheism, drug-taking, liberalism etc.

>>2823838
BTW i forgot to come to my point, which is that the removal of intelligence would therefore not fix the depression since the correlation is not directly causal but due to a common second cause.

I've been depressed since I was 5.

Diagnosed at 12.

Supposedly "well above average" intelligence, though I never wanted or asked for an IQ score.

I'd rather be a drooling, happy-go-lucky retard.

>>2823765
What? Every human is intelligent, we would be a pretty shitty animal if we didn't have our intelligence.

>b) remain unhappy and depressed, but considered intelligent

if you removed "considered" from option 'b' i would chose 'b', otherwise i would rather option 'a'

merely being considered intelligent does not hold a candle to the bliss of true ignorance

>>2823848
nice to see a lib-tard around these parts

B always. Why the hell would anyone want a?

>>2823841
yea, you're full of shit.

every anti-depressant drug makes you fucking stupid(except selegiline) and for the most severe depression ElectroConvulsive Therapy(a direct electric shock to the brain, killing thousands of brain cells) is used, at least in the us.

>>2823838

You are correct in saying there was an increase in cognitive function due to the development of the cerebral cortex, but I find it hard to think you can assign specific ideological concepts to such. I understand saying you have the capacity to create more intricate ideas due to more intricate neuronal structuring, but not specifically I will be liberal, atheist etcetera. We are born oblivious to religiosity; an atheist is not oblivious to religiosity.

i would rather be smart and contribute to the world

>>2823841

This did not make a lot of sense to me, but I have a feeling you are making a distinction between causal relationships and causation. This is duly noted, but I find it intriguing you are stating that you can have this predisposition for all these ideological capacities but not depression due to increased intelligence?

>>2823872
Generally, the brain is designed to cause behaviour which is conducive to reproductive success. I'm not saying that any of the traits I listed became hard-wired in our brains at any point. I'm saying we gained the capacity to use our brains in ways that are counter to reproductive success, as the traits I listed are. It was made possible by the evolution of general purpose intelligence, and some people have inherited DNA for brains which have this ability to a lesser extent than others.

just stop thinking.

>>2823890

Okay, now we are on the same wavelength. Somehow I thought you were alluding to hard-wired ideological ideas and I was very confused as to how this was the case. So, yes, we developed brains capable of analytical skills, verbal skills and complex memories making us prone to "mental dialogues" that can either be beneficial or detrimental to us.

But, lets remember this is hypothetical! Lets assume a brain with the capacity for high functioning cognition (whatever you want to label that) is inherently associated with depression (specifically melancholic depression characterised by anhedonia). And that an "average" or below average brain in terms of cognitive functionality is inherently characterised by a general state of happiness from life.

>>2823885
>I find it intriguing you are stating that you can have this predisposition for all these ideological capacities

The old brain predisposes one to behaviour which leads to reproductive success. The new brain does not come with any specific ideologies in mind, but since it is general-purpose, it is less concerned with what leads to reproductive success and more concerned with an examination of reality.

Religion and superstition provides a suitable example. I'm going to continue to personify the brain a bit to hopefully make it easier to understand, forgive me. The old brain is thinking "how do I survive well?" and the answer turns out to be to pick up superstitions about reality, which may indeed prove to be beneficial, and to believe in tribal superstitions for bonding purposes. In particular, a superstition such as the existence of God, which has no immediate consequences but provides social value, is great for reproductive success. The new brain doesn't care about reproductive success so much, so, if an individual is raised well, the new brain will allow them to cast aside superstition and instead think about what is true. The search for evidence will incline a person with a developed new brain to atheism. This doesn't mean the that atheism was in any sense "built in".

>>2823919
> Lets assume a brain with the capacity for high functioning cognition is inherently associated with depression

Is this a question? I'm not sure why you'd assume that.

>>2823924

I understand. I was confounding the potential for emerging complex behaviour and ideas with the new cognitive capacity itself (which is inherent).

i'm only depressed becouse i'm 30 years old and my testoserone is droping.

>>2823932
Not a question, information to consider when pondering the OP. And this is a hypothetical; it does not need to reflect reality. The purpose of this question is to evaluate people, at least based on their prima facie evaluation, whether they view intelligence or happiness as greater. So, I am polarising options for hypothetical purposes.

>>2823948
Oh I see what you meant now.

Having been diagnosed with severe depression since 14, been sanctioned in and out of mental hospital no less than 3 times, I'm really not quite sure. To an extent, learning and understanding new things allows me to ignore the depression for a limited period of time. Distraction therapy and all that.

But giving up your intelligence simply for happiness seems somewhat alien to me. Without intelligence or knowledge, what is there to live for? The next big product manufacturers churn out? A new "hilarious" internet meme?

Is that what the peak of humanity is? That we're so obsessed with being happy we're willing to sacrifice one of the major attributes that differentiates us from the rest of the species?

Having been diagnosed with severe depression since 14, been sanctioned in and out of mental hospital no less than 3 times, I'm really not quite sure. To an extent, learning and understanding new things allows me to ignore the depression for a limited period of time. Distraction therapy and all that.

But giving up your intelligence simply for happiness seems somewhat alien to me. Without intelligence or knowledge, what is there to live for? The next big product manufacturers churn out? A new "hilarious" internet meme?

Is that what the peak of humanity is? That we're so obsessed with being happy we're willing to sacrifice one of the major attributes that differentiates us from the rest of the species on Earth simply to be happy?

>>2823952
Fuck double post, wasn't sure if that had uploaded, my bad.

Why would intelligence make you unhappy? Surround yourself with stimulating people. If you really are a million miles ahead of uni professors and have prodigious memory/ insights into the workings of the universe hitherto unseen by any other creature on Earth then start a family- it'll be in the genes. Such intelligence is a gift. You see the world in plain terms and that should be stimulation enough to bypass loneliness or whatever. It sounds to me that people who claim to be depressed haven't seen much of Earth or have a misaligned judgement of what it means to be truly bright.

>>2823954

It is cool. Do not worry about it!

Okay, this response is intriguing and I thank you for being honest and opening up.

(Keeping in mind your depression is not necessarily caused by your intelligence)

Average intelligence is not bad. This is why I find it odd when people brag of a high IQ or what not. Intellectual success is fantastic, it is something to be proud about but it does not make you human in every paradigm of life.

Lets not suddenly assume the plebeians to literature, philosophy, science and formal reasoning are lacking! If anything, they just lack reverence for culture. It is perfectly reasonable to want a job that provides you with enough income to have a family, a home and live comfortably and never inquire into advanced mathematics or philosophy etcetera. It also does not mean you are at the whim of every trend, it just means you do not hold your intellectual functions as the defining feature of your life (something that could be making you depressed).

I see this because I do believe a lot of people who frequent this board create unrealistic expectations on themselves, create mental stressors that do not exist tangibly in the external world and therefore develop negative emotions that propagate into symptoms of depression.

My real, ulterior motive here is to ask WHY you preference this state over another. I believe it is because you hold a skewed view of what it means to be average or not brilliant and that your life is useless if you are not some great influence.

I'd use my intelligence to solve my depression

>>2823973
Impossible. Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain. You'd have better luck trying to convince your heart to stop beating.

>>2823973
great real world answer, i did this myself to a degree, but it doesn't fit OP's premise

>>2823983
Use intelligence to treat chemical inbalance.
Its also pretty easy getting your heart to stop for that matter.

>For arguments sake, lets grossly oversimplify the human condition.

lol k

>considered

Why would you add that qualification except to load the question?

So you'd only have the appearance of intelligence for the sake of vanity? Why would it make you depressed then, if you do not actually possess such intelligence which would make you depressed in the first place?

DEPRESSION IS A CHOICE

Stop wasting your time worrying and lamenting, and start spending it studying and innovating. Yeah, the world's a pretty pessimistic place... but people don't have to wile away the hours obsessing over the stuff they can't change. That they choose to do so means they're not as smart as they think.

>>2824298
Fuck's sake people.
He added that because he is obviously struggling or has struggled in the past with depression and as such doubts his abilities and his ntelligence.
He added that for himself. Get over it.

>>2824316
REAL depression is not a choice.
Nothing feels good. You could have sex with the world's most beautiful woman and win a trillion dollars in the lottery and you'd still feel like shit

>>2824439
That depends on the type.
There is such a thing as manic depression where you can be super happy and hyper one minute and sad the next.

>>2824439
If you spend all your time focusing on the negative then yes, there are all sorts of things about winning a trillion dollars or fucking a beautiful woman that could make you upset.

Doesn't mean you're not choosing to see the worst in great situations.

>>2824443
actually thats a real oversimplification that doesn't really describe manic depression.

there are fluctuations, but manic depression is one thing, almost like being happy and sad at the same time.

>>2824455
Hence why I said "can".
But I agree that it is an oversimplification.

a

you'd have to be retarded to choose b

I would rather be intelligent and depressed because being stupid and/or ignorant is very dangerous and deadly.

>>2824539
But being proper depressed is also deadly as you're liable to commit suicide.

b) I fucking hate stupid people

I'd use my intelligence to figure out how to use my intelligence to make me happy

b, I then use my intelligence to gain friends and to get laid which slightly increases my happiness.

There is no correlation between intelligence and depression levels. You fags are pretty retarded for someone who claims to possess above average intelligence.

>>2824699
>implying stupid people don't make you rage

>>2824702
I never understood why people get so mad at others who happen to be "unintelligent"
Why can't you just ignore them? It's not like you'll be stuck with them for eternity.

>>2824711
Considering that most "intelligent" people don't believe in an afterlife I'd say that ys.. They will be stuck for them for eternity.
For a person eternity is as longs as they can percieve things and thnk.
Your whole life is your whole life no matter who you are.

>>2825541
Damn... I must be more tired than I thought.

My answer is Yes

>>2825710
I mean, yes, I would opt for less intelligence and more happiness. It seems that you can only use intelligence to avoid depression to some extent, but you cannot really change the entire society which is part of why you are depressed, and neither can you completely ignore it or shut off from it. And in a perverse way, actually your intelligence is more exploited by society than by you.

So yes, I would choose less intelligence so that the stupid fucks would have to become themselves more intelligent/depressive and see how it is for a change.

>>2823973
That just leads to psychosis
The best thing agaisnt depression is to forget about it and just work on bettering your life

>>2823808
Because if there is no afterlife then I will never be happy.

>mite be insane soon

Isn't this obvious? Pretty much everyone who isn't on /sci/ to start religion troll threads, would answer B.

>mfw everyone in this thread thinks they're geniuses who have been "diagnosed" with depression

>>2827573

You expected any different? Do stupid people ever realize they are stupid? What's the point?

I believe that to have happiness you need meaningful relationships with others, whether it be friends or whatever. You can be "intelligent" and have these. But to be intelligent and not have these, can be very depressing.

A, no question.

There is a difference between feeling depressed, having the blues and actual pathological depression. Just saying.

I'd consider giving up my "intelligence" to be happy, as long as that's not turning me into a retard or something. I'm really self-centered; I care much more about keeping myself and my loved ones happy than "contributing to mankind" or whatever most of you seem to be striving for in your lives. I only study physics because I enjoy it, not because I have fantasies about becoming famous or improving everyone's lives or anything like that.

But if you're going to take away my capacity to understand a lot of things, then I doubt I'd be happy anyway.

>>2823893
i second this

>>2827624
huge faggot detected

i will shit on your loved ones

I am nothing without cognition. If I could be an ignorant plant in the forest, then I wouldn't care if I was actually intelligent. What? Yes. It's a catch 22.

I like intelligence because it makes me happy.. So I don't value it unconditionally.

A it is.