How smart people create problems where none exist
Devlin Poul | 20 July, 2026
Give a genuinely highly intelligent person a trivial problem with a three-step fix, and they’ll turn it into an entire conceptual theory. They construct intricate logical chains, analyze a thousand impossible scenarios, and transform a basic task into a complex endeavor.
That said, behavior like this alone doesn't determine a person's IQ—only standardized psychological testing administered under appropriate conditions can reliably assess an individual's IQ level.
BillMemerik | 20 July, 2026
A person with truly high intelligence takes the simplest problem, for which there's a standard three-step solution, and begins to develop an entire conceptual theory from it. They construct complex logical chains, consider a thousand hypothetical scenarios that will never happen, and ultimately, a trivial action turns into a complex project.
Is this an attempt to assert oneself and show off one's IQ, or is the brain of people with this mindset simply physically incapable of working in "make it easy" mode?