Is Hermione Supposed to be a Genius?

[bufo_viridis at interia.pl]

No: HPFGUIDX 94531

> Silverthorne:
> To add to Viridis's comment via Eddison:
> 
> Just because you have a high IQ, does not necassarily mean that you have a
> little something called 'common sense* 

I fully aree with your comments on "practicality"; but I can't help myself to quote (again, sorry - a hobby) Einstein, on "common sense":
"Common sense is all that superstition and nonsene typical man is taught to believe by the age of 18" (retranslated)

> Many 'genius's' were quite capable of coming up with things [...]
> By the same token, some of them couldn't remember what they were doing
> three minutes ago [...]

But we also have to remmber that their quirks are remembered only because they were famous, whereas my friend who drove 40 km with the wallet containing six months pay laying on the top of his car will die unremembered. (real example, BTW). Also - the "crazy genius" is a popular stereotype, but not really founded. The research proved (among famous artists) that there were twice as many people with neurotical disorder (these was the only relevant factor) among them, it still was only 4% of the sample.

> And then there are the ones who *really* go over the deep end and become
> the genius 'monsters' (ask my lifemate about this one--she does a lot of
> study on Cold Case files, serial killers, so on and so forth--it's rather
> frightening to see how many of these criminals are *highly*
> intelligent--often topping the 190 range...O.O).

Yep, but that's the question of moral choice (often not fully conscious) or different sociopathies (both are interdependent). They simply empley they intelligence to other goals - and are very (and grimly) effective about this. Kinda like Voldie or our beloved Poisonmaster.

> Anyway, point is, high IQ does not immediately equal sucess and/or the
> ability to live sucessfully in an everyday scenario.

The high scores on "intelligence tests" are able to predict 25% of ariability in the academic career and life success, per average. It actually is more than it seems. :)

> She still needs a little work on the 'think and don't panic' scenarios (as >in with the Devil's Snare)...

Interestingly she makes one real and very "cold-headed" blunder in OotP - she charms the list to punish possible DA turncoats, but conceals the information, which effectively nullifies any preventive effect it could have had. She hadn't thought it through that it would be "hexing over spilled milk", so to say.

Cheers, Viridis
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