Constructive Deconstruction

IQ Tests…

September 15, 2007 on 4:05 am | In Reflections | 2 Comments

Presently reading the autobiography of Richard Branson…

Amazing chap i tell you…it’s really interesting to see how he was brought up and how that translated to him being the person he is. I like the way he sees the world differently from the rest of the people around him. He’s passionate about things and he has a child-like grip on his dreams and vision.

I especially like this paragraph:-

“But, while neither of these schemes had the effect of making money, they did teach me something about maths. I found that it was only when I was using real numbers to solve real problems that maths made any sense to me. If I was calculating how much a Christmas tree would grow, or how many budgies would breed, the numbers then became real and I enjoyed using them. Inside the classroom I was still a complete dunce at maths. I once did an IQ test in which the questions just seemed absurd. I couldn’t focus on any of the mathematical problems, and I think that i scored about zero. I worry about all the people who have been classified as stupid by these kinds of tests. Little do they know that often these IQ tests have been dreamt up by academics who are absolutely useless at dealing with the practicalities of the outside world. I loved doing real business plans - even if the rabbits did get the better of me.”