So Is BPD A Sign Of Intelligence?

"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

ok, sometimes the functioning bit is tricky ...
but interesting ... in the light of BPD ...

Comments

His wife Zelda may have been borderline, perhaps he was thinking of her when he said that.

oh - ta for info - interesting - don't know much about FSF.

Not sure exactly what he meant there - what kind of concepts?
Have not read the book/story - just remembered the quote and wondered how relevant it is here?
But been relating to the fact that bpds seem to have such conflicts between extremes, are changeable etc. Is that more in thoughts or feelings or perspective - or all of the above?

I can't function normally. So -- intelligence does not seem to be a defining factor for me, sadly.

I function well for months - well depending on how the "depression" is.
Then get stressed and go to pieces, anxiety, confusion, panic. All my little self confidence goes and I can't make decisions or trust my perceptions. Also lesslikely to trust others. I will go between wanting/needing to speak to people for support and fearing or avoiding people because/in case they hurt me with some remark which I will then worry and obsess about the meaning of and the motivation behind - and feel even worse.
Then I might start to hate them and worry about being such a horrible person and that I will end up completely isolated and alone which makes my catastrophising worse and I feel more panicky (had glimpses of paranoia a few times).
Diazepam, sleep, understanding and kindness and time away from "triggering people" seem to help.
Does this sound a bit like bpd - or what you mean by "not functioning"?

ladyjello wrote:"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

ok, sometimes the functioning bit is tricky ...
but interesting ... in the light of BPD ...

Comments

i thought pwBPD are supposed to not be able to do that and tend to split one way or the other without being able to balance the 2 - and im not suggesting pwBPD are stupid, i think BPD has very little to do with intelligence or stupidity, but how do pwBPD usually hold 2 opposing ideas in mind at the same time? (apart from when its not something setting off their disorder, and when they might just happen to be intelligent ?)

Yeah, I thought that the black and white thinking had to do with the inability to hold more than one perspective at a time. I don't know, is that possible anyway?

mooshoo wrote:Yeah, I thought that the black and white thinking had to do with the inability to hold more than one perspective at a time. I don't know, is that possible anyway?

Inability to emotionally hold more than one perspective at a time, it might not stop a pwBPD doing that intellectually, but if there is emotional involvement, it might look as though a person can't process it, but its only emotionally they wouldn't be able to.

katana wrote:

ladyjello wrote:"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."

F. Scott Fitzgerald

ok, sometimes the functioning bit is tricky ...
but interesting ... in the light of BPD ...

Comments

i thought pwBPD are supposed to not be able to do that and tend to split one way or the other without being able to balance the 2 - and im not suggesting pwBPD are stupid, i think BPD has very little to do with intelligence or stupidity, but how do pwBPD usually hold 2 opposing ideas in mind at the same time? (apart from when its not something setting off their disorder, and when they might just happen to be intelligent ?)

my thoughts exactly katana.

Given that we have trouble synthesising dichotomies (opposites) we generally hold on to one truth and can't get our hearts around how the dialectal opposite is also true.

Grrrr. I just wrote a long post on this thread, and it disappeared. Boo.

Anyways, my purpose for posting on this was:

I've heard repeatedly over the years that the "line" between mental retardation/autism and genius IQ is VERY fine. Is that true?

I've always been taught this:

The higher one is on the social scale, the lower they are on "book" intelligence.

The higher one is on the "book" intelligence, the lower they are on the social scale.

Is this true?

Thoughts?

Regardless, I think we're sexy anyways, no matter what those other a$$holes say. :0)


<3

AMP