I hope I don't offend anyone with this post...
During our random conversation at work, a discussion about IQ tests came up. My coworker and boss told me that the classifications for different levels of intelligence used to be, "moron," "Imbecile," and "Idiot." Unbelievable.
So I came home and looked it up on the internet. I wasn't getting any hits on google for what I was looking for, so I had to type in, "moron imbecile idiot."
Sure enough, one website had this chart for retardation:
IQ Range Classification
70-80 Borderline deficiency
50-69 Moron
20-49 Imbecile
below 20 Idiot
The same website says that the following classification is used today for retardation:
IQ Range Classification
50-69 Mild
35-49 Moderate
20-34 Severe
below 20 Profound
Not only is it more politically correct but it makes more sense, too. It's easier to tell the order with the new classification. I don't have to know the difference between a moron and an idiot off hand. The word imbecile just sounds really bad but apparently an idiot is worse than am imbecile. Weird.
Parent: "How did my child score on the IQ test?"
Psychologist: "Well, the score was 55, so s/he's a moron."
Parent: "What, you're calling my child a moron?"
Psychologist: "That's where his score falls. See? S/He is a moron."
Parent: "How dare you! You imbecile!"
Psychologist: "Excuse me, I'm not an imbecile. My IQ is higher."
Parent: "What are you, some kind of an idiot?"
Psycholgoist: "No, not that either. I'm a genius."
Parent: "You're so full of yourself."
2 comments:
DAMMIT! My IQ don't be falling within the geenius categorey!
First, I want to say that when I was in school, back in the 60s that is exactly what they taught; three categories of impairment: moron, imbecile, and idiot. I do not recall the line of separation any more.
A while back, there was a note circulating the email lists, in which a supposed study of the intelligence of our presidents - of the modern era - was presented. It must have come from a Democrat, as the Dems came out with the higher average IQs and the Republicans, the lower.
It went on to say that Bill Clinton - who we all know is a very intelligent person, has an IQ of 182. Then it presented George W. Bush as having exactly half that, at 91 IQ.
The way this man has operated in the White House, it is not hard to believe that he is of the lower IQ ranges.
But I would never intentionally insult a moron, imbecile, or idiot, by calling Bush any one of those names.
To us, he is intelligence impaired, combined with being veracity impaired. He's a lying idiot!
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