I know someone who has ADD, and seems to be like autistic kind of. He messes around alot and is hardly ever serious, and has had bad grades alot, etc. He learned a very very low level programming language (Hard language) by teaching himself and is doing things that are beyond a person with a docterate in the language (MIPS Assembly). The reason he says he has gotten bad grades was bad habbits of blowing off work, and being lazy. A friend brought up a interesting topic today thinking if it's possible a genius could just be a entire genius or have some kind of mental problem that shares with the genius part. He also can solve math problems fast at random times. Genius, mental conspiracy, or talent?
I don't know about your friend, but many geniuses are underachievers. Many of them know subconsciously that school is a joke and a waste of time, so they slack off and don't do what they're told like all the other mind slaves. Most people think geniuses are the asskissers who were on the National Honor Society in high school, who went to the best colleges. They're not. You're more likely to find a genius mopping the floors of a building versus sitting behind a desk in some high-rise office. People need to stop associating intelligence with grades. A person's performance in school doesn't mean shit, other than how well they can spit out everything they've been told without ever thinking for themselves. I have known many great students who are really nothing more than that. Many of them are incredibly dull and know very little other than what school has taught them.
ausperger's syndrome. dave is similar. igh school dropout (bored) with a highly technical and demanding job. not unusual anymore. we're breeding them that way now.
Intellegence can come in many different forms. It's not very easy to test for, and sometimes you'll meet people, know them for a while, not expect much from them, and then straight out of nowhere they'll offer some incredible insight. If you don't expect to much from people, you'll often be surprised by them. If you expect only a certain type of person to be; friendly, witty, intellegent, insightful, or good in a clinch, then you'll often be let down by your model. If you lose some of your instict to lump people together, you'll often find a lot more to people then meets the eye of a person who judges people based on a stereotype. Everyone stereotypes to some degree, it's not bad in instict, but in judging people, you're setting yourself up for failure. Intuition is often derived from stereotypes. So listen to your heart... But make sure it's your heart your listening to, and not just reactions that have become of you.
