[AccessD] OT: Quote of the day

Susan,

Sounds like you're describing the classic differences between an
over-achiever (your incensed schoolmate) and an under-achiever. 
Over-achievers often don't have the natural brain power or talent but
have an abundance of drive and, sometimes, confidence.

I am definitely in the under- category.  I liked Stuart's comment
about "if they can be bothered to do them."  That's me.

Now, the ones that are dangerous are the ones with brain power AND drive.

Steve Erbach
Neenah, WI
http://TheTownCrank.blogspot.com

On 2/15/06, Susan Harkins <harkinsss at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Thank you Alan. I don't mean to imply that I'm not "smart enough." I just
> don't believe that I'm carrying around any superior intelligence or genius.
> I'm probably above average somewhat, but I don't think it's enough to
> celebrate. :) There are all kinds of intelligence. I don't memorize code and
> syntax, I remember where the samples are and I review them as needed. I know
> Access features well enough that I can usually put them together in ways
> others don't consider. That's not because I'm so smart, but because I am so
> familiar with the product.
>
> If I tried to remember all the solutions and reasons, I'd explode. That's
> the difference between me and many developers who just type out stuff that
> works. It is more efficient for me to review samples and apply them than to
> try to memorize every rule necessary to create it myself. That doesn't make
> me smart or dumb. It makes me -- it means I am familiar enough with my own
> abilities to know what works best for me. Almost everything you have read
> was inspired by someone else -- I don't just sit around and fire off
> solutions. Generally, I see snippets and pieces and they inspire something
> else. But that's my niche Alan -- it's the little spot I've carved out for
> myself out of necessity. I wouldn't even try to compete with the
> high-powered developers. That doesn't make me smarter or dumber than them,
> it makes me different. Although, frankly -- they probably do have a higher
> IQs than me, and that doesn't bother me.
>
> No, I've never taken an IQ test, that I can recall. I don't memorize much at
> all. I do remember enough to say, "Oh... I need to look that up..." And, I
> can retain a lot about some subjects with little effort, but I doubt I could
> write an essay on any subject (except personal) without requiring sources. I
> think we all remember the ACT's and SAT's from high school? I was a decent
> student -- in the top 20% -- but not exceptional by any means. When we
> compared SAT scores, a friend of mine -- one of the top 10 seniors -- was
> just increduous that my score was higher than hers. In fact, she went so far
> as to claim they'd made a mistake -- she was truly angry. I was just hurt. A
> teacher I was fond of later explained to me that my friend had to work very
> hard for her grades. She studied relentlessly and put 100% into everything
> she did and here I was -- doing good if I handed in my homework and showed
> up for class 4 days out of 5, and I scored higher than her.
>
> Now, the point of that story is -- if, at the same time, that friend and I
> had both taken IQ tests -- she's have probably scored higher than me. My
> success with the SAT's and ACT's was the way they asked questions, not the
> questions themselves. She memorized things, and she memorized a whole lot.
> However, what she didn't memorize, she didn't know. I just thought through
> the questions and gave the answer that seemed the best. I didn't know the
> answers to most of the questions. I reasoned many answers, I didn't "know"
> the answers.
>
> There are different kinds of brain power, and I doubt either one's better
> than the other -- but it does make us all very different. People get into
> trouble when they fail to recognize their weaknesses or fail to take
> advantage of their strengths.
>
> I am not a genius -- no way even near it. I simply know what I'm good at,
> and that's what I do.
>
> Susan H.
>