| | Cognition: I was using the Wikipedia definition of cognition: "The term cognition (Latin: cogito, "to think") is used in several loosely-related ways to refer to a facility for the intelligent processing of information. In psychology, it is used to refer to the mental processes of an individual, with a particular focus toward the study and understanding of mental states (ie. beliefs, desires and intentions) in terms of information processing especially in the area of context awareness (ie. abstraction or concretization), or where processes involving knowledge, expertise, or learning are at work."
In general, cognitive neuroscientists use the word "cognition" in this way. You're right, as a rule we should all try to define terms first. One interesting thing I've noticed, at least in myself, is the tendency to have a field-related outlook. Say "skull" to me and I think of "human skull" rather than "bird skull". I was doing the same with the word "cognition". And this is where language is interesting, that one word may indeed have different perspectives, depending on where the person is coming from. Now I know why your argument makes sense with your definition, and why mine makes sense with mine.
ADD as bored genius: It's *usually* expressed that those with ADD are also intelligent, but I don't think of it as bored genius. It was a struggle to control one's focus; this spilled out into impulsiveness, seeming irresponsibility, rampant forgetfulness, frustration, impatience, random blank outs, etc. It generated innovation, creativity, independence, mental speed, complex thinking. It was only minimized by extreme exhaustion and difficult subject matter-- the "bad stuff" was minimized, but so was the good. I ended up with highly unlikely grades-- As on the hard stuff, Bs on the easy. My essays only made sense after hours of organizing; timed essay exams were hardly readable. My mental powers were scattered and hard to control; yet at times I was too hyperfocused and forgot to eat. It was like herding cats mentally. Now, having been treated with what medicine can offer, I can just harness most of it at will. Things are clearer, sharper, and my mind is more of an aggregated power than before. Now I can use my intelligence as a guided missile, rather than the poorly aimed machine gun of before.
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