[noir_lord]

When my GF tells me I'm really clever I just say "not really, I have a good memory and read a lot."

I'm not proud of my intelligence, why would I be? (much of it) is determined by genetics and the environment you grew up in and I had little control over either of those.

I also point out she is the one who speaks 3 languages fluently, has a degree in finance and qualified as a shipbroker, I just explain things really slowly and simply to a very fast idiot for a living.

[alanh]

> I just explain things really slowly and simply to a very fast idiot for a living.

Given that I have the same job as you do, this took me an embarrassing number of seconds to understand.

Well said.

[faraggi]

I don't know what he means. why 'fast idiot'?

All I come up with is you guys are lawyers?

[rpedroso]

They're programmers, the fast idiot is a computer.

[epalmer]

I must be slow today. I had to read this comment to know what a fast idiot is. I too work with fast idiots. But now I'm slightly embarrassed. Time for more coffee I think.

[notreal55]

I call them idiot savants.

[arghimonmobile0]

Computers are high-speed morons, according to folklore. If I had the source I'd quote it.

[smaddox]

I'm not sure he was the first, but Feynman talks about computers being really fast but dopey filers in one of his lectures for laymen.

[xapata]

> good memory

Funny, that's the same for me. People confuse memory for thought.

[yowlingcat]

Love this description, 'very fast idiot' is poignant and accurate. May have to steal that one from you.

In a similar vein, my mom and dad forked into different paths but are both intelligent in very different ways. The intelligence that allows him to speak five languages fluently, though, is something that's really far from my mom's aptitude with Fortran and laser physics, or my own with the "very fast idiots" (as you say) that I work with.

[da02]

How did you two meet? At work?

[noir_lord]

We met online, her profile and interests where a mirror image of mine, same films, same music, same outlook even the same books.

The only disagreement was over whether 2001 or Bladerunner should hold the top spot on best films, I maintain 2001, she maintains Bladerunner.

[da02]

That's adorable and lovely. You're going to have quite a life together.