How smart was Adam Lanza

I know he hacked computers and stuff so he must be pretty smart

He was on the Honor Roll so I'd say he was above average intelligence, but he did fail his college tests.

TheGoodChief wrote:

I know he hacked computers and stuff so he must be pretty smart

Lol, that was just some sensationalist piece that was never confirmed to be real. I would say he was slightly above average but nothing special.

Maybe in some ways he could've been, but I doubt he was insanely smart or even above average.

He was pretty smart with computers. Based on the fact that he was in his high school tech club

Building a computer from scratch is not anything special really my aunt did that when she was in school too in a technology club back then but also Lanza was intelligent enough to get himself high on the list and leave potentially more undiscovered information covered by search terms and algorithms and people's laziness but dumb enough to be so arrogant in himself to assert that their can be no God for sure even though nobody truly knows and if he and all the other ones are wrong on the God question than they fucked since death always requires these topics to be brought up but it was probably just thoughtless desperation not giving a shit about any consequences like how much Time does it even take to think about that

Viotileaquaavianz wrote:

Building a computer from scratch is not anything special really my aunt did that when she was in school too in a technology club back then but also Lanza was intelligent enough to get himself high on the list and leave potentially more undiscovered information covered by search terms and algorithms and people's laziness but dumb enough to be so arrogant in himself to assert that their can be no God for sure even though nobody truly knows and if he and all the other ones are wrong on the God question than they fucked since death always requires these topics to be brought up but it was probably just thoughtless desperation not giving a shit about any consequences like how much Time does it even take to think about that

Ong?

He was pretty intelligent academically and mentally. He also was well spoken and had a high IQ. I would say that he was as smart as the average honor roll student. Its hard to compare intelligence.

I would disagree with the point about him having a high IQ, since Adam defined IQ as the ease with which you can be successfully coerced into harboring cultural values. I do not think that applied to him. A child with an IQ of 100 could make honor roll, so long as s/he did his/her work, so that doesn't attest to much. Regardless, why exactly do you want to know? Intelligence seems irrelevant in the context of his particular case, since he was completely detached from society (the only place where any value is placed in this abstract concept of intelligence at all).

Elliot Rodger was much smarter than him, in practically every way. I don't think a guy with severe chronic behavioral problems can be mentioned as having super intelligence.

Elliot, in fact, was the only shooter who, if he had the power, would openly carry out an global extermination. all others, in their statements and actions, made this capacity clear.

Sociokiller wrote:

Elliot Rodger was much smarter than him, in practically every way. I don't think a guy with severe chronic behavioral problems can be mentioned as having super intelligence.

Oh, boy! Your mass shooter is more intelligent than my mass shooter? You are such a strong and admirable individual for having the bravery to come out with this information.

My shooter? I don't think so. I'm just a close person to Elliot. and it is a fact that Elliot was more intelligent, so much so that he studied numerous areas at a high-level university, such as History and Astronomy.

Furthermore, he has high writing and description skills, which means a strong analytical mind.

Sociokiller wrote:

Furthermore, he has high writing and description skills, which means a strong analytical mind.

I can't tell if you are foreign or just plain trolling.

Postalguy wrote:

Sociokiller wrote:

Furthermore, he has high writing and description skills, which means a strong analytical mind.

I can't tell if you are foreign or just plain trolling.

he is a writer. and Lanza wasn't even good for that. I think he could serve as a skull for Elliot's bag of bones.

Sociokiller wrote:

Elliot Rodger was much smarter than him, in practically every way. I don't think a guy with severe chronic behavioral problems can be mentioned as having super intelligence.

And that's why Elliot's life was a failure despite having ridiculous advantages along with his pathetic attempt of a shooting being a failure as well.

ideklovee92 wrote:

Sociokiller wrote:

Elliot Rodger was much smarter than him, in practically every way. I don't think a guy with severe chronic behavioral problems can be mentioned as having super intelligence.

And that's why Elliot's life was a failure despite having ridiculous advantages along with his pathetic attempt of a shooting being a failure as well.

Do you think killing 6 people is a failure? your callousness is extraordinary.

ideklovee92 wrote:

Sociokiller wrote:

Elliot Rodger was much smarter than him, in practically every way. I don't think a guy with severe chronic behavioral problems can be mentioned as having super intelligence.

And that's why Elliot's life was a failure despite having ridiculous advantages along with his pathetic attempt of a shooting being a failure as well.

Lol Adam would've failed hard too had he not chosen to shoot up an elementary school, which is pretty much tutorial mode. Elliot's writings are also way more entertaining (even tho I disagree with both).

Adam was very technologically advanced, at the age of 12 he hacked government websites and was then investigated by the FBI. He was in the Tech Club during High School. I heard on PBS's "Raising Adam Lanza" he worked at some sort of a computer appliances store after he left college, but I'm not sure how much proof of there this is.

Variache wrote:

Adam was very technologically advanced, at the age of 12 he hacked government websites and was then investigated by the FBI. He was in the Tech Club during High School. I heard on PBS's "Raising Adam Lanza" he worked at some sort of a computer appliances store after he left college, but I'm not sure how much proof of there this is.

The first is just something Nancy bragged about to friends, not something that has ever been confirmed. He "worked" for PMS Graphics LLC via assistance from either NHS or some other educational body, I don't believe that it was paid or anything and that was while he was attending college. He was not employed at any point in time after college.

Postalguy wrote:

Variache wrote:

Adam was very technologically advanced, at the age of 12 he hacked government websites and was then investigated by the FBI. He was in the Tech Club during High School. I heard on PBS's "Raising Adam Lanza" he worked at some sort of a computer appliances store after he left college, but I'm not sure how much proof of there this is.

The first is just something Nancy bragged about to friends, not something that has ever been confirmed. He "worked" for PMS Graphics LLC via assistance from either NHS or some other educational body, I don't believe that it was paid or anything and that was while he was attending college. He was not employed at any point in time after college.

Oh! Thank you for clarifying!

He was very articulate

superiorityofreason wrote:

He was very articulate

As am I. However, I would not be surprised if my IQ was around 120 or so. As it turns out, being excessively pedantic isn't a faultless method to determine intelligence.

To answer OPs question properly, however, the Office of the Child Advocate stated that, throughout his life, Adam was treated as though he did harbor a much higher level of intelligence than he truly possessed (based on standard IQ test scores). Nancy had somehow gotten it into her head that her son was incredibly gifted/talented, which is likely part of why she coddled him to such a suffocating degree. The Asperger's diagnosis most definitely did not help, as the general profiling of those "afflicted" with it is that of a "tormented genius" or something along those lines. The final verdict? He was of average intelligence.

Shouberty wrote:

superiorityofreason wrote:

He was very articulate

As am I. However, I would not be surprised if my IQ was around 120 or so. As it turns out, being excessively pedantic isn't a faultless method to determine intelligence.

To answer OPs question properly, however, the Office of the Child Advocate stated that, throughout his life, Adam was treated as though he did harbor a much higher level of intelligence than he truly possessed (based on standard IQ test scores). Nancy had somehow gotten it into her head that her son was incredibly gifted/talented, which is likely part of why she coddled him to such a suffocating degree. The Asperger's diagnosis most definitely did not help, as the general profiling of those "afflicted" with it is that of a "tormented genius" or something along those lines. The final verdict? He was of average intelligence.

As much as people talk about Adam Lanza… What was the actual factor that made him such a proficient murderer if not his intelligence? (Besides the fact he targeted women and children, I mean).

DelusionalEritrean wrote:

Shouberty wrote:

superiorityofreason wrote:

He was very articulate

As am I. However, I would not be surprised if my IQ was around 120 or so. As it turns out, being excessively pedantic isn't a faultless method to determine intelligence.

To answer OPs question properly, however, the Office of the Child Advocate stated that, throughout his life, Adam was treated as though he did harbor a much higher level of intelligence than he truly possessed (based on standard IQ test scores). Nancy had somehow gotten it into her head that her son was incredibly gifted/talented, which is likely part of why she coddled him to such a suffocating degree. The Asperger's diagnosis most definitely did not help, as the general profiling of those "afflicted" with it is that of a "tormented genius" or something along those lines. The final verdict? He was of average intelligence.

As much as people talk about Adam Lanza… What was the actual factor that made him such a proficient murderer if not his intelligence? (Besides the fact he targeted women and children, I mean).

I don't imagine it is difficult to shoot a tightly packed condensed group of children. The room eight bathroom, where most of the children were killed, was very small and had a whole class of fifteen first graders packed in there. The officers that reported to the scene said the children Adam had shot in there were packed like sardines and the bodies were just in a pile. There wasn't the same defense in the school against intruders and weapons as there is today. I don't think the teachers and staff were as trained for situations like that as they are today, either. He also was experienced with firearms and mass shootings in general.

Sylar wrote:

DelusionalEritrean wrote:

Shouberty wrote:

superiorityofreason wrote:

He was very articulate

As am I. However, I would not be surprised if my IQ was around 120 or so. As it turns out, being excessively pedantic isn't a faultless method to determine intelligence.

To answer OPs question properly, however, the Office of the Child Advocate stated that, throughout his life, Adam was treated as though he did harbor a much higher level of intelligence than he truly possessed (based on standard IQ test scores). Nancy had somehow gotten it into her head that her son was incredibly gifted/talented, which is likely part of why she coddled him to such a suffocating degree. The Asperger's diagnosis most definitely did not help, as the general profiling of those "afflicted" with it is that of a "tormented genius" or something along those lines. The final verdict? He was of average intelligence.

As much as people talk about Adam Lanza… What was the actual factor that made him such a proficient murderer if not his intelligence? (Besides the fact he targeted women and children, I mean).

I don't imagine it is difficult to shoot a tightly packed condensed group of children.  The room eight bathroom, where most of the children were killed, was very small and had a whole class of fifteen first graders packed in there.  The officers that reported to the scene said the children Adam had shot in there were packed like sardines and the bodies were just in a pile.  There wasn't the same defense in the school against intruders and weapons as there is today.  I don't think the teachers and staff were as trained for situations like that as they are today, either.  He also was experienced with firearms and mass shootings in general.  

All excellent points.

Not a genius, but certainly above average and gifted.

I think listening to the CulturalPhilistine audios makes it clear he was certainly not dumb. Besides myself, I don't know anyone personally who would even understand his explanations about the implications of culture and value and the rejection of those concepts, these are thoughts that probably never cross the average persons minds in their whole life, except when they're on their deathbed maybe and think really deep about their life.

But the stuff he talked about doesn't really need an advanced understanding of any IQ-Test to comprehend, I've seen many suicidal people basically write the same stuff about culture and value as Adam in forums and on discord. Because thats what his whole personality comes down to if you really look into at all this stuff deep enough, guy was constantly thinking about suicide and even mentioned he can't do it unless he feels forced to by consequences inflicted upon him by others. That was one of the main reasons he commited a shooting, to feel forced to pull the trigger once the cops entered the school. He knew he couldn't stand a day in prison with all his mental health problems.