Shankar Vedantam

But in looking at the results of his IQ test from when he was in elementary school, the school psychologist was saying some important things.

First, the test had picked up something innate about Scott.

It didn't matter how much he'd learned or what he'd accomplished in the years afterward.

The test had peered into his mind, and the test had determined he was not gifted.

Not then, not now, not ever.

You're listening to Hidden Brain.

I'm Shankar Vedantam.

Hey there, Shankar here.

We're running a little experiment and need your help.

Please also send us a link to your work.

And thanks.

This is Hidden Brain.

I'm Shankar Vedantam.

Scott Barry Kaufman desperately wanted to be seen as a smart kid.

But everyone kept telling him he was the opposite of smart.

He ended up repeating third grade, was sent to a school for kids with learning differences, and scored poorly on IQ tests.

Scott didn't just experience these things as setbacks.

He found them confusing.

He thought of himself as a smart kid with lots of potential.

Why didn't the world see him that way?