this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. No politics
    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS

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Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.

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°F Vs °C

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[–] ceenote@lemmy.world 72 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (5 children)

I would think a room temperature IQ in °C would mean virtually unable to function, much less take an IQ test.

Edit: looked it up and an IQ below 50 means you probably can't ever live independently, and below 25 means you're pretty much a vegetable.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago

looked it up and an IQ below 50 means you probably can’t ever live independently, and below 25 means you’re pretty much a vegetable.

Nah man, not even close...

Besides, at the extremes if either side of the scale the overall number becomes pretty meaningless because the individual scores are going to have high variance.

I did an internship working with people with learning disabilities from "passable" to me having to change adult diapers for clients who were completely nonverbal and thought it was game.

I don't know where you looked it up, but you're way off.

But for this:

much less take an IQ test.

A normal test only covers 3 standard deviations. So if you're over 145 or below 65, on a normal you take a specialized test if you want to actually know. There's just not enough outliers to make the normal test able to cover everyone

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

Which s perfect for an insult. Insult is better when it's caricature like.

[–] vrek@programming.dev 11 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I sometimes wonder what the kids iq would be... He is 12 physically but I would put at 3 max mentally. Not saying anything negative but being honest.

He can use the bathroom but can't put his underwear on. He knocks on the door till someone comes put his underwear back on.

Eating a bowl of cereal is 50/50 if he can do it himself.

He likes watching blues clues, Thomas and friends, paw patrol. He yells the answer to most questions but I don't know if he knows the answer or just knows they say this so I should say that.

He is severely autistic and epileptic among other problems. He is sweet and loving but how to measure what his actual intelligence I have no idea.

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

It might be higher than you think. Unfortunately, IQ is only a proxy for intelligence. With "normal" people, it's quite a reasonable proxy. At the extremes it begins to break down.

It might be worth trying him on some of the easier IQ tests. Autistic minds tend to like focused puzzles, which make up the bulk of IQ tests. That's actually the source of the "idiot savant" stereotype. A massive over-focus on a small subset of "puzzles"

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[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It seems to me like if you got 25, you were able to answer some questions at all, some of which you actually got correct

So not vegetative, I don't think.

But I suppose I'm not exactly an expert on how the tests are administered, so maybe just showing up is enough to get 25.

[–] JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

IQ tests don't define IQ, they're a tool to measure IQ. Standard tests have a "floor" (say 70 or 50) below which they don't give an accurate number, just a general "below the floor" indication. Similarly, they would have a ceiling.

A professionally administered test can maybe identify a more specific IQ at low levels, and would be used for someone who maybe can't function at the level of taking a standard test.

[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I mean that if you participated in a test at all, even if your result wasn't accurate, then you're not vegetative, even if you required assistance.

I know that the test score isn't your IQ, because the IQ is relative to the scores of the other participants.
But surely to score at all you need to be responsive, even if you need a special test with special assistance. So surely an IQ of 25 couldn't be vegetative? Although I truly have no idea how such an IQ would present itself.

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[–] SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago

So you are saying you have a future in goverment.

[–] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 65 points 1 month ago (2 children)

More than just Europe. 99 % of the world's countries use Celcius.

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 46 points 1 month ago (3 children)

if you ain't american you're european that's just how it is.

[–] dontfearthereaper123@ani.social 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The only reason that is is because of racism nej. By only seeing the world as the places that are filled w white people while I don't think u mean to at all and its not your fault its the rich peoples fault but the language creates a world view where black and Asian and brown people aren't people only white people are.

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[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 4 points 1 month ago

If you’re not American you’re “world”.

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[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I use Rankine to confuse everyone.

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[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 46 points 1 month ago

Casuals, I measure in K.

300 iq moment!

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 24 points 1 month ago (5 children)

"You've got a room temperature IQ."

"Yeah, so do you, but mine is in Kelvin and yours is in Celsius."

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago
[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 21 points 1 month ago (3 children)

For anybody wondering: that's 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.

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[–] Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 1 month ago (4 children)

IQ has been discredited as a measure of capacity for intelligence anyway. The real insult is having a serious belief in that pseudoscientific bullcrap (as opposed to just the colloquial use).

Sincerely, A >175 IQ former MENSA member from England.

[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (10 children)

My mother told me the murder of the intelligentsia is one of the first steps of a fascist regime and that the Mensa roster is a hit list. Then ten years later she voted for trump.

Edit: Hint for the low EQs out there: they're not getting downvoted because they're wrong; they're getting downvoted because they're exactly the kind of pompous ass Mensa is famous for.

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[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't think people using the phrase as an insult need to believe in IQ.

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[–] nialv7@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What's mensa like? What do you do there? I've always been curious. Surely there will be some interesting conversations/ideas?

[–] Cevilia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Joining was fun. I hit the ceiling on the test so they invited me down south for an invigilated test. Then I sat another one because I hit the ceiling on that one too. My final score was high 170s, which made me feel really good about myself.

After that, it was downhill. I only ever went to one annual meeting. It was predominantly white men who think scoring in an abnormal range on certain standardised tests makes them somehow better than everyone else - the sense of entitlement was through the roof. I came home early.

I stayed in the society, I subscribed to a couple of special interest group mailing lists for a few years. Then I cancelled.

I occasionally got letters for a few years afterwards inviting me to rejoin, saying I don't need to take a test again, then they gave up.

[–] shneancy@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

i never joined mensa, though i had the option to. and yeah you just confirmed all the reasons why i hadn't lol. entitled dudes who believe so hard that results of a test make them better than others that they are approaching actual delusions of superiority, having to sit among people like that would make my blood boil

well, i suppose it's a logic puzzle skills test, not an emotional intelligence test.

i despise how IQ is almost revered by the overall society, and i hate how, despite everything, that stupid result does make me feel good about myself, tempting me to feel better than others

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

mensa always sounded like it was just a scam for people who think they're smart

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

It was started as a eugenics dating club. There's a reason that Mensa and Σ4 are primarily white dudes.

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[–] GrammarPolice@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] GrammarPolice@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

You can't just say scientists and not name any or cite any sources

[–] Simulation6@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 month ago

IQs are for losers.

S Hawkings

[–] CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I thought you were the grammar police, not the sources police.

[–] Hond@piefed.social 18 points 1 month ago

true but murican measurements are an overall bigger insult to humanity

[–] BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Not only because of the units, also prevalence

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] Bazell@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I suppose that this would be relevant in the Arctic region.

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[–] thatradomguy@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)
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[–] wolframhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's a shame that European-room-temperature IQs are so prominently visible in the states.

[–] thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I don't even know the Fahrenheit room temperature

[–] macaw_dean_settle@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This does not make sense since around 20 would be a vegetable.

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

And? How's that not a good insult?

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