WISDOM IQ – WISDOM QUOTIENT

 

            Answer all of the questions below before looking at any of the answers in the next chapter.  Take as absolutely true any assumption you are given.  Choose only one answer.  Write down your answer, with the question number, and follow the score instructions in the next chapter. 

 

1.   When considering a life choice, you should:

      (a)   Consider the immediate consequences, in terms of pleasure and pain, and always choose the alternative that gives the highest level of immediate pleasure;

      (b)   Consider the long term consequences, in terms of pleasure and pain, and always choose the alternative that gives the highest level of pleasure over the long run;

      (c)   Consider the impact of the choice on your family and friends, and choose the alternative that brings them the greatest level of pleasure;

      (d)   Consider both the short term and long-term consequences, in terms of pleasure and pain, and try to strike a balance insuring some pleasure now with good chances for pleasure in the long run;

      (e)   Consider the instructions in your chosen religion and follow them strictly.

 

2.   Assume you are considering getting one of three of tattoos.  One tattoo says: “Make Love Not War”.  Another tattoo says: “I Love [name of your current lover].”  The third tattoo says: “Legalize Marijuana Now.” All three tattoos equally and correctly reflect your true sentiments.  Which tattoo should you choose?

     (a) “Make Love Not War”;

     (b) “I Love XX”;

     (c)  “Legalize Marijuana Now”

 

3.   Which of the following is a critical life decision:

       (a) What major you declare during your first two years of college;

       (b) When to have your first child;

       (c) What make and model car you will buy when you buy your first new car;

       (d) How to invest in your investment portfolio (i.e., what stocks, bonds, cash accounts, etc.), prior to age 35;

 

4.   The best time to make your final and committed choice about your occupation is:

            (a)   In your senior year of high school;

            (b)   After two years of college, or age 21 if you do not attend college;

            (c)   At age 30;

            (d)   At age 35;

 

5.   Assume that you want to be very very wealthy (not just well to do), and that has always been your strong desire.  Which is the best route to actualizing your dreams:

            (a)   Get a High School

            (b)  Get a B.A. degree;

            (c)   Get a law degree (J.D.)

            (d)   Get a medical degree (M.D.)

            (e)   Get a Ph.D. in psychology

            (f)    Get an MBA (masters in business administration)

 

6.   Assume that you have the raw talent to perform the duties of the occupations listed below better than 90% of the general population.  Which occupation should you train for, or prepare for, during your lifetime:

            (a) professional athlete

            (b) rock star

            (c) ballet dancer

            (d) actor

            (e) sculpture

            (f) plastic surgeon

 

7.  Assume that you are working at a job where you have been employed for several years.  The job is boring, you do not seem to be advancing, and your immediate supervisor is abusive.  What should you do?

            (a) Tell your supervisor that if the abuse does not stop, you will quit;

            (b) Quietly find another job and then quit;

            (c) Quit immediately and seek another job;

            (d) Wait until you have worked for three years and then re-assess;

            (e) Tolerate the boredom and seek counseling about the job stress;

            (f)   Sabotage your supervisor with an aim to getting him fired, and denigrate him to your fellow employees and other supervisors.

 

8.   Assume that you are fully qualified deep-water welder (repairing ships and underwater pipelines), and are making a good living.  Your employer has a program for senior employees that will allow you to take fully paid classes one day every two weeks, or a day off, at your choice.  What should you do?

            (a)   Take a course in business administration;

            (b)   Take the time off;

            (c)    Take a course in advanced welding techniques;

            (d)   Take a course in art appreciation;

            (e)   Sue your employer for age discrimination.

 

9.   Assume you are in good financial shape and you are offered two different jobs, both in your line of work, and both very interesting.  One job requires that you work a late-shift, such that, you will not leave work until 2:00 a.m. several days a week.  This job pays 15% more than the second job, which has regular work hours.  What would you do?

            (a)  Attempt to bargain for higher wages in the more regular hourly employment;

            (b)   Seek legal representation on the issue of the emotionally destructive work environment;

            (c)  Take the better paying job with difficult hours and train yourself to adapt;

            (d)  Take the more regular employment and live with lower compensation.

 

10.  Which of the following is the most dangerous, from a health point of view?  Which is the second most dangerous?  Two answers are required here:

            (a) Taking 1,000 I.U. of Vitamin D3 a day for supplementation;

            (b) Riding as a passenger on a motorcycle;

            (c)  Allowing a surgeon with poor interpersonal skills and a bad “bedside manner” to perform important surgery on your heart or brain;

            (d)  Regularly smoking cannabis (marijuana) twice a week;

            (e)  Ignoring a new lesion (growth) on your  arm that is dark with varying shades of black and grey, has irregular borders, and is rough and elevated.

 

11.   Which of the following will make the largest contribution to a long and healthy life span?

            (a)   Avoiding occupations and hobbies where you’ll be exposed to chemical fumes;

            (b)   Avoiding the regular use of laxatives and non-prescription drugs;

            (c)   Having regular physical exams and health maintenance screenings after age 40;

            (d)  Avoiding ever smoking cannabis (marijuana);

            (e)   Taking a general vitamin every day.

 

12.   Which approach to eating, below, is the best:

            (a)  Only eat when you are very hungry. 

            (b)  Adopt a vegan diet.

            (c)   Eat four to five small meals a day rather than two or three larger meals.

            (d)   Don’t drink green tea or coffee.

            (e)   Don’t drink regular tap water.

 

13.   Which of the following is the best candidate for marriage:

            (a) alcoholic;

            (b) drug abuser:

            (c) policeman;

            (d) medical interns;

            (e) recently divorced (1 month);

            (f) mentally ill/disturbed (definition is a person who has been hospitalized more than one time);

            (g) homosexuals (unless you are homosexual);

            (h) unemployed adults;

            (i) employers or your teacher or professor or any other inherently unequal relation;

            (j) people more than 10 years from your age;

            (k) people who need to travel a lot for work purposes;

            (l) people who would stop loving you if you were poorer or less physically  attractive.

            (m) a staunch republican.

 

14.  When is the best time to gauge the sexual chemistry in a serious relationship?

            (a)   Immediately after the first sexual encounter;

            (b)   Immediately after the tenth sexual encounter;

            (c)   Immediately after the seven month mark;

            (d)   Immediately after the one year mark.

 

15.   Which of the following reflects the wisest attitude about sex?

            (a)  Sex is a pleasurable act which should be indulged in for pleasure and to communicate a great liking for another;

            (b)   Sex, out of wedlock, is a mortal sin that will result in damnation;

            (c)   Sex is a gift which should be used to reward emotional commitment;

            (d)   Sex is a biological drive, like hunger, which should be indulged when the need arises.

 

16.  Which of the following life directives is the most important:

            (a) Don’t engage in wife swapping or open relationships;

            (b) If you have an affair (a sexual encounter while outside your primary relationship) don’t tell your partner; 

            (c) Don’t have sex without birth control (unless you want children now);

            (d) Don’t have sex when very drunk, tired, sick, or depressed. 

            (e) Don’t have sex just to prove you are liberal or to win the acceptance or love.

            (f)  Don’t have sex with your boss, your teachers, or any fellow employee who you’ll have to see regularly

 

17.   Which of the following is true:

            (a)   Borrowing money from relatives is the safest and wisest way to fund a  new business;

            (b)   Entering into partnerships with relatives is the safest and wisest way to start a new business;

            (c)   Loans relating to a new business should always be clear and written;

            (d)   Partnership agreements should be oral because they must be based on trust.  

 

18.   Which of the following is not an important skill that should be learned even if not required in school?

            (a)   As early as possible in your education, learn how to touch type on a computer keyboard. 

            (b)   As early as possible in your education, learn all of the basic functions and tools in a word processing program. 

            (c)   As early as possible, learn basic carpentry skills;

            (d)   Learn how to take a photograph with your phone if it has that function.

            (e)   By 16 years old, a child should have learned how to use the internet to send and receive emails, including how to send documents as attachments, how to scan documents, and how to download and store documents.

            (f)   Learn how to do some basic cooking.  You should know enough about  cooking to prepare several breakfast dishes (including eggs), several lunch dishes, and at least three different dinner dishes. 

            (g)   Take a course in public speaking. 

 

19.   Assume you are 53 years old and hold investments as follows:  60% of your cash is invested in a new pharmaceutical company that is applying for FDA approval of a promising new anti-cancer drug and you are already in the black based on the current stock price;  20% of your cash is invested in rental property that runs a positive cash flow; 10% of your cash is invested evenly in several blue chip companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange; and 10% of your money is in cash and cash equivalents (like treasury certificates).  What should you do now?

            (a) Increase your investment in the pharmaceutical company, using your cash, and then sell the pharmaceutical stock after FDA approval;

            (b) Decrease the pharmaceutical investment and use the proceeds to increase your allotment to Blue Chips and cash equivalents;

            (c)  Decrease the Blue Chip investments and invest more in rental property;

            (d)  Liquidate the real estate investment and buy the pharmaceutical stock;

            (e)  Keep these investment as-is, without any changes

 

20.   Which of the following is the correct course of action?

            (a)   Do not have children until you are married and have been living with your spouse for at least two years.

            (b)   Have 3 or more children  and/or continue to have children until you have one male and female child.  

            (c)   Do not make the decision to have children dependent upon whether you  have a steady residence or a steady job.

            (d)   Do not wait to have children until both you and your spouse are clearly ready.  (Don’t let your concerns and ambivalence delay your having a child  early in adulthood.)

 

21.   Which of the following is bad advice?

            (a)   Expect that you and your spouse will differ at times about child rearing decisions.  Attempt to resolve these inevitable disputes by slow, calm, non- criticizing conversation.  Do not quote relatives to support your beliefs. 

            (b)  Child rearing (feedings, changing, etc., etc.) should be divided between two working spouses in proportion to the spouses’ incomes.

            (c)   Treat all advice from relatives (especially grandmothers) and friends as mere recommendations.  Do not let anyone give you orders about how to raise your children

            (d)   Don’t live through your children.  Don’t demand that they be something you wanted to be or accomplish something that you failed to accomplish.   Encourage them to develop their own goals.

            (e)   Don’t give your children severe punishments in the heat of anger.   Likewise don’t threaten punishments you won’t or can’t carry out.  Rather,  have a calm, fair, reliable set of punishments that you’ve set in your mind in advance. 

            (f)   None of the above.  They are all good advice and life directives.

 

22.   Regarding divorce, which life directive, below, reflects the wisest course of action?

            (a)   Don’t use demands for money, support, child custody, etc. as a means of  punishing your spouse, venting anger, expiating guilt or stopping the divorce. 

            (b)   If you have children, then you must meet and decide how you are going  to announce the divorce and you must announce the divorce together, that is, both parents present and all children present.  Neither parent should blame the other parent or encourage the child to take sides in the divorce. 

            (c)   A parent should never leave suddenly without talking to his children.

            (d)   Once separation has occurred, each partner should carry out their obligations, i.e., facilitating visitation (flexibly), paying child support, etc.,  exactly on time, without games or power struggles.

            (e)   When children are involved, neither parent should ever make a promise  that is not kept. 

            (f)   Tell all your children, in no uncertain terms, that the divorce is not their fault.  In your silence, they will often assume they are in some manner responsible.

            (g)   All of the above reflect good advice.

 

23.  Which of the following is true regarding education?

            (a)   Go to school (college) to discover yourself or to find an occupation;  rather than going with a specific career objective in mind.

            (b)   At college or university major in the one of the following subjects:  history, English, art, sociology, music, political science, or ethnic studies, to  get a good general education.

            (c)    At college pursue two different areas of study and study them intensely (e.g., computer science and journalism),  making sure one of your majors is quite practical in terms of job possibilities.

            (d)  Struggle to go to a private college with a good reputation, even if it  requires that you borrow the necessary funds.

            (e)  Try to distribute your hard and difficult course work in college, such that, your most difficult course work is in your final year.

 

24.   Regarding your legal affairs, which of the following is good advice?

            (a)    Avoid hiring lawyers to do minor legal tasks like evictions, small suits,  and divorces.  Try to read up and do these yourself (unless very large sums of money are involved).

            (b)   Don’t break the law unless you are certain that your violation will go undetected and unpunished.

            (c)   If you are charged with a crime, and are innocent, waive your Miranda right to remain silent, and answer all questions posed by law enforcement  officers;

            (d)   When hiring a lawyer search for someone who is older and already famous

            (e)   Do not resolve (settle) civil actions (suits) out of Court for less money  than you want or deserve.

 

25.  Which of the following is false, or bad advice?

            (a)   If you are a victim of a crime; report the crime and cooperate with the investigation and prosecution.  Women, this especially goes for rape and other sex crimes.

            (b)   When hiring a lawyer to do a complex task, make sure you hire someone who is a partner at a prestigious law firm with a national reputation.

            (b)   Don’t support propositions to change the law unless you have carefully  analyzed the pros and cons, being especially careful about supporting new  laws when they are introduced in response to some single case or episode or  some current emotional issue.

            (c) Don’t take the law into your own hands and try to personally produce justice.  Solve your problems with people by using the legal process rather than through your own action.

            (d)   Calmly threatening to file a lawsuit, or better, having an attorney send a letter to this effect, often produces wonders for very little money

            (e)   One of the most frequent mistakes people make in their legal affairs is  failing to create written agreements when dealing in business and personal financial transactions.