More specifically, someone who ignores the person that stabbed them and is rampaging through their territory, allowing that person a sure victory, at the expense of another who was merely a party to the plot. All I know is that if somebody played like that in a live game, they'd be on the wrong end of a punch in the mouth. Disgraceful...

That question is very subjective.

Oh, and how clever, lumley. Must tiring lugging that giant brain around.

Sketchbag, bitchy behaviour is all part of the game, a clever plot to rattle one's oppponents. Clearly you know all about that.

Sketchbag, assaulting someone for a move in a game WILL get you sent to jail. There you will learn just what it means to be someone's bitch.

As annoying as it seems, there are no rules against it. It's like a player going CD in a game. It's irksome, but you just have to get used to it.

As for punching people in the mouth over a boardgame, you *really* should get that temper looked at...

;-)

Sketchbag - I have no idea why this player wouldn't have wanted to work with you, but that seems the right way to go about it. Call him names and threaten to hit him - and I guess if the other players go along with it, do the same to them?

Punchin in da mouf is not a valid tactic

@ Sketch, actually, you'd be surprised at how little brain mass matters vis a vis intelligence. Although I am quite more intelligent than average, which, I'm sure, was what you meant to imply, my brain is no more massive than the rest of you. (At least not more massive for my given height, age, gender, etc.) What DOES matter are the folds in the brain, (Or sulcuses and gyruses if you prefer the medical term) since the folds in the brain allow an increase in surface area without an appreciable increase in volume. This, in turn, allows more neurons, which in turn allows more electrical signals to be sent, which transmits into intelligence. So while my brain is not heavier than average, it is, by virtue of the fact that I am so intelligent, drastically more folded than average.

Some people can't take a stab. You have to learn who they are and learn how to deal with them in the future.

They tend to be stooges, so use that!

@ Rlumley - how can I fold my brain? I tried, but it hurt :)

rlumley, increased surface area doesn't really increase the number of neurons, but increases transport efficiency in general. Also, the folds aren't the only major factor for intelligence, especially differences in intelligence amongst human individuals. =)

I can fold my arms...

Chrisp, I'm pretty sure it does, as I've read that in a number of places. :-)

I'm pretty sure "intelligence" is always subjective and relative to personal circumstances.

A theoretical physicist would easily die in the wilderness while a hillbilly with no schooling would be just fine.

The g-factor is a real thing, though. I mean, given the same training, that physicist would vastly outdo the hillbilly. And that's what intelligence IS.

I don't know about that. The physicist would be just as useless as a trial lawyer or heart surgeon.

Intelligence has to be relative since people who are exceptionally talented at one thing are lousy at another.

and this thread was about annoying people on diplomacy.

Anyone want to join a live game?

>The g-factor is a real thing, though.

That's the question; is it a real thing, or a statistical artefact? Ten years ago (I have not kept up), that was an open question.

rlumley, I know, I've read it in many areas as well. Volume is also an important factor, but more with regards to brain to body size ratio. Surface area to volume ratio is also an important factor, but so are things like plasticity, embryonic development, nutrition, crosswiring, and a myriad of lesser mutations that are known to confer a few IQ points in various different ways. The folds are more often cited as an important difference of intelligence between species as brain-body size ratio alone cannot account for the difference, as dolphins have a very comparable brain-body size ratio to humans, but they don't have as much folds as we do. Folding doesn't much account for differences in intelligence in humans (relatively), and certainly not significantly with regards to sheer number of neurons, which is more related to volume. There isn't much room for differences in surface area to volume ratio between individual humans as this is very much left up to genes that are found universally in wild type humans. If you have evidence to the contrary, I'd be happy to revise my understanding, but I'm a neuroscience major currently working at a neuroscience research lab. =P

Wow, that was probably the most poorly structured paragraph I've written in a long time. >.>

Invictus, I think you're confusing skills and experience with intelligence. Intelligence is usually seen as more of a potential quantity. An intelligent person should be able to excel at most areas given the appropriate training or upbringing. Obviously, physical strength comes into play in certain situations, and things like creativity and co-ordination, while seemingly related to intelligence, are not necessarily part of a combo deal. That said, charisma doesn't come from your liver, shrewdness from your gallbladder, and creativity from your heart... it's all in the brain. I suppose it does depend on your definition of intelligence, which I would say is much broader than simple IQ and academics.

I'm beginning to see the links - Chrisp is a neuroscience major... chrisp gets us playing diplomacy...

Don't mind me, it's been a long day at work :)

Chrisp, that was truly a poor paragraph. I think you need more folds.

If body size matters will dieting make you smarter?

Why are these wires sticking out of my head?

Good lord. Can't anybody accept venting for what it is and just leave it alone? 27 replies, are you f---ing serious!? I recommend some more hobbies. Learn guitar, read some Dickens, gamble excessively, whatever. (and for those of you who are concerned, nobody's getting punched in the mouth)

Venting, whining, same thing.

You forgot bitching Dingle... I still love the fact that he would physically assault somewhat for being a "little bitch" and yet here he is being a "little bitch" himself.