In response to some semi-reputable sources gathered in a list right here, Rick G. Rosner could have amongst America’s, North America’s, and the world’s highest measured IQs at or above 190 (S.D. 15)/196 (S.D. 16) based mostly on a number of excessive vary check performances created by Christopher Harding, Jason Betts, Paul Cooijmans, and Ronald Hoeflin. He earned 12 years of school credit score in lower than a 12 months and graduated with the equal of 8 majors. He has acquired 8 Writers Guild Awards and Emmy nominations, and was titled 2013 North American Genius of the Yr by The World Genius Listing with the principle “Genius” itemizing right here. He has written for Distant Management, Crank Yankers, The Man Present, The Emmys, The Grammys, and Jimmy Kimmel Stay!. He labored as a bouncer, a nude artwork mannequin, a roller-skating waiter, and a stripper. In a tv business, Domino’s Pizza named him the “World’s Smartest Man.” The business was taken off the air after Subway sandwiches issued a cease-and-desist. He was named “Greatest Bouncer” within the Denver Space, Colorado, by Westwood Journal. Rosner spent a lot of the late Disco Period as an undercover highschool scholar. As well as, he spent 25 years as a bar bouncer and American faux ID-catcher, and 25+ years as a stripper, and practically 30 years as a author for greater than 2,500 hours of community tv. Errol Morris featured Rosner within the interview sequence entitled First Particular person, the place a few of this historical past was lined by Morris. He got here in second, or misplaced, on Jeopardy!, sued Who Desires to Be a Millionaire? over a flawed query and misplaced the lawsuit. He gained one sport and misplaced one sport on Are You Smarter Than a Drunk Particular person? (He was drunk). Lastly, he spent 37+ years engaged on a time-invariant variation of the Huge Bang Principle. Presently, Rosner sits tweeting in a bathrobe (winter) or a towel (summer season). He lives in Los Angeles, California together with his spouse, canine, and goldfish. He and his spouse have a daughter. You may ship him cash or questions at [email protected], or a direct message through Twitter, or discover him on LinkedIn, or see him on YouTube.
Rick Rosner: So when did you begin doing and posting journalism?
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: I put In-Sight: Unbiased Interview-Based mostly Journal collectively on August 2nd, 2012, after which the publishing home informally, which it nonetheless is to the current, in 2014.
Rosner: So, virtually 12 years. Roughly.
Jacobsen: When doing interviews, I bear in mind I used to be within the psychology division at Kwantlen, the place the publication wanted contributors. And I managed to speak my method into writing for them. They wanted volunteers to fill the area. So, I interviewed among the lab individuals and the instructors. And people grew to become interviews. Then, I did a peer-reviewed interview with an economist. To at the present time, that will most likely be my solely peer-reviewed article. All of the In-Sight stuff and different issues are non-peer-reviewed naturally. So, in an educational sense of peer evaluation, the whole lot else goes by way of an editorial course of. Generally, the editorial course of must be; typically, it’s not.
Rosner: All proper. So we must always discuss your output. You’ve executed, with me alone, most likely what? Near 1,400 small, transient interviews, starting from a couple of hundred phrases to some thousand, proper? And so, what number of interviews or articles total? 3,500, 4,000?
Jacobsen: That will be multiple estimate. I have no idea for certain. Despite the fact that I used to be working on the farm, I created the Jacobsen Financial institution. It took a couple of 12 months and a half to get collectively, however I cataloged each article or interview ever executed on my own or in collaboration with one other particular person, together with retailers. So that features republications; I didn’t separate them between articles or interviews. I do know the overall quantity. I don’t see a separation between republication, authentic article, or authentic interview. So the numbers are blended there.
Rosner: It matches or exceeds the output of extremely hardworking newspaper reporters throughout the golden age of journalism, which is likely to be within the first half of the twentieth century. And in case your items common 2,000 phrases a chunk, that’s pushing eight million phrases, which suggests a thick ebook is 100 thousand phrases, and a daily ebook is 80,000 phrases. In order that’s the equal, the wordage of 100 medium-sized books in 12 years, which is eight books a 12 months, 12 months in and 12 months out. That’s a ton of content material in the event you sustain. For those who stick with it over your lifespan, your sheer wordage will put you among the many most prolific writers ever.
Asimov wrote 500 books. He had publishers who simply revealed no matter he wrote. The publishing trade has modified since then, however he’d write as quick as he may kind, 90 phrases a minute, and by no means revise. Someone should have reviewed his stuff for typos, however then they spit out one other ebook. They usually made cash as a result of he was a reputation, so 500 books. And also you’re on the equal of 80 books, simply 12 years into your profession or 100 books. Only a few individuals handle greater than 100 books in a profession. That’s simply wildly distinctive. When it comes to wordage, you might be there earlier than the age of 35.
Jacobsen: And that’s a humbling factor to mirror on.
Rosner: So, who do you continue to wish to interview? I imply, all people, however do you may have some particular individuals in thoughts?
Jacobsen: I really like interviewing individuals. I like dialog. I really like the artwork of dialog. At this level, it’s a really pure factor. I attempt to set a tone for individuals to simply, whether or not it’s battle or farts with you; it’s a relaxed area, an open area. Crucial questions might be requested, however there might be a baseline of authenticity and respect.
Rosner: You’ve not interviewed many Hollywood individuals, actors, and administrators. It will be enjoyable. Have you ever tried to contact individuals?
Jacobsen: I ought to. I’ve but to ship emails to them, so far as I can recall.
Rosner: I believe that administrators are a bit of thirstier than actors. Properly, it is determined by the actor’s stage. In fact, you’d wish to interview Clooney. However there are a ton of administrators who…
Jacobsen: My favorite Clooney quote: “I’m not modest, however I’m enjoyable.”
Rosner: That is sensible. And he’s enjoyable, and from each indication, he’s a fantastic man. When he hit it huge, he gave every of his closest buddies one million {dollars} as a result of he thought he shouldn’t be the one one to take pleasure in his luck. So yeah, it’s best to interview celebs. There’s a purpose they’re celebs. They’re typically articulate and well-informed; if not, they’re enjoyable. Despite the fact that they will not be fashions. Clooney has restricted modesty as a result of he’s been profitable and has good purpose. For many individuals who achieve showbiz, it’s not random. It’s not by chance.
Jacobsen: I discover him not smug. I see him confident. That’s completely different. He has earned a spot. He is aware of and has been profitable in most departments of life.
Rosner: Is there a demo or a bunch of individuals you discover onerous to get to say sure to an interview?
Jacobsen: Increased-ranking politicians are typically standoffish. I’ve gotten two prime ministers from Canada, individuals who have been prime ministers for Canada, the Proper Honourable Kim Campbell and the Proper Honourable Paul Martin. These are thrilling interviews. Kim Campbell’s was executed in two classes; Paul’s was executed in a single. They have been informative about doing one thing that may outlast you even after your time. That caught with me.
Rosner: So within the first half of this, you talked about that you simply’ve discovered from interviewing those who they imagine within the ethics that they profess to imagine even when they don’t all the time dwell as much as their moral requirements, which tells me that you simply ask most individuals about ethics. What else have you ever discovered about interviewing individuals by interviewing tons of and tons of of individuals?
Jacobsen: I’ve interviewed extra high-IQ communities, doubtless, than anybody. Different ones have been interviewed. They’re these individuals for a purpose, not just because they’re born with a capability to be extra clever, as established in any Psychology 101 textbook. It’s extra that they’re in that place of becoming a member of society. They and I typically talked about this to Carole once I was there: a lopsided intelligence or it’s lopsided by way of their social expertise and IQ. In order that’s an enormous lesson for individuals not in search of that spotlight. Usually, they’ve extra balanced intelligence, or they’ll have well-balanced intelligence with their sociability. They’ll be socialized higher. Just like the case you talked about about Keith Raniere, one thing is incorrect there. Chris Langan is abused. Your self, you had a chaotic upbringing. So some issues present there. Marilyn is hyper-normal.
Rosner: I’ll interrupt to say I used to be a fan of the chaos as a result of it was restricted. So, I had two households as a result of my dad and mom divorced, and every began a brand new household. And the extra chaotic household, I solely spent a month, a 12 months with them. I beloved it there. They appeared very calm and wild and hip to me. And from what I’ve been advised later, any greater than a month of it could have been an excessive amount of. The family members who have been dwelling it 12 months a 12 months suffered from the chaos. It wasn’t as enjoyable as I assumed it was. So I acquired it in simply the correct quantity, like a vaccination.
Jacobsen: In relation to politicians, you get a variety of individuals. You could have individuals who go on to have a scandalous historical past. Additionally, on the identical time, you may have people who find themselves high-functioning individuals usually. And they’re there for a purpose. They’re searching for a little bit of prominence to allow them to communicate. Additionally, they ended up there, like Plinko, naturally into that stream of life anyway. In relation to artists, you get these with a lot sensitivity, and the phrases themselves are compassionate. However you’ll be able to see a disjunct between the sensitivity and the characterised a part of life with this music or their portray. After which how this suits, how they’re coming off to different individuals, is commonly an enormous disjunct there; those that change into well-known will doubtless have higher social expertise. Individuals who have been within the trend trade once I was in sustainable trend for a 12 months or so. Most of these have been medium to small companies, and most have been medium and small companies.
Rosner: What do you imply you have been within the trend trade for a 12 months?
Jacobsen: I used to be an moral and sustainable journalist for possibly a 12 months or two.
Rosner: In your interviews, you are inclined to keep away from the non-public, the human curiosity stuff you may see in Folks journal. Is that intentional, or do you wish to get to the meat of what individuals suppose and never, like what their superb Sunday is likely to be?
Jacobsen: While you get individuals working in risky activism, it’s tough as a result of their time is barely extra constrained. So it’s a must to make a pitch: half-hour on this subject, ten questions centered on this. It units a certain in time and theme to allow them to know what to anticipate and what time dedication is, which robotically constrains issues extremely. When individuals don’t have as a lot on their plate or as many calls for on them, you’ll be able to have a extra exploratory vary of the interview. For you and me, it was only a happenstance of life whenever you have been at a degree the place you have been transitioning out of labor, and I used to be beginning. That grew to become what it’s now: an enormous repository of labor discussing the whole lot.
Rosner: And that’s the place I actually recognize what you’ve executed with me; it’s extremely appreciated. Thanks for that. And it’s monumental. I don’t know that the content material that comes out of me is gigantic, however the work you’ve executed with me is Titanic in a great way, not the oceanic catastrophe method. Do you aspire to change into a family title so to get a sure from any attainable interview topic by saying, “Hello, I’m Scott Jacobsen”?
Jacobsen: That will be good. Entry is tough whenever you begin. However I don’t wish to be based mostly on being a family title essentially. I wish to be based mostly on the standard of the work. So, the very best promoting is the standard of the work, simply the productiveness typically.
Jacobsen: That’s an extended dedication with none certainty of success.
Rosner: So, within the journalistic panorama, your output matches someone from the golden age of journalism. And now journalism is hurting. The cash has been sucked out of it. Magazines have gone away, and they’re now in bother. How do you cope with journalism’s extra, much less rewarding monetary panorama?
Jacobsen: I’m fortunate. Doing interviews, transcribing, and writing is pleasant. The least nice half is listening to my voice in recordings. That’s sheer torture.
Rosner: Your voice is okay. That’s widespread, “I don’t like my voice. When I’ve to name my financial institution, they play my voice. They are saying, “What would you like?” After which I say, “Wire switch.” After which they play it again, “You’ve requested for a wire switch.”
Jacobsen: I hate simply listening to myself say even two phrases. I recall this from a number of interviews with actors and actresses. They’ve this complete factor the place they really feel uncomfortable watching themselves on the large display screen after manufacturing is completed, to the purpose the place a few of them by no means even watch a single film they’ve ever been in. It’s a factor for some. I can sympathize with that in a special commerce.
Rosner: So what do you suppose? Do you imagine that you may be a lifelong journalist?
Jacobsen: The journalistic panorama is altering drastically. So I don’t know for certain. Writing will proceed to be current. As a result of these AIs want inputs, they are often up to date on meanings and languages. Nevertheless it’s one thing that will be pleasing for me.
Rosner: What about academia? You could have a lot contact with academia.
Jacobsen: Sure, I have to get these levels, which might be a part of a longer-term plan. They’re not off the desk. It’s all the time nice alternatives that maintain arising which have a one-time likelihood the place academia I can all the time come again, so the calculus is complicated, but it surely appears extra easy.
Rosner: For those who went to Iceland for a grasp’s, may you even should go there, or may you do it remotely? You’d wish to go as a result of Iceland appears unimaginable. However may you do it in a single educational 12 months?
Jacobsen: They’ve grasp’s levels that is likely to be one and a half years. You could possibly trim it down, however I don’t know in the event you may do it. There are one-year grasp’s levels round. They might have completely different contexts for dwelling and getting a level. So that will additionally rely too. I’m not 100% ten fingers and toes dedicated to simply Iceland, but it surely is among the locations the place I’d additionally like to check the tradition. I wish to know what they did proper extra completely than simply statistics about gender equality. They made some proper strikes, whereas so many different locations made the incorrect strikes and proceed to make incorrect and even worse strikes. The well being and well-being of society are intimately linked to the diploma to which girls have been empowered.
Rosner: Do you see your self sooner or later in a bit of Icelandic home enrolled in grad college? And it’s like — I don’t know — March, and the wind is whipping, however you’re cozy inside. You’ve acquired an Icelandic girlfriend wrapped in a blanket and strolling round in her underwear.
Jacobsen: I’ve no objection to that picture.
Rosner: I are inclined to image individuals of their underwear. I spend a lot time in a bathrobe or a towel. If the underwear is on, then I’m most likely getting dressed all the remainder of the best way. However I consider different individuals simply of their underwear loads of the time at house. What else ought to we discuss? Relating to you, that is your interview, and I’ve mentioned method an excessive amount of for being the interviewer.
Jacobsen: That is your alternative to ask me something you wish to ask me.
Rosner: You talked about that I had a chaotic upbringing. How chaotic would you say your upbringing was?
Jacobsen: My dad’s an alcoholic. He’s been out of my life for possibly 9 years. I don’t know for certain if it’s off the highest. That was not a enjoyable upbringing. I used to be getting kicked out of the home for months as soon as. I acquired kicked out of the home at age 14. It’s not enjoyable. The opposite dad and mom learn about this alcoholic misuse, and you then lose your folks as a result of their dad and mom don’t need them round that, understandably. It’s your individual household. However then, Dad cheated on my mother with a Hell’s Angels spouse. That’s not a gang you wish to piss off. So there’s an entire interval in our household historical past when my mother feared my sister going out with my dad. I don’t bear in mind this. She’s older. If she went out with my dad, the worry was that they might attempt to kill her, and they’d suppose that she was the girlfriend of my dad or one thing like that.
Rosner: I may see that as a priority. That’s a bit of brutal. So Canadian Hells Angels are simply as scary as American Hells Angels?
Jacobsen: Apparently. I don’t work together a lot with them, and I haven’t. Possibly they have been round once I labored on the pub; I bear in mind once I was… What do you name it? The… You’re greeting individuals in entrance of the home. The doorman. Not the greeter.
Rosner: The host.
Jacobsen: Yeah, the host, I used to be taking names and giving instances after which asking them when they need to come again, desk or celebration of what number of, and final title. This man got here up, and the woman he was with began spelling out the title, and he mentioned, “Simply ‘J’ is okay.” I checked out him and realized this was most likely one of many Hell’s Angels that got here to this pub ceaselessly as a result of he’s a bit of tatted up and doesn’t wish to have his title marked down as a result of he doesn’t need individuals to know the place he’s.
Rosner: Oh, proper.
Jacobsen: That’s small stuff like, what would occur comparatively ceaselessly. I had a boss who mentioned, “I don’t know what’s incorrect with us, the white race.” In order that’s a part of the small rural city. So it was a part of it. And so, there was a lot chaos rising up. It was an evangelical group, a small village, alcoholism, and pa’s in development.
Rosner: The city was evangelical?
Jacobsen: Sure, earlier than, it was farmers, hippies, and artwork sorts. Artists straight up. Slowly, it grew to become increasingly evangelical. On the College, that was 5 minutes of the street to the College. It grew to become increasingly outstanding. So, by this level, it’s primarily run by the evangelicals.
Rosner, how have been you at school? Did you may have any extracurriculars? Had been you quiet and diligent? Or quietly sarcastic?
Jacobsen: After I began, I used to be common academically. I didn’t give a shit. I spent a lot time within the library. I simply checked out. I left for a very long time, so I didn’t care.
Rosner: So whenever you say you have been checked out, you don’t really feel pushed to take part within the college life, which might be the bulk place these days.
Jacobsen: Sure, I skipped rather a lot. I pursued different issues independently. I did a lot studying, writing, journaling, and impartial mental growth exterior the category. I wrote two performs in highschool.
Rosner: Good. What have been they about?
Jacobsen: One in every of them, I overlook. The one was about some stoners in a comfort retailer. It was known as Wile Away Hogwash. Someplace, I’ve a script printed out. I used to be directing and doing lighting on the identical time or one thing. It was an appearing and directing class. Through the efficiency, I always ran between the again and the entrance. I began an improv membership in highschool. That was enjoyable.
Rosner: Good, what’s the title of it?
Jacobsen: We didn’t have an precise title.
Rosner: That’s most likely good. Most improv membership names are annoying. I acquired on-line in 1995. In 1995, you have been 5 years outdated. So that you’ve been on-line for so long as you’ll be able to bear in mind. So, you’ve been on-line because you have been a bit of child. After which, whenever you’re in your early teenagers, the iPhone hits. How has the expertise you’ve grown up with formed you?
Jacobsen: I’d say intimately; I performed many video video games and watched many motion pictures. I used to play Warhammer. I used to play Pogs. Digital leisure was an enormous a part of my youth. It was additionally an escape. A refuge from no matter life was at that time.
Rosner: All proper, are you too younger to have regrets?
Jacobsen: I don’t know.
Rosner: I’m virtually twice your age and have many regrets for alternatives I uncared for or stuff I ought to have executed however didn’t do out of worry or as a result of it could have been loads of work and rejection. I don’t learn about educational alternatives that I didn’t pursue. However you’ve nonetheless acquired a lot time. Plus, if we don’t have a nuclear Holocaust or another catastrophe and expertise proceeds apace, you might need a working life that goes all the best way to the twenty second century. So, you don’t have to have regrets since you nonetheless have time. And if we will transfer on from there, you don’t have to have regrets, or possibly ever. Moreover your insane productiveness, is there the rest you’re happy with? Your skill to speak to anyone, go wherever on this planet and get by?
Jacobsen: Certain. Speaking to anybody, in the event you deal with individuals like individuals, they’ll usually return the favour.
Rosner: What are you happy with?
Jacobsen: Nonetheless surviving and round, that’s a big achievement. The writing, the consistency, the flexibility to stay to it and be diligent. And that’s, as I’ve discovered, unusual. I’m happy with the friendships that I’ve. I’m happy with having the ability to preserve these relationships. And I’m happy with the issues that I’ve been capable of work and attain many instances alone or to have the ability to coordinate with others to realize.
Rosner: That’s a lot stuff.
Jacobsen: I imply, this cooperation simply got here out of skinny air. We made rather a lot out of nothing. We’re the Seinfeld present.
Rosner: I’m glad that you simply’re happy with that. I’m happy with it, too. For 27 months, you had a superb job working at Canada’s premier equestrian middle, proper?
Jacobsen: One in every of them, one of many ones {that a} former Olympian ran.
Rosner: It was a superb job, however we might speak rather a lot throughout that interval. And it was extremely demanding, the place you have been doing onerous labour, 12 hours a day, six and a half, seven days every week as a result of horses are onerous. They make loads of dookie and pee, and it’s a must to haul that stuff round, push horses round, and do different work. Are you trying ahead to finally having a superb, regular job or a minimum of a superb, regular freelance set of gigs that provides you a steady revenue and allows you to have a house base a minimum of?
Jacobsen: Sure.
Rosner: In earlier generations, individuals performed at being grownups, most likely earlier in life than the final couple of generations. And that concerned coupling up and getting a gradual job and shopping for a starter house. Because of financial and cultural modifications, that mannequin is past tattered. However are you trying ahead to any facets of that mannequin?
Jacobsen: I like the soundness facet. Despite the fact that I haven’t had that characterised in most of my life, I like having some steady base. I would like that. It helps floor me. I’m an old style particular person. Friendships and relationships are an important factor. I miss all my outdated buddies from highschool — my outdated buddies, like near-retired or retired individuals. I had one native store. It was known as Veggie Bob’s. It was round for most likely over 50 years. Not many buddies left. After I was 14 and acquired kicked out, I grew to become buddies with principally older adults on the town and even those who raised me rather a lot. I miss them, miss them rather a lot.
Rosner: What else would you wish to inform individuals about your self or the world?
Jacobsen: You don’t matter in a cosmic sense, however… You matter, and also you don’t matter. You don’t matter cosmically. You’renot fully unimportant, so be sure you make your mark.
Rosner: That appears like one other method of claiming that, which is likely to be to have a way of scale and your place on this planet.
Jacobsen: That sort of perspective will instill over time. It’s a extra strong method of claiming to be humble. Or you may be like Clooney and say, “I’m not modest, however I’m enjoyable.” I’m not modest, however I’m enjoyable. I’m.
Rosner: OK, nicely, there you go.
Jacobsen: Try, however be not modest or enjoyable.
Rosner: Is {that a} good place to wrap this up?
Jacobsen: Yeah, certain. Let’s name {that a} factor.
Rosner: OK.
Photograph credit score: Lance Richlin.
