I don't know if we are more than other people, but I think we definitely possess an "ability" other people don't to become somewhat more... advanced(?) than other people.

At least in my experience, [euphoric] mania tends to magnify certain traits of my personality; specifically my creativity and lust for knowledge and wisdom.

I think, if a bipolar person is intellectually inclined in general, mania or hypomania can certainly push them to acquire a, dare I say "superhuman"(?), amount of knowledge on any number of subjects.

Certainly we posses the [hypo/manic] ability to get more done in a shorter period of time.

All that said, I would say, "yes", we can be a little bit more intelligent than other people. Intelligence really comes from within and is not necessarily learned from a book, but more from personal experiences.

We have experienced more in our heads than most people will experience in a lifetime of travels. We have seen the deepest, darkest regions of the human soul and have lived to tell about it. With a simple flick of the ol' internal switch, we have experienced happiness that no "normal" person ever will. We have ridden waves of rage that would make even the most deranged right wing politician go, "WTF?" and yet, we refrain from committing heinous acts of violence which would land us in prison.

At the very least, we are more sympathetic, empathetic and open-minded than most, and all of that, is a part of intelligence.

Does this go for all bipolar people? No. Of course there are people for whom this would not fit, but that, I believe, is a result of their personality. Of course there are evil people with bipolar who do commit violent crimes. Of course there are manipulative bipolar people who use their hypo/manic/hypersexual "powers" to screw people over... but as we all know, these are not the majority. Certainly it is not the typical type of person here on PC.