Define intelligence
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username3934898
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#1
What does it mean for someone to be intelligent (in your opinion)?
Is it someone who has a good work ethic or is 'school smart'? Is it someone who is 'street smart'? Or is it about personality traits - i.e someone who is logical, observant and mature?
Is it someone who has a good work ethic or is 'school smart'? Is it someone who is 'street smart'? Or is it about personality traits - i.e someone who is logical, observant and mature?
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username3697430
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#2
Probably all of what you've said above.
Intelligence is a hard term to precisely define as many things can be associated to it.
Intelligence is a hard term to precisely define as many things can be associated to it.
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SyedHB
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username3934898
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#4
(Original post by Lord Nutter)
Probably all of what you've said above.
Intelligence is a hard term to precisely define as many things can be associated to it.
Probably all of what you've said above.
Intelligence is a hard term to precisely define as many things can be associated to it.
(Original post by SyedHB)
intelligence is survival.
intelligence is survival.
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winterscoming
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#5
Firstly, I'd think that 'intelligence' is a broad term which comes in many forms, such as emotional, logical, creative, spatial, etc.
I'd say regardless of the 'type' of intelligence, it's about the way we use information - particularly how we pick it up, how we interpret it, how we act upon it, and how we communicate with other people. Someone with whose intelligence is low in a particular area tends to function differently compared with someone whose intelligence is high in that same area.
High-intelligence tends to be associated with deeper analysis - unlikely to take information at face value nor jump to un-sound conclusions, tend to be careful, measured and considered in the way they act, and tend to take great care in the way they communicate.
Someone with low intelligence on the other hand is very likely to do the opposite - unable to see any deeper than information immediately available to them, jumping directly to conclusions or maybe even ignoring the information altogether, careless and sloppy in the way they act, and likely to be poor at that kind of communication.
Something which I find interesting is that society often places more importance on some types of intelligence rather than others - often thinking about it in terms of 'IQ' which only considers some forms of intelligence rather than others. Sometimes it's interesting to ask questions like "Who is more intelligent - Shakespeare or Einstein?" -- that's a terrible question because it's meaningless - they have different types of intelligence, but it's likely that more people would consider Einstein as being more intelligent than Shakespeare because Einstein had a high 'IQ'.
I'd say regardless of the 'type' of intelligence, it's about the way we use information - particularly how we pick it up, how we interpret it, how we act upon it, and how we communicate with other people. Someone with whose intelligence is low in a particular area tends to function differently compared with someone whose intelligence is high in that same area.
High-intelligence tends to be associated with deeper analysis - unlikely to take information at face value nor jump to un-sound conclusions, tend to be careful, measured and considered in the way they act, and tend to take great care in the way they communicate.
Someone with low intelligence on the other hand is very likely to do the opposite - unable to see any deeper than information immediately available to them, jumping directly to conclusions or maybe even ignoring the information altogether, careless and sloppy in the way they act, and likely to be poor at that kind of communication.
Something which I find interesting is that society often places more importance on some types of intelligence rather than others - often thinking about it in terms of 'IQ' which only considers some forms of intelligence rather than others. Sometimes it's interesting to ask questions like "Who is more intelligent - Shakespeare or Einstein?" -- that's a terrible question because it's meaningless - they have different types of intelligence, but it's likely that more people would consider Einstein as being more intelligent than Shakespeare because Einstein had a high 'IQ'.
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Gent2324
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#6
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#6
someones ability to think logically about a situation and make good decisions without needing to be told to
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randonposter7484
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#7
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#7
(Original post by winterscoming)
Firstly, I'd think that 'intelligence' is a broad term which comes in many forms, such as emotional, logical, creative, spatial, etc.
I'd say regardless of the 'type' of intelligence, it's about the way we use information - particularly how we pick it up, how we interpret it, how we act upon it, and how we communicate with other people. Someone with whose intelligence is low in a particular area tends to function differently compared with someone whose intelligence is high in that same area.
High-intelligence tends to be associated with deeper analysis - unlikely to take information at face value nor jump to un-sound conclusions, tend to be careful, measured and considered in the way they act, and tend to take great care in the way they communicate.
Someone with low intelligence on the other hand is very likely to do the opposite - unable to see any deeper than information immediately available to them, jumping directly to conclusions or maybe even ignoring the information altogether, careless and sloppy in the way they act, and likely to be poor at that kind of communication.
Something which I find interesting is that society often places more importance on some types of intelligence rather than others - often thinking about it in terms of 'IQ' which only considers some forms of intelligence rather than others. Sometimes it's interesting to ask questions like "Who is more intelligent - Shakespeare or Einstein?" -- that's a terrible question because it's meaningless - they have different types of intelligence, but it's likely that more people would consider Einstein as being more intelligent than Shakespeare because Einstein had a high 'IQ'.
Firstly, I'd think that 'intelligence' is a broad term which comes in many forms, such as emotional, logical, creative, spatial, etc.
I'd say regardless of the 'type' of intelligence, it's about the way we use information - particularly how we pick it up, how we interpret it, how we act upon it, and how we communicate with other people. Someone with whose intelligence is low in a particular area tends to function differently compared with someone whose intelligence is high in that same area.
High-intelligence tends to be associated with deeper analysis - unlikely to take information at face value nor jump to un-sound conclusions, tend to be careful, measured and considered in the way they act, and tend to take great care in the way they communicate.
Someone with low intelligence on the other hand is very likely to do the opposite - unable to see any deeper than information immediately available to them, jumping directly to conclusions or maybe even ignoring the information altogether, careless and sloppy in the way they act, and likely to be poor at that kind of communication.
Something which I find interesting is that society often places more importance on some types of intelligence rather than others - often thinking about it in terms of 'IQ' which only considers some forms of intelligence rather than others. Sometimes it's interesting to ask questions like "Who is more intelligent - Shakespeare or Einstein?" -- that's a terrible question because it's meaningless - they have different types of intelligence, but it's likely that more people would consider Einstein as being more intelligent than Shakespeare because Einstein had a high 'IQ'.
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ofdro
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YeFool
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garythanie
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#10
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#10
Albert Einstein once was asked "How does it feel to be the smartest man alive?" he replied "ask Tesla".
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Economics_Master
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#11
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
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aggreatheabbey
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Retired_Messiah
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#13
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#13
(Original post by Economics_Master)
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
Scores from intelligence tests are estimates of intelligence. Unlike, for example, distance and mass, a concrete measure of intelligence cannot be achieved given the abstract nature of the concept of "intelligence"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_...ce_of_IQ_tests
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username3934898
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#14
(Original post by Economics_Master)
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
(Original post by aggreatheabbey)
Dependson on what you're good at i guess
Dependson on what you're good at i guess
Let's look at the average Jo. The ordinary person who gets ordinary grades, ends up in the same 9-5 job as most adults, has a nuclear family.... would this person be considered as intelligent?
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Axiomasher
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username3934898
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#16
(Original post by winterscoming)
Firstly, I'd think that 'intelligence' is a broad term which comes in many forms, such as emotional, logical, creative, spatial, etc.
Someone with low intelligence on the other hand is very likely to do the opposite - unable to see any deeper than information immediately available to them, jumping directly to conclusions or maybe even ignoring the information altogether, careless and sloppy in the way they act, and likely to be poor at that kind of communication.
Firstly, I'd think that 'intelligence' is a broad term which comes in many forms, such as emotional, logical, creative, spatial, etc.
Someone with low intelligence on the other hand is very likely to do the opposite - unable to see any deeper than information immediately available to them, jumping directly to conclusions or maybe even ignoring the information altogether, careless and sloppy in the way they act, and likely to be poor at that kind of communication.
Thanks for providing a very thoughtful reply.
Something which I find interesting is that society often places more importance on some types of intelligence rather than others - often thinking about it in terms of 'IQ' which only considers some forms of intelligence rather than others. Sometimes it's interesting to ask questions like "Who is more intelligent - Shakespeare or Einstein?" -- that's a terrible question because it's meaningless - they have different types of intelligence, but it's likely that more people would consider Einstein as being more intelligent than Shakespeare because Einstein had a high 'IQ'.
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winterscoming
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#17
(Original post by rainclouds-)
Just a follow up question here: do you believe intelligence can come naturally or is it a developed skill?
Just a follow up question here: do you believe intelligence can come naturally or is it a developed skill?
With that said, I'm sure that biology plays a part too and everyone is born with a different brain; wired up in a different way. So maybe we're born with different levels of intelligence, and that can have a significant effect on some people, but less so on others. Assuming we are born with a certain type of intelligence, I don't think that could ever be any reliable predictor of how a child might actually develop throughout their lifetime because I think there are too many other influences and variables.
So I'd lean towards it being mostly something that we develop over the course of our lives, with the caveat that everyone has a different biological starting point, and for some people that may impose some physiological limitations or provide advantages (for example, despite sometimes being unable to communicate, people with autism are often very high in logical and mathematical intelligence)
(Original post by rainclouds-)
Thanks for providing a very thoughtful reply.
Thanks for providing a very thoughtful reply.

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Nihilisticb*tch
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#18
I don't think it can be universally defined as different people have different perceptions of what intelligence is. However I will define it broadly as this :
" the ability to think in a way that produces positive results."
That statement is broad enough to cover all different types of intelligence. If you can think in a way that yields positive results (which in most cases is in a rational way) then you are intelligent. If you can solve problems and your brain is essentially useful you are intelligent.
" the ability to think in a way that produces positive results."
That statement is broad enough to cover all different types of intelligence. If you can think in a way that yields positive results (which in most cases is in a rational way) then you are intelligent. If you can solve problems and your brain is essentially useful you are intelligent.
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Nihilisticb*tch
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#19
(Original post by Economics_Master)
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
IQ is the standard definition. Ive noticed many people with low IQ try to define it by different means.
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