Defining Intelligence

[Pelafina]

How exactly do you define what it means to be intelligent? And more interestingly, what makes a person intelligent? There are many different systems to quantify it, but they all seem to have their shortcomings.

I'll post my ideas later, but in the meantime, I'm interested to see what the rest of you think.

 

[Lumen et ignem]

Intelligence, I think comes in two forms. Some are both, one or the other, and can be neither. Someone can be street smart or book smart. If someone is street smart then they know how to survive with little and are able to deal with problems in life even if it may not be the best way possible. If someone is book smart then they are good with school lessons. However people that are both street and book smart are often more intelligent than others because they can deal with most problems that come their way. If someone is neither then they are completely dependant on someone that is either/both. Most I think are either street or book smart though.

 

[SilverJ-17]

There's several ways I see how someone can be intelligent. You can be intelligent in your field/ career, academically intelligent, street smart, or intelligent, as in being able to know many movies and books word for word. Then again, that's probably more of a memorization thing, but I still feel there's a difference in knowing several books/ movies word for word and a few various lines. Ehh.. never mind that one. If you must know, I define myself as Academically intelligent.

Honestly, if I really gave it some thought, I'm sure there's other ways of being intelligent other than street and book smarts.

 

[Ophan]

Looking at the basic definition of intelligence it would be having the capacity for thought and reason especially to a high degree. Being intelligent requires the notion of you having a great understanding of things, but it can also be defined in a multitude of ways, as said above. People may be intelligent in certain field/areas of understanding, such as someone who is book smart, or street smart. I think intelligence holds true to the definition. You don't necessarily have to know a lot, but you can primaily meet someone who may not be that smart, but knows how to hold an intellectual conversation. We can consider a mature conversation, an intellectual one.

So not only does intelligence mean having a high understanding, but it also follows among thought and reasoning

 

[Aqua.]

If you get a 4.0 or above, i DONT define that as intelligent.
cuz you can just do the work the way they tell you to and get good grades.
but it doesn't mean your like "WOW HE'S SMART "
it's just that they're a good kid
eh i guess i define it in the way you think, like thinking completely differently then the usual to go around doing something. well and obviously in a smart way. to work beyond the limits

 

[Ophan]

If you get a 4.0 or above, i DONT define that as intelligent.
cuz you can just do the work the way they tell you to and get good grades.
but it doesn't mean your like "WOW HE'S SMART "
it's just that they're a good kid
eh i guess i define it in the way you think, like thinking completely differently then the usual to go around doing something. well and obviously in a smart way. to work beyond the limits

that's not defining intelligence at all. Nothing you said had anything to do with it :/

 

[tangerine]

Analytical and critical thinking skills grouped with overall knowledge. It's not limited to only one of these; it's the combination of all of them that allows a person to think at an elevated level.

 

[Khfan01]

I think intelligent means several things. One is obivislouy like a test of individual's mind, and knowledge on many subjects. I think all people have their own intelligent, such as interests, skills, and many others thing about them and what makes us human being.

 

[frisson]

that's not defining intelligence at all. Nothing you said had anything to do with it :/

I, on the other hand, understood her perfectly.

Perhaps there's some semblance of "intelligence" in that, as well.

Understanding. Reasoning.

Intelligence cannot be taught, only nurtured.

 

[Ophan]

I, on the other hand, understood her perfectly.

Perhaps there's some semblance of "intelligence" in that, as well.

Understanding. Reasoning.

Intelligence cannot be taught, only nurtured.

thinking differently beyond the usual in a smart way and working beyond your limits, isn't intelligence. I don't know what you got from it. All i see is being a unique individual, and being an overachiever.

 

[Ðari]

Knowledge, the capacity in which its stored and the general execution of it in the very same. Leading on to say that presentation of knowledge you pertain is increasing with your capacity and your viewed in a much more subtle sense by the surrounding society.

 

[Ophan]

Knowledge, the capacity in which its stored and the general execution of it in the very same. Leading on to say that presentation of knowledge you pertain is increasing with your capacity and your viewed in a much more subtle sense by the surrounding society.

having knowledge in circumstances sounds like being wise which kind of falls around the same category of intelligence, but in a way of reflecting events through understanding.

Edit: o i see, you linked everything with knowledge

 

[Aqua.]

thinking differently beyond the usual in a smart way and working beyond your limits, isn't intelligence. I don't know what you got from it. All i see is being a unique individual, and being an overachiever.

you are an example of what i don't call intelligent
people who just read, figure out what it says, and judge on that. it's like, you don't even TRY to figure out their reasoning, you just do what's given. plus arrogant=/=intelligent. it's like, your in a math class, solve the problem the way the teacher tells ya to, and that's your way of getting around it.

also my view of "over achiever" is some kid who tries to do extra credit all the times. yeah that's not what I meant in my post . it's just the same type of person who gets good grades because they do what's told.

 

[Ophan]

you are an example of what i don't call intelligent
people who just read, figure out what it says, and judge on that. it's like, you don't even TRY to figure out their reasoning, you just do what's given. plus arrogant=/=intelligent. it's like, your in a math class, solve the problem the way the teacher tells ya to, and that's your way of getting around it.

Figuring out what something is and making your own judgment is reasoning, you know what that is? A statement offered in explanation in response to another persons point of view. How does doing something given correlate to anything you've said, in fact how did you even put me in that category? I was lenient to the response i gave before inferring that your statement had nothing to do with intelligence, and it doesn't matter how you look at it, now if you consider my response to be superiority upon your point of view, that's fine you can interpret me however you want but it wouldn't stand close to the inferior past you presented amongst your time here.

also my view of "over achiever" is some kid who tries to do extra credit all the times. yeah that's not what I meant in my post . it's just the same type of person who gets good grades because they do what's told.

Then explain what you meant, instead of telling the person of the opposing side that what he interpreted is not what you meant.

 

[Nyangoro]

To be perfectly honest, I've always felt that intelligence was both the amount of knowledge you possess, as well as how well you apply it.

 

[Shinra]

I see what you mean nevermore... But it depends on the way you use it too...like if you do it for selfish reasons you'll just get what's coming to you... but if you use it for selfless reasons... good things'll happen to you...so it depends on how you use it too...

 

[Ophan]

To be perfectly honest, I've always felt that intelligence was both the amount of knowledge you possess, as well as how well you apply it.

I figured the same, however i didn't want to get mixed up with being wise. Then again being wise is believing in your intelligence. You said better than me i suppose

 

[frisson]

thinking differently beyond the usual in a smart way and working beyond your limits, isn't intelligence. I don't know what you got from it. All i see is being a unique individual, and being an overachiever.

Didn't think so.

Knowledge, the capacity in which its stored and the general execution of it in the very same. Leading on to say that presentation of knowledge you pertain is increasing with your capacity and your viewed in a much more subtle sense by the surrounding society.

But is being "knowledgeable" the same as being "intelligent"?

We don't measure intelligence on the content learned, but the learning process ie. complex reasoning/problem solving.



However, intelligence as a general term will pretty much encapsulate everyone's opinion in this thread. So you're all right, hooray.

 

[Nyangoro]

I see what you mean nevermore... But it depends on the way you use it too...like if you do it for selfish reasons you'll just get what's coming to you... but if you use it for selfless reasons... good things'll happen to you...so it depends on how you use it too...

The only problem with that is that it delves into morality/ethics. Not that I don't believe in them, it's just that they aren't pertinent to the topic at hand. A better example would be something like the Pythagorean Theorem. I think that proper intelligence would mean that I would both know the specific formula (a^2 + b^2 = C^2) and the time to use it (when trying to determine the sides of right triangles).

 

[Ophan]

Didn't think so.

clever :/
however i still don't see what you saw. Sorry

let me give a clear answer to respond to the statement given. You can't DETERMINE intelligence from a kid who makes a 4.0 average or above on his report card, this is true. You also can't DEFINE whether he/she is smart, which is also true. In this case, one way or another you can't use this example to define the preferences of what you call intelligent or not, unless your using the viewpoint of another persons discretion on the matter. In this case it is wrong for people to view a persons high stats as a way to define their intelligence because we measure intelligence upon reasoning and problem solving. At the same time having high stats does not define someone just trying to be a good person either, because for all we know the person could in fact be intelligent, and other various reasons that negate the situation. The other thing however is that a 4.0 may also show determination upon someones grasp of knowledge, and a will to achieve a score presentable for certain goals in life. We can manipulate intelligence to shape our live less you forget, you can comprehend work handed to you and turn it into a desirable outcome, and this is what makes the argument less formidable to define intelligence, but this is not what i was disagreeing on. IQ tests being a better example only measure what you have learned, but does not measure what a person is capable of doing. It does not show any sign of gaining knowledge, it only applies to what you have learned, which is just as flawed as standardized tests or state tests. Now the only thing i'm questioning is how do i apply myself as someone intelligent because i think differently from other people? How do i consider myself intelligent because i work beyond the limits? If i'm applying applying knowledge, where does thinking differently and working beyond my limits settle?

Her viewpoints on defining intelligence is what i question, not what she doesn't see as intelligence

But is being "knowledgeable" the same as being "intelligent"?

We don't measure intelligence on the content learned, but the learning process ie. complex reasoning/problem solving.



However, intelligence as a general term will pretty much encapsulate everyone's opinion in this thread. So you're all right, hooray.

Being intelligent is having intelligence, having intelligence is having the ability to apply knowledge