What is intelligence?

[Soulja]

What is ur definition of intelligence.

 

I believe it is 1/2 logic and 1/2 retaining information

[aman]

Intelligence is a lot more than 1/2+1/2. It is greater than the sum of it's parts. Intelligent people learn as much as they can and try to be as logical as they can be. They reach with open minds and apply their abilities to the best of their capabilities.

They try to make right decisions.

Just aman

[Soulja]

But where does it come from?

 

And how does one become 'intelligent'

 

I say it is heridetary in some aspects.

[jvanhalderen]

That again aman. Sometimes the most intelligent thing is NOT the logical thing. Take the understanding of people for instance. Further more I do agree with you.

[aman]

Maybe superior intelligence is to know when not to do the logical thing to succeed. It's more than just what we know but to have a feel for what we don't know.

Just aman

[jvanhalderen]

Nicely put

[fafalone]

I think this thread deserves a bump too.

 

The definition of intelligence used by psychologists is "the ability to learn from and adapt to the environment". This is obviously very broad.

 

-The first time intelligence was attempted to be measured was by Galton's anthropometric laboratory, which was actually designed to measure physical individual differences, as fitness was definition of intelligence proposed by Darwin's On the Origin of Species.

-The first modern assessment of intelligence was the Binet-Simon scale in which a set of questions was given to children, and normed based on their age. In modern times, this has been revised and measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, abstract visual reasoning, and short-term working memory as the components that make up intelligence.

-"IQ" is defined as Mental Age/Cognitive Age x 100, and it works out that IQ follows a normal distribution and 100 is the average.

-Spearman proposed 2 factors that make up the intelligence of a person; generalized intelligence (IQ) and specific factors (talents, etc).

-Later on, Thurstone proposed 7 primary abilities that are components of intelligence: Verbal, fluency, number ability, spatial, associative.. (can't remember the other two :/)

-Gardner proposed that other factors made up intelligence... linguistic, logical-mathematical, music, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, naturalist, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. These were factors never before thought of when talking about intelligence, and had a significant impact on contemporary theorists, including Sternberg, whose triarchic theory stated intelligence depended on creativity, analytic ability, and practical application ability.

-Emotional Intelligence became considered a factor of intelligence as elucidated in his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence.

 

Some background on intelligence i learned in my intro to psychology class.

[aman]

Intelligence tests are written by the "intelligent" to judge others.

Andre Boccelli, Tiger Woods, Barry Bonds,are they judged cretens if they don't score well on a test but are good people. I think the tests are not all inclusive enough. Which one asks you to pick up a musical instrument and play it? Which asks you to sing? Or to pick up a baseball and throw a fastball, slider? Or anticipate everyones move on a football field and make the tackle?

Intelligence is relative to the need.

Just aman

[fafalone]

That's Gardners theory.

 

 

...and just because someone is a good person doesn't mean they're intelligent.

 

I believe intelligence and specific talent are separate characteristics.

[dronezero]

Originally posted by jvanhalderen

That again aman. Sometimes the most intelligent thing is NOT the logical thing. Take the understanding of people for instance. Further more I do agree with you.

 

I disagree. Even while judging people one must use logic. I am trying to think of a case when one would be better off not using logic and I can not come up with anything.

 

My 2 cents.

[blike]

I am trying to think of a case when one would be better off not using logic and I can not come up with anything.

 

Risking two people to save one. The United States often puts hundreds of people at risk to save one. Is this better than not? I don't know. It comes down to a moral issue. However, if spock were making the decision, the one person would have to die.

[Radical Edward]

blike : not nescessarily. sometimes an individual can be more important than several people, depending on the situation.

[fafalone]

Well by this logic if 2.9 billion people were about the die, the remaining 3.1 billion shouldn't risk anything to save them. Logic dictates that there is an "acceptable risk."

[aman]

Intelligence and risk is difficult, it's often calculating unknowns but for some reason some people are very good at it.

In a South American airport I was being transferred to an island prison. I had been tortured and starved and had only the clothes on my back. I waited with my guards on a bench and they gave me 200 Pesos exit tax I had to pay to leave the mainland. I told them I needed to use the restroom and they let me go but I snuck upstairs and sat at the diner and had a steak and beer and bought a few candy bars which I hid in my shirt. The guards came up and beat the crap out of me and had to come up with another 200 pesos to put me on the plane.

This way when I entered the prison I had candy bars to buy a weapon and get a secure group of cellmates.

I could have just waited for my flight but I took a risk.

Just aman

P.S. I later escaped but that's another story.

[NSX]

Originally posted by aman

Intelligence and risk is difficult, it's often calculating unknowns but for some reason some people are very good at it.

In a South American airport I was being transferred to an island prison. I had been tortured and starved and had only the clothes on my back. I waited with my guards on a bench and they gave me 200 Pesos exit tax I had to pay to leave the mainland. I told them I needed to use the restroom and they let me go but I snuck upstairs and sat at the diner and had a steak and beer and bought a few candy bars which I hid in my shirt. The guards came up and beat the crap out of me and had to come up with another 200 pesos to put me on the plane.

This way when I entered the prison I had candy bars to buy a weapon and get a secure group of cellmates.

I could have just waited for my flight but I took a risk.

Just aman

P.S. I later escaped but that's another story.

 

Why'd you have to go to prison in the first place?

[aman]

I had a 2 1/2 ton 6 x 6 truck with equipment for a filming expedition. A general was moving troops in the back of old pick ups. He wanted my stuff, I got tossed in prison. They tried to make me sign a blank confession they would fill out later. I refused, was tortured and stayed in prison.

Just aman