| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 3:27:10 AM | | Ive read some posters comments on here over a good time now and some obviously put their own "Intelligence" above others and like to prove this fact. Is intelligence measured by an IQ Test and how well you have attained educationally or maybe how well -read you are or even how well you can argue a case? I took no examinations at school but talk at a "streetwise" level which to me is intelligence in itself and also can be quite creative. What makes someone seem intelligent to you? | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 3:38:25 AM | Intelligence to me is being able to cop on/work things out for yourself, catching others drift, cottoning on, understanding without having to have things explained over and over again but intelligence is also about asking the right questions in order to get the information you need.
Some people do not have that ability and they never will, even if they are ariticulate and seemingly well educated, they will remain dullards till the day they die never having understood anything worthwhile and having missed out on so much.
There are different levels of intelligence and different intelligences too. I will always doubt a person who boasts about their apparent intelligence, if you truly are intelligent you won't need to remind everyone of that fact, they will simply know it for themselves unless they are thick and cannot appreciate intelligence.
Myself, I am so glad not to be lacking intelligence because I wouldn't see the point in existing if I didn't have the incredible brain that I possess. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 3:38:39 AM | I hate the word intelligent because people have associated it with Academic Ability.
I passed all my exams. i have been considered rather intelligent ( aside from the fact people on here love niggling at spelling) But i have just learnt a technique of how to pass an exam. its is pretty easy really.
But i see so many people around me who i can learn from who may not have the educational background that i have and therefore put themselves down all the time or are in fact looked down upon by those people who think they have a higher intelligence.
My sister is a hairdresser and gets the stereotypical look from people. Yet if you ask her a question about hair she knows it down to the folicle and further( sorry i'm ignorant on this) she has a fantastic ability to make people feel at ease, and finds the good in people all the time. I think this is something to be admired. She has a career she enjoys and get paid a lot of money to do so.
I hate the way this world judges people by thier so called Intelligence.
To be honest i couldnt care less if someone cant spell, if they dont have a wide vocabulary. they will have thier reasons for this and its not my place to judge. however if they have an open mind and are ready to take in what is around them i find it admirable.
Socrates " The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing" | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 3:43:48 AM | From the Urban Dictionary:
intelligence
A subtle way talk about a girls boobs or rack without everyone around you thinking your a pervert.
Wow look at her shes got HUGE intelligence!!!
Ya shes ok but her intelligence isn't up to par
I had never heard it before, but probably because I dont have a very good rack!!!
Sorry I am lowering the tone of this very intelligent thread. Intelligence for me is someone who is open to new concepts, can build a good argument without getting aggy, and who is aware of other peoples views. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 3:49:36 AM | Intelligence to me is being able to cop on/work things out for yourself, catching others drift, cottoning on,
Totally agree with you there Proto!! My uncle, although a street boy is involved in local politics and can have his "well -read" counterparts running around in circles by debating at street level(although educated) terms and asking them to dissect their words into Laymans terms !! | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:12:05 AM | In my opinion intelligence can be measured by an IQ test!
It is intellect which makes one able to be 'street savvy' or able to argue coherantly.
Some people of high intelligence have very little 'school learning', and some people with huge amounts of school learning are not necessarily hugely intelligent (they have been taught well).
A high/low IQ score does not make a person better or worse than another, just more/less intelligent.
The Mensa web site has IQ tests on it, if you are interested...... | |
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cargy
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Joined: 10/13/2006
Msg: 8 | |
| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:19:36 AM |
Intelligence to me is being able to cop on/work things out for yourself, catching others drift, cottoning on, understanding without having to have things explained...
I agree with that wholeheartedly, but it's not the same as adopting another's opinions or beliefs for fear they will take umbrage.
To me, it includes respecting another person's right to have an opinion that differs from one's own no matter how right or wrong it may seem. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:25:48 AM |
I agree with that wholeheartedly, but it's not the same as adopting another's opinions or beliefs for fear they will take umbrage.
Of course it is not the same and I never suggested that it was either. If you work things out for yourself you are naturally thinking independently of others.
But you are right if people adapt/commandeer others opinions as their own because they cannot think for themselves or even out of 'fear' of being themselves that is thick as far as I am concerned, always be true to yourself.
Respecting someone's opinion has nothing to do with intelligence, it's about being polite and doing onto others as you would have them do onto you. If someone's opinion is wrong and I totally disagree with it, I wouldn't consider it disrespectful to challenge it.......it would be silly not to. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:36:20 AM | | it is difficult to define intelligence, people tend to be either right or left brain dominated, thus giving them different skills in life, there are people in life who can barely read or write, yet can do things with their hands , the most academic, just could not do, of course some people are naturally brighter then others, when it comes to debating or plain reason, | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:41:47 AM | | My ex left school at 14 as he had no interest in academia whatsoever, but he is far from stupid, he has an almost photographic memory and needs only to be shown a thing once and remembers it, he is also a fantastic artisan and his skill and artistry with stone is amazing, but he has never read a book in his life, this does not make him thick, just uneducated in academic subjects, who are we to judge others, each of us has our own skills, and while some may not be bright academically they more than make up for it in other quarters... | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:43:58 AM | Well, i personally believe that academic excellence doesnt always relate intelligence, it may make a person clever but to me intelligence is the ability to hold a conversation about anything under the sun, to be able to see the error in ones ways and to be able to step outside of situations and make a good decision based on all factors.
Being able to laugh at yourself, to sometimes make decisions based on what needs to be done rather than what you want to be doing.
Many things... Im sure i will think of some more  | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 4:52:19 AM | I wouldn't class myself as very intelligent. I left school at 15 without a qulification to my name yet have a great brain for maths which has got me where I am today. I can figure out percentages, multiplications and division so easilyand it stands me in good stead when making a money making decision on the spot. Im also good with my hands and will have a go at anything and usually end up good at it with little practice. With what intelligence I do posses I put to good use.
English and the written word aren't my strong points except when it comes to humour, seem to have a knack for thinking of funny quips and jokes. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 5:07:58 AM | | I think there are a load of different forms of intelligence, certain people are academically intelligent and those are the ones who tend to do well at school, college, uni etc. However, i know a few people who were grade A students and could tackle any mathmatical or scientific problem with ease but put these people round a table in a pub where different people are talking and they wouldn't have a clue how to interact, what to say or who to talk to. So who is the more intelligent?? The one who is great at uni or the one who can interact with others and keep a conversation flowing knowing when to say the right thing at the right time?? Both are equal i think, its just they have intelligence in different ways. If you have neither of these though i believe you are called itelligently stupid..... | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 5:34:51 AM |
I think there are a load of different forms of intelligence
I whole heartly agree with that statement. intelligence in my opinion isn't just about having the academic know how, to me the sighn of a intelligant person is someone who will sit and listen to what is going on around them, paying attention without making comment untill all the facts are in, being aware that things can change and having to adapt their way of thinking to taking in new information, to be able to take other peoples opinions with out trying to ram theirs down your throat, excepting that although a persons opinion may differ from your own, they are equally as right and they don't have to agree with you. someone who will admit they are wrong and be the first to say sorry, who dosn't resort to insults when losing a argument, | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 5:40:31 AM | This is a tricky one.
I think that intelligence, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
There are academics, who may know the periodic table off by heart and are able to think about things in a way that the rest of us may find mystifying. However, when it comes to doing anything practical they don't know which end to hold the hammer.
Then again, there are skilled workers, such as mechanics or engineers who have buit up a wealth of practical experience and can turn their hands to most things. These people are equally as intelligent in my eyes.
However, if a quantum physicist and a mechanic were stuck in a lift together they probably wouldn't find much common ground.
I think that everyone is intelligent in their own way. It's just human nature for us to gravitate to people who are similar to ourselves.
I personally see intelligence in someone who is witty and has a good sense of humour and I think people see me in the same way. However, I'm pretty sure an academic would just think I'm a babbling idiot.
With regard to forums, I don't believe that endlessy banging on to drive a point home is a sign of intelligence. Especially when posts are pedantically picked apart with lots of copy and pasting, usually avoiding the initial point being made.
Freud would probably have something interesting to say about people who feel the need to do this, but personally I can't be bothered. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 7:40:09 AM | 'I think everyone is intelligent in their own way. Its just human nature for us to gravitate to people who are similar to ourselves.'
Spot on Restless. I have a friend who has taught himself French, Russian and German fluently. He also speaks a little Spanish and Italian. But he is a little odd and comes across as totally thick until you get to know him.
We all struggle with certain subjects but are good at others. Its difficult to tell how you come across on here but I do get the impression that some posters think they're superior. We're all entitled to have a say regardless of what others think. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 10:27:01 AM | God my brother in law is sooooo intelligent but boy he's thick as two short planks ..
How because he is really really academically clever but hasn't got one iota of common sense and wonders round with his head in the clouds, never listens and asks the same questions a dozen times over, he drive both me and my sister scatty ... | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 12:27:51 PM | ^^^ Sounds like my mum. Academically intelligent in a small area but the common sense of a tea bag (I used to say common sense of a gnat but I'd think they probably have more common sense).
I see intelligence as the opposite of ignoranc rather than a particular amount of knowledge or ability to do any specific thing. I remember once my sis-in-law having a heated argument with me and my brothers many years ago in which she spouted totally uninformed crap and finally when she shut up long enough to listen to the facts she realised she had no idea what she was on about and had made an idiot of herself. When we'd all cooled down she said it wasn't her fault she wasn't as educated as us and I pointed out education had nothing to do with it. Her ignorance had made her look stupid not lack of education. I know so many people who aren't academic and haven't had a "good education" whereas I had a "very good education" but their knowledge and life experience put me to shame. I hope I'm open-minded, have common sense and can argue a rational argument and I'd hate to think I'm ignorant but I'm embarrassed by my lack of general knowledge and awareness. Lots of "educated" people are some of the most ignorant people I've ever come across. I don't think intelligence can be judged by knowledge of any particular subject or an ability to do any particular thing. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 12:58:47 PM | I've got a rack of letters after my name, back at university again for career change, read everything I can lay my hands on and have an exceptionally high IQ.
However............
Thick as two short planks when it comes to :
computers
cars
common sense
logic
teenagers
working the dvd/video
the sky remote control
counting calories
reversing into a space
tesco (or any major supermarket)
etc.................
So, intelligent ? Maybe
Any common sense? Nahhhhh | |
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-Hams-
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Joined: 10/30/2006
Msg: 21 | |
| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 1:18:13 PM | I dont have any qualifications but dont regard myself as lacking in
intelligence and can hold my own on any subject in a debate even
though i have my stupid moments like everybody has sometimes.
just because somebody went to university and has a phd in flower
arranging dosent make them intelligent if they cant string two words
together without resorting to bad language or abusive behaviour. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 1:28:58 PM |
In my opinion intelligence can be measured by an IQ test!
Nope, I don't agree.
My IQ test score is actually pretty high on the common tests, however it ranges from subnormal to unmeasurably high on various others.
The reason is that due to my Aspergers, I do exceptionally well at the pattern recognition, logic, and mathematical aspects of the tests, and abysmally badly at the verbal reasoning parts (too slow at it to complete the test if I answer those types of questions).
So, at least in my case, IQ = meaningless. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 1:41:49 PM | | Intelligence means different thinks to different people, not sure how i would define it. I would also say that i dont often think about whether someone is intelligent so much as wether i like them or not. I think in the modern work place intelligence is mesured by IQ/physcometric tests yes, but then again for the labour force that may be the best way of seeing if someone is suitable for the job. I think sometimes people feel they have no other alternative because the culture suggest that if your not intelligent (IQ test type) then you must be stupid which isn't true, i just think we dont have another signigicant label that people can have and i think a few posters have touched on it on here, as in there are people outhere who we could learn alot from but they would be hopeless in a IQ test scenario. Perhaps we just need to start seeing people who have good wisdom or interpersonal skills in a much higher light. | |
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| How Do You Define Intelligence?
Posted: 3/22/2007 1:48:48 PM | "What makes someone seem intelligent to you?"
if we can go for a meal without them eating or drinking the hot towels or finger bowl then thats a start. | |
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