Measuring Intelligence?

[RSK]

I started thinking about this from another thread. How would you do it? What characteristics do you consider in intelligence?

The word intelligence gets thrown around a lot. But its all about perspective I think.

A man who graduates on top of his class. Is successful in his life, family, and work. He has a nice car, nice house. Everything he could probably want. He is kind, considerate. An all around great person, and 'intelligent'.

Now take this same guy, and drop him in the middle of the Amazon forest, and tell him to survive for 1 day. Guess what? This man now becomes a complete dumbass!

Same for the Amazonian people. They survive and live forever in the forest. To them, intelligence is knowing which plants are edible, and which are poison. Intelligence is about knowing how to hunt for food. How to live in that climate, how to find drinking water. Same situation...take the amazonian, and drop him in the middle of New York City. Guess what? Yup, he too has just become a dumbass.



I think its very hard to measure intelligence. Before we can, we have to know a persons background, where they have been, and where they are going.

What do you all think?

[IndiReloaded]

Agreed. I think most of us won't survive colonizing the moon or Mars.

[Lipp]

You'd might want to differentiate "intelligence" and "knowledge".

[RSK]

thanks for pointing that out Lipp

i'm obviously not that knowledgeable to have thought of that!


I found this on the internet... Knowledge is what you've learned; intelligence is how you use that knowledge.

[IndiReloaded]

And wisdom is knowing when to use it (or not).

[AdminOnline]

I found this on the internet... Knowledge is what you've learned; intelligence is how you use that knowledge.

nice one.

[NeoSeminole]

I think intelligence can be best described as a person's 'potential' to learn and apply knowledge.

[Aeradalia]

Potential that is never used is worthless.

What good is 'potential' intelligence if you never apply it? It's meaningless in the world.

Applied intelligence is measurable and 'real.'

[Lipp]

Potential that is never used is worthless.

What good is 'potential' intelligence if you never apply it? It's meaningless in the world.

Applied intelligence is measurable and 'real.'

"potential to apply"

Does that float your boat?

[NeoSeminole]

Aeradalia says:

"Potential that is never used is worthless.

What good is 'potential' intelligence if you never apply it? It's meaningless in the world."

perhaps, but that still doesn't take away from the person's intelligence simply b/c he or she chooses not to apply themselves.

[IndiReloaded]

So Neo, are you are agreeing that intelligence isn't worth much as a standalone trait?

What IS intelligence, if not the ability to apply knowledge appropriately? Intelligence does not = potential. If it did, we would let high-IQ children take office.

[NeoSeminole]

IndiReloaded says:

"So Neo, are you are agreeing that intelligence isn't worth much as a standalone trait?"

"worth" in what sense?

"What IS intelligence, if not the ability to apply knowledge appropriately? Intelligence does not = potential. If it did, we would let high-IQ children take office."

silly argument coming from someone who claims to have a doctorate degree. A child may have the 'potential' to take office one day but lacks the knowledge and maturity to fill that position.

[NeoSeminole]

the reason I include "potential" in my definition of intelligence is b/c I don't think someone who doesn't fully apply themselves is automatically less intelligent. If you could rewind time and choose a different path that leads to greater or lesser fulfillment, do you suddenly become smarter or dumber?

[Only-virgins]

Wisdom, Intelligence, and knowledge are 3 different things. In-fact accomplishments are a 4th thing that is separate as well. So 4 things there alone. Your ability to adapt in the environment is more about your actually primal instincts. You either adjust or fail and die. There is a hidden disagreement on which is superior and it all gets punched into one word "intelligence".

I personally value my wisdom the most. It is by far governed by logic and reasoning more than any other trait. My knowledge in philosophy and understanding is what I value. Everything else like my skills in biology and my degree you can take away from me. I use them only to survive by attaining money. Not that biology isn't interesting.

There is also experience. I agree with Neo, Intelligence in the end is just potential. Knowledge is more or less your entire bank of experience and information you can recall at any moment. Wisdom is what is lacking in most people these days.

[IndiReloaded]

silly argument coming from someone who claims to have a doctorate degree. A child may have the 'potential' to take office one day but lacks the knowledge and maturity to fill that position.

By worth I mean utility. You define intelligence as someone's potential to apply knowledge.

How do you measure that potential and how is it useful to know, assuming you could even achieve a meaningful value?

That was the reason for my question about a high-IQ child (not an argument, btw *my* argument is that intelligence does not = potential). What utility to know someone's intelligence as you define it? Who cares about potential if it isn't achieved? You can't measure it. As you say, it would be silly to put a child in office without evidence of those achievements from applied intellect. I'm glad you understood my point.

Geeze. Do I have to spell *everything* out for you dumb bachelor graduates?

Sorry, OV, I disagree. Intelligence is the ability to use knowledge and experience to adapt to new situations. 'Potential' is meaningless.