Joined: 29 Mar 2007 Posts: 309 Location: Sunderland, UK
Thanks: 4
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Posted: 08-06-07 04:51am
Oh I wrote an essay on this last year (and
got a 1st on it )
There are different views on what it is.
Some believe in a sort of general
intelligence and gives a single numeric
indication of intelligence, i.e. IQ, and
that it's an inherited ability. Then
there's another theory that considers
different types of intelligence, e.g.
musical, linguistic, kinaesthetic etc. so
this one considers types of intelligence
that a general one doesn't, like creative
skills. So if you think of an artist with
an IQ of 100 and a mathematician with an
IQ of 130, a general theory would say that
the maths guy is more intelligent and the
other would say that a high level of skill
on both parts means they're fairly equal
in intelligence.
I prefer to accept the latter, because it
recognises everyone's strengths.
I'll give it a try (not having studied
anything concerning the human mind):
Intelligence
The ability to adapt particular logics
inside existing systems or situations
limited by rules or temporary restrictions
(the logics are not necessarely related to
the situation).
The better you fit a solution into a
complex situation, the more intelligent
you are, while you are less intelligent
when you are completely helpless in many
situations.
For example, an intelligent astronaut
knows exactly how to pilot a spaceship,
and manages to figure out some other
functions on the ship he didn't learn on
the simulator.
Other example, a thief can be called
intelligent because he knows how to steal
people WITHOUT getting caught nor leaving
any traces.
However, someone can be called stupid
because he doesn't know how to start a
computer.
On the other hand, being intelligent isn't
necessarily performing difficult tasks.
That way we say of a dog that he is
intelligent when he knows how to open a
door.
Also, as the previous poster said,
intelligence isn't general. You can be
blasting good at mathematics and physics,
and yet not be able to replace a wheel on
your bicycle.
Hope this definition suits your
expectations, but it doesn't matter if it
doesn't
The ability to find a corresponding link
between an explanation and the related
subject or situation, and assimilating a
personal explanation with an own schema,
an own definition or even an analogic
example.
The best way to see if someone understood
(which is used in school examinations
mainly) is by asking the person to
recreate the same explanation himself,
mostly with note: please use your own
words, because everyone has a
different way of thinking and a different
importance value on the keywords of an
explanation.
Someone who can exactly cite what was
written on the left side of page 52 didn't
understand, but does have a good memory.
Adding new information to your actual
knowledge.
When the subject of the information is
new, we assimilate it and consider it as
true (depending on the source).
When the information is related to
subjects we are familiar with, we create
inconscious links with other information
of the subject, to ensure understanding
and also to check the credibility of the
explanation.
When there's an irrelevancy between the
existing knowledge and the new
information, a reaction occurs leaving the
problem unsolved until one of both
informations has been rated as untrue.
Example: If you hear something and anwser
"holy crap!" it means the information
surprized you. Your previous knowledge
didn't consider this information but may
rate it as true.
Other example: If someone states you that
the internet is a corporation of flying
bulbs floating from house to house, you do
know it's untrue and don't consider this
information. However, you did learn
something, which is that the person you
just talked with is... erm... misinformed
(*#$% censored words).
Furthermore, you also learned a little
more about wasting your time, because you
were too polite to break the person's
explanation on the internet flying bulbs.
Whatever you do, you learn new things,
even if it's not pleasant.
I just learned that I write way too much
on most of my posts.
)
