What is intelligence? It is something that we as the human species pride ourselves on, is it not? The ability to remember and abstract thought play a key role in what people think intelligence is. Wisdom itself is linked to intelligence in a way because of the associations it makes with things like science does. Others think that the ability to learn is intelligence. If we want to go on the darker side of things the ability to manipulate others is linked with intelligence. High SAT scores are said to be the key to finding intelligent people. Genius is another way to describe a very intelligent person weather they are good or evil, right?
Are materially wealthy people intelligent? Some may think so. In this same manor we can say that lazy people are intelligent as well, right? The same can be true of hard working people, they can be called intelligent as well but, could not these very same people be called stupid?
Intelligence is a relative thing you see. Some people refer to their 6 month old child as intelligent others still refer to their teenagers as intelligent. Those kinds of people are making comparisons either to themselves at that age or other peoples kids.
Is stupid the opposite of intelligence? I guess it would be relative considering the subject material. We could get very lost in this type of reasoning, can’t we? Is intelligence the same as being smart? Of course it is but there seems to be some things missing.
I think intelligence is a loaded word, let me explain please. If someone can read directions and assemble a product we may call them intelligent. What about someone that does not even have to read the directions and produces the same result? Are they more intelligent?
The ability to recall a wealth of data, does that make you intelligent? Perhaps it is the ability to exercise wisdom in applying what you learn that makes you intelligent? Are the dead intelligent, maybe it is your ability to stay alive that makes you intelligent?
Intellect according to the dictionary is “the power to know or understand”. Is it empathy and compassion that makes one intelligent? There are many synonyms related to the term intelligence. Aptitude, astuteness, comprehension, grasp, knowledge, mental ability and the list goes on and on.
I could imagine that many people are manipulated with this term. Thinking of yourself as intelligent maybe the wrong thing to do, why? It could rob you of a very important virtue called humility. Someone could convince you to be anything that they wanted you to be by manipulating the word “intelligence”. They themselves set the bar they are unwilling to climb but by telling you to be intelligent they manipulate you into trying. “Be smart, do this!”, they may say. So be careful of those that try to insult your intelligence by means of manipulation.
To me intelligence is the ability to be happy and find happiness. I hope you would share this same thought with me.
Love Dad