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What makes a person intelligent or super smart ?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Rosepetal, May 20, 2014.

  1. Rosepetal

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    Lately I've been reading articles that teens are graduating high school and college a week a part,and they have a 10.3 PGA . I was so jealous I wish I had that gap then I could be in nursing school and college . So what makes a person smart in you're eyes ?
     
  2. Disappear

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    I don't believe that grades show any of one's intelligence. I've met very "smart" people according to their school work, but in real life I wouldn't say they're especially smart. I think it's all about how you treat other people and speak to them.

    Good example are some relatives of mine, they're highly educated but the way they speak to anyone is just horrid. They always seem to think they're more intelligent than the people they're with.

    Then I have another family friend who plans power stations for living, he's like a philosopher sometimes. Despite this he always treats everyone as equal. He is one of the most intelligent people I know, but it all comes from his attitude towards other people.
     
  3. kem

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    I have a friend who is remarkably gifted in the natural sciences: mathematics, physics and the like. However, he is not very good at comprehending philosophical concepts, and although he is extroverted and comfortable around people, he's not the best speaker. He also dislikes reading and his sense of humour is appalling.
     
  4. Rosepetal

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    Mani wish I was intelligent at math,physics lol
     
  5. Joe54321

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    There are many forms of intelligence, people at least have one.
     
  6. Aussie792

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    I don't consider academic ability to be true intelligence, though they often coincide. I know people who get above 90% for sociology exams and essays, but who show complete misunderstanding of large parts of society and social structures.

    There are some all-rounders, but most people I know are either strong in humanities or mathematical subjects. And some are wonderful with languages and linguistics. And then there are musicians, painters, and those with perfect motor skills through dedication. Almost all of those have to be learnt from a young age. I don't think that any of those are inherent (with exception for some disabilities); it just requires constant dedication to cement previous knowledge. Even if there is such thing as intellectual disposition to something, I think the circumstances of someone's education are so much more significant in that regard.

    I know of a guy who obtained near-perfect grades in shcool. No matter how wonderful his academic record, he didn't know about people at all; his most impressionable line has been "You just don't have the people skills I do," contradicting himself and proving himself to have a stupidity which overpowers any benefit from academic skills.

    Brilliant people will always have a flaw somewhere. It's what makes them people.
     
  7. GreenMan

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    Okay, so what's your flaw? :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: :grin:
     
  8. Argentwing

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    Intelligence is just the ability to learn quickly, retain learned information, and think critically. Grades have little to do with it except for info retention I guess. But a lot of hard work also goes into getting high marks in school. You can get by in school just by being smart (I did well enough without studying) but that doesn't work in college. X.X
     
  9. Chip

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    Intelligence, knowledge, learning, and evaluation of learning (grades) are all completely separate, and don't even have supere strong correlations. You have brilliant people who get terrible grades, average people who are incredibly knowledgable, and people who are neither super intelligent nor deeply knowledgable who manage to test well and get great grades.

    Intelligence (at least as we test and evaluate it in most first-world countries) is really about pattern recognition, knowledge and data synthesis, and abstract thinking abilities and not a lot else. It is also mostly innate and doesn't change much; you can measure IQ at age 6 and at age 25 and it will be similar.

    There may be some correlations to very early childhood exposures to stimuli but even that isn't fully documented.
     
  10. Rosepetal

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    Thank you chip for you're advice I just hate hearing my little brother saying to my dad " she failed college you will have to support her you're whole life". I hate that it hurts me I really want to be skilled nurse
     
  11. Gen

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    Though nursing has become insanely competitive in the last few decades, I wouldn't give up on it. There is always the possibility of giving things another go and studying at a local community college in the future. As has been stated, GPA isn't the dividing factor in intelligence. Especially, not high school GPA. Receiving 'A's in high school is essentially just about keeping up with the work and paying attention in class. Doing very well at a university is much more about work ethic than intelligence.

    Not to mention, you don't need to be overtly intelligent to be successful. Doing well in life is all about figuring out what makes you efficient in your career or craft. Academically, some students are serial-procrastinators; however, if you know that you have to begin studying at least a few days ahead for exams, then you have to do what works for you.
     
  12. Rosepetal

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    Thank you gen I love your advice :slight_smile:
     
  13. airconditiong

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    i think the most intelligent people are most consistently able to tell when their actions are truly their own as opposed to a conditioned habit, and their thoughts opposed to simply adopting others' or society's opinions and claiming those echoes as their own.

    basically anyone that can rise above their own psychology and see the real game being played.
     
  14. Argentwing

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    Ooh, I like this definition-- a higher level of self-awareness. But then again this can come easily enough by studying psychology for a short time lol. I think this is more a case of wisdom than intelligence: part of the puzzle, at least.
     
  15. SaleGayGuy

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    I don’t know what makes you intelligent.

    I’m dyslexic so had some problems with exams and getting into university but that didn’t stop me becoming a director of an international company. I consider my dyslexia a gift and it has helped me progress in very high tech companies whose only competitor in some product areas was NASA.

    Many very creative and clever individuals are dyslexic people who might have been described as backward at school, in fact self-made millionaires are 4 times more likely to suffer from dyslexia. Dyslexia 'can be route to riches' | Mail Online I should like to point out that so far I’m not a millionaire :tears: but I do have a millionaire mind set.

    So from one perspective you could say I am not intelligent because I was once considered backwards at school and I didn’t go to university but from another perspective you could say, and others frequently do, that I’m very intelligent.

    Having said all of that my intelligence doesn’t stop me from doing really stupid :eusa_doh: and dangerous things from time to time, I’ve nearly killed myself by accident on several occasions :eek:, it’s like my common sense gets switched off.

    I have also known some very intelligent and academically successful (PHDs) individuals who had no clue how simple everyday objects worked. The most frightening example of someone who many would assume was intelligent was an airline captain who used the same laundrette as me next to Brussels airport who was totally incapable of operating a self-service washing machine. Made me think twice about flying with his airline.

    Sale Gay Guy
     
    #15 SaleGayGuy, May 23, 2014
    Last edited: May 23, 2014
  16. Rosepetal

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    Thank u nd I have a question if u don't mind me asking isn't ur wife sad that u have been married 26 yrs nd no kids?
     
  17. Radioactive Bi

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    I think the thing to understand is there are different types of intelligence. I've thought about this a lot and created my own model of intelligence. I break it down into the following 4 categories:

    1. Knowledge and memory - the amount of information you know and how much/well you can recall it.

    2. Logic and comprehension - actual understanding of knowledge and ability to deduce and problem solve whether it be mathematical or situational.

    3. Creativity and imagination - to be able to spontaneously generate new ideas out of your own mind or further develop other ideas.

    4. Wisdom - the correct application of knowledge to achieve the most favourable/beneficial outcome for yourself and the greatest amount of people. This sometimes requires emotional detachment as not to bias a decision.

    I think intelligence involves a combination of the above. Someone can have an extremely high rating in one of these but low in another. For example, I've known people who have very high knowledge and logic but seriously lack in wisdom (the sort of people that are smart but have no common sense). You could therefore argue that someone who is really logical and knowledgable but not very creative of wise is equally intelligent as someone who is medium across the board or someone who may not be very logical but very creative.

    Happy days :slight_smile:
     
  18. Hexagon

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  19. HuskyPup

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    When they don't need to use their 'smart phone' every 5 minutes.
     
  20. Kaiser

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    Pol Pot, is that you?

    Everyone has pretty much covered what I could say, and possibly better. The only thing I can really add is this:

    " The intelligent ones are the first to admit when they don't know something. But a genius is the first one to admit when they don't know something, but are willing to learn. "