“Intelligence is genetic.”
I have had conversations on the nature of intelligence with several people in the last few months. The talks start softly, rise to animated levels and end without a climax. If I’ve concluded anything it’s that people don’t know enough to argue one way or another on the subject matter.
The first problem we stumbled upon was the definition of intelligence. What does it mean to be intelligent? Does it mean you can solve mathematical problems easily? Or that you pick up new information quickly? Are you intelligent if you have several college degrees? Or is it related to street-smarts? What about an amazing painter, is he intelligent?
I find intelligence to be extremely difficult to define. Everyone seems to have his or her own mis-definition, misconception, or bias. But no one can give me an all-encompassing definition. And don’t even get me started on those so-called intelligence quotient tests.
Even though one cannot talk about how a characteristic is obtained when one cannot even define the attributes of that characteristic, we can move to the next issue of how one becomes intelligent. The idea that intelligence is inherited is too limited for me.
If intelligence is inherited, then why do we bother to push the limits? Why do we go to school and work so hard? It’s all a useless endeavor to grow gray cells.
If it’s something passed down from your parents, how come the world has intelligent and stupid people? Wouldn’t the stupid people be weeded out by now?
The idea that you’re locked into an intelligence level at birth is so depressing to me. That means, no matter how hard you try and how much you work, you can never improve your level of intelligence. Doesn’t the idea make you want to cry too?
I like to believe that intelligence is a multi-threaded personality trait. It’s like an octopus with lots of tentacles, each defining a different aspect of intelligence. I also like to think that we’re each born with a capacity of unlimited intelligence, whatever that means, and all we have to do is water the seeds given to us.
I understand that different people have knacks for different things inherently, though even that can possibly be attributed to nurture but that’s a side issue. Even if one person is quicker with addition than another, it doesn’t mean that person was born more intelligent.
Maybe I’m too optimistic or naive, but I’m going to keep believing that everyone is capable of being extremely intelligent until someone can prove me otherwise. In the meantime I’m hitting the books on this subject matter. Howard Gardner seems to have written a lot on the issue. Do you know of anyone else?
Previously? Special Moments.
Robert J. Sternberg has done a lot of work in this area as well, though with a slightly different approach. See his triarchic theory of intelligence – http://tip.psychology.org/stern.html
If intelligence is inherited, why are my parents so dumb?
Can everything be put down to nurture than nature?
Personally, I think that intelligence is the combination of nature and nurture. To me genetics allows for a “predisposition” toward intelligence, just as there are genetic traits that predispose people to many diseases. Whether the nurturing or environmental factors that foster development of intelligence are there or not, I think have as much a role in determining whether someone is “intelligent.”
There is research in education about “multiple intelligences” that tries to put a number and a handle on the different qualities that people have. I think there are seven intelligences. A search for “multiple intelligence theory” probably will give you more links than you have time to look. The gist is that some are good with numbers, others are good at kinesthetics (atheletes), and so on, I believe there in an “interpersonal” intelligence in this group, as well.
It is a very interesting topic.
Steven J Gould’s “Mismeasure of man” is specifically aimed at debunking the One Number theory of intelligence. I don’t know were he stands on innateness.
hmm. Sternberg and Gould both look quite interesting, I will make sure to dig deeper into both, thanks so much! As for can everything be put to nurture? it’s an interesting question, especially these days when they’re finding out that illnesses such as schizophrenia have a lot more to do with nature over nurture. I don’t know the answer to the big question but i do know that the subject matter fascinates me.
chuck, i think the way you explain multiple intelligences is similar to gardner tho I haven’t read all of his book yet, but i feel like i can buy that theory much better than the one number one. 🙂
I think we should refer back to your first question: define intelligence?
To your second question…
I have never been a good student. I have never been much of a reader, or mathematician, but I still consider myself intelligent. Why does it have to be a black and white issue (nurture versus nature)? Can it not be both? I think we are all born with some level of intelligence and the rest we pick up from parents, friends, studies, and experience.
There are gray areas, and I think this topic falls into one. Great entry Karen and I love the intelligence level of your readers. 🙂
hello you, i don’t mind it being a combination of nature and nurture. the only thing that really upsets me is the idea of there being a wired limit in each person. i tend to believe people are born with unlimited potential that, for some reason or another, doesn’t always get realized.
you’re totally right, tho, that it’s very grey and that i have the most kickass readers ever! 🙂