Thread: Intelligence

The question "What is intelligence?" should be posed before "Can intelligence be measured?"

If you define it as the performance on an IQ test, then it can be measured. But the widely accepted definition of intelligence is much more vague and unquantifiable. The problem of measurement boils down to the problem of definition.

Originally Posted by p00

No, it's because our parents whip us if we fail. Getting a B automatically makes you the shame of the family. And they want us to succeed so they can brag to everyone about what a great student you are. I think that to asians, money defines intelligence. Most want to be a pharmacist or a doctor because it makes tons of money. My doctor makes money but she SUCKS at being a good doctor.

Quoted for truth. It takes a well placed spear/stunner to set them straight.

Although that's just not limited to acadamic but sport, music and other shit. But oh wellz, I guess it works.

Do you guys think that a persons race or economic status (lets not say adults but the children of said people), will be a definitive characteristic in determining their intelligence?

it depends on the definition of intelligence, but what is sure is that grades at school is not a good way to define it (one does not need to be intelligent to get good grades), as well as IQ which only tells if you can more or less think quickly or not :s

I believe economical status of your parents and the place you live can be a factor to determine someone's intelligence (mainly if you take culture into account for intelligence, which i do to a certain degree), but it won't be a determining one at all
as for your race, it is not much of a matter, though culture and social relations can indeed help (or deserve).

Anyway, intelligence can't be define easily, and even less be determined especially on outward aspects, as if we tend to judge people from their look and attitude (though these characteristics can definitely help to judge someone a priori)

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Do you guys think that a persons race or economic status (lets not say adults but the children of said people), will be a definitive characteristic in determining their intelligence?

Defenitly not, but I agree with shautieh, culture makes a diffrence. If your mind doesn't get challenged then you probably won't be intelligent.
I would say that marks at school say something about the relationsship between your will to make and effort for school and your intelligence, but not more. And if you define the IQ as the thing which is measured by an IQ test then it can ofc be measured, but if you don't do that, then you can't measure it exactly. But I think that IQ tests are a good indicator for someones skill at certain skills, but well, only those skills which get determined.

Well, a good topic and a bad one.
A good one because it really is intesting and a bad one because I have to wrtie a lot in a lenguage I don't know that well.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

So do you think that a persons intelligence can be measured?

No, I really don't think that can be measured. Some of today test maybe get close but they don't really measure it.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Do you believe in biological determination?

If you reffer as some races better than others no I don't. If you reffer as some people being more capable than others yes.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Do you think physical characteristics can define a persons "intelligence"?

No, some people may look and be but is not always.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Should such assumptions be labeled as fact?

Jeje, again with the absolutes and points of view eh. No, I share your opinion that you explianed in the thread about prostitution. I don't think that an opinion like that should be a fact.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Do we even know what the truth is?

We know what the definition of truth is but we don't know the truth of some things, we only think that we do.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

What the hell is intelligence?

Well, I think intelligence is a mix of common sence, logic and the capacity to understand concepts. No to memorize info but to really understand regardless of what conepts are.

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Who is it that defines what intelligence is and why do they have the power to make that distinction and make decisions based off of that?

Lewis Terman, a researcher of Stanford invented the Iq test is taht is what you are asking. And no, I don't think they have that "power"

Originally Posted by StealDragon

Should they present that as "truth"?

No, I don't think so.

Originally Posted by Viraten

Quoted for truth. It takes a well placed spear/stunner to set them straight.

Although that's just not limited to acadamic but sport, music and other shit. But oh wellz, I guess it works.

can't you just say that what i said and what you said are directly correlated with each other? asians get better grades because they parents are strict and force them to study which leads to going to college then a high salary.

^Because that's obvious? Because it wasn't the point I was trying to get across?

*Puts on her robe and thinking cap, then slowly lights her pipe*

Intelligence is one of the factors that society likes to judge itself upon, how smart are the people?

I believe like so many things Intelligence, which is something that can’t ever really be measured, has been categorized by society because deep down all humans are crazy satiations.

I think that IQ is some fairy number to make all of us bored over trained monkeys feel good bout ourselves, that test like SATs, ACTs, LSAT, ect… are just games that some people perform better because they have had more practice.

Some of the most amazing people of our age did not necessarily do that well in University, and we aren’t talking about Bs more like 2.1s or not even going to college. These people helped build society into what it is today. I mean basically after you get out of high school and the University system it isn’t your grades that matter but your relationship with the people you have meet in school, your professors, and advisors, these connections are what really establishes your success.

Even I sometimes ponder if it is worth finishing school but I know I have to because my degree is like my ticket to freedom. It will give me the ability to move more freely and choose my future better than anything I could do with my life. At the same time I know that NOTHING I learn in school is going to help me with any job I get.

Truth is a perception that is cultural and sociological. I’m probably going to over use this example one day, but I’m pretty sure all of see time as going forward and perceiving it thus you point forward to things that are to happen in the future and backwards for things that have already happened. On the other hand if you grew up in the Amazon and hadn’t met any silly westerns you’d know that you should perceive time in the future as behind you and the past in front of you. Why? Because if you grew up in a tribe in the Amazon you have a rich oral history and thus everything know is stuff that you have seen and is in front of you. Thus, the past is in front of you because you have seen it, and the future behind because it is unknown.

I laugh that the same day I make this thread, I remember that this post was in the Miss Universe thread that got necroed. The urge to rant is just overpowering XD