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26 settembre

An individual's intelligence: Can it really be measured?

If there's one word I prefer not hearing it's the word stupid. Same thing goes for any synonyms or inferences related to it for everyone has at least one aspect of themselves that outshines someone else's talents, knowledge or strengths.

If you think about it, there's no such thing as a "completely dumb person". People may make unwise decisions, ask questions majority of us would consider "common sense", be mentally challenged or miserably flunk a course but that doesn't necessarily make them "stupid". With everyone's flaws comes potential. And with potential comes a wonderful platform on which to build success. The key is to focus on these prime areas with consistent determination, passion and sheer faith.

Even if a person truly believes they have nothing outstanding to offer the world, someone else, believe it or not, DOES. They may not have found their niche just yet, but it's there. If they're determined enough, they'll develop the skills necessary for their best suited interests. And sometimes when they least expect it, their main talent falls onto their lap and their whole life's identity gradually reveals itself to them.

Now there are lots of complex tests that try to measure a person's intelligence as accurately as possible. The infamous one being the IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test developed in France by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon.

Originally intended to test if a child was mentally "retarded" over a century ago, the modern IQ test has now expanded to various forms of mental ability such as verbal, mathematical, spatial, memory and reasoning. When "pre-testing" a sample of the broader population, results obtained usually show that majority of people have an IQ between 90 and 110. Because majority of society's problem solving mentality contrived in this test is average, we get a classic, "bell-shaped" curve as shown below.

Notice how the highest point of the graph is in the middle? This represents the average intelligence level, obviously comprising of the majority. The left end of the graph that declines represents the lower than average intelligence and the right represents the really genius IQs. Think it'll change in the next century? Too bad we won't be here long enough to find out. It is kinda interesting to find out.

Minus the help of professionals who study the human mind, all the invasive forms of measuring intelligence, we can also look at obtaining the next belt in karate as testing ones smarts on the spot. Example: Say you were unexpectedly attacked from behind, your initial reaction would be to use what techniques you've learned in class to defend yourself. Although the scenarios are rehearsed, everything you've learned to master your karate to that point was still knowledge you had to make an effort to understand.

Even something as a challenge of opinions could be classified as measuring people's intelligence. Some people are able to deliver their standpoints with poise, others are outspoken, while some choose to carry a bluntness through everyday conversation. Based on delivery, wording, tone, content and standpoint, a person can have a way of portraying themselves in an intelligent or unintelligent manner. It just depends on what tactic they decide to use.

The examples above demonstrate only a small portion of life's many "smart tests" thrown our way. But the important thing to realize through this is that just like beauty, smarts come in all shapes, all sizes, all colours, all faces in our universe. Just because you cannot see it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

*For more info on measuring intelligence, read BBC's Science and Nature Hot Topics*