What's your definition of 'Intelligent'?

I think it has more to do with common sense than anything else.

I've known several college professors who were complete idiots, and I'm not just saying that as an insult....I mean they were just not smart.

I've also known people who were very well off financially who were idiots as well. I'm sure we all know people like that.

 

making good decisions. It's not necessarily money since not everyone's motivation is to be freakin rich.

It's not snap either, because quick decisions don't necessarily warrant much intelligence.

For me, the litmus test would be purely based on IQ.

 

I don't think you can judge intelligence with any criteria at all. Definitely not educational pedigree - a lot of well-educated people are dumb. I don't think one can correlate financial success with intelligence at all, and IQ tests are just very unreliable and worthless in most cases.

 

Combination of common sense & education.

To me, a great barometer of whether someone is "intelligent" or not is viewing the decisions they have made throughout their life.

Financial success is not a good barometer of intelligence.

I personally know a few people who are quite wealthy yet I would not consider them "intelligent". These are people who have gotten wealthy via their parents (born into it...taking over the family business), yet continue to make decisions that wind up with them getting arrested, sued, or in the news for all the wrong reasons.

 

there is no such thing as one comprehensive category of intelligence that you can gauge people by relatively. there are just different types of intelligence for different strengths. people can be academic geniuses but social tards, and vice versa. however, i do think intelligence should be defined as the ability to think, not just to know. good memory can help you acquire knowledge and make you sound intelligent, but without the ability to form your own thoughts i wouldn't count that as intelligence. i think there is some level of natural intelligence and some portion that has to be developed through hard work. the same is true of any area of your life, from sports to relationships. some of it comes naturally, the rest you have to work for.

 

decisions, decisions, decisions.

also, grammar.

 

I would say its being able to do what's needed to get what they want (and I mean, REALLY want, not what society or other people tell them what they want). Part of that goes with being a fast learner, not exclusively in academics.

Also, we weren't wired to be good at everything, so I would consider those able to be experts in their respective area to be intelligent if they can manage to be the best in a competitive field and stay there(from anywhere from astrophysics to even video games). That might be talent, but you need intelligence to get there and stay there.

Lastly, I think those that can manage to get what they want without having to compete with others is also a form of intelligence. Being able to find a different route from everyone else and still get good results, kind of like those students that get into the school of their choice despite being below the average accepted student, because they figured out how to distinguish themselves from the masses.

 

I think people often conflate intelligence with wisdom. I'd say a lot of issues where someone has all the trappings of intelligence but still acts like a dumb-ass stems from a lack of wisdom. Defining where exactly intelligence ends and wisdom begins is a little nebulous.

 

Howard Gardner did a lot of writing on this. He actually thought we each had multiple intelligences and different people had different strenghts and weakness's within those intelligences. Thats why we all learn different ways.

I think he makes alot of sense.

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

Linguistic intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language Writers, poets, lawyers and speakers are among those that Howard Gardner sees as having high linguistic intelligence.


Logical-mathematical intelligence consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically.

Musical intelligence involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns.

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one's whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements.

Spatial intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas.

Interpersonal intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows people to work effectively with others. Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders and counsellors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.

Intrapersonal intelligence entails the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations. In Howard Gardner's view it involves having an effective working model of ourselves, and to be able to use such information to regulate our lives.

 

The opposite of intelligent is when people try to use "big" words but end up using them incorrectly...

 

Great thread.

I think intelligence is measured by how comfortable you make people within conversation. I enjoy talking to people that know a little bit about everything and try to learn more about you within the context of the exchange.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

-Elenanor Roosevelt

 

I agree...



"I'm speechifying here!"

 

How many personas do you think actually do this?

 

For me, it is the ability to make connections and see patterns, whether those patterns are numeric, spatial, musical, or whatever. I really like what Cesar posted as it is pretty close to what I believe in that some people have a lot of intelligence in certain areas, but none or very little in others.

Common sense (snap) has a bit to do with my assessment of intelligence, but only a bit. Snap is just one more area where one could be intelligent.

I have a good friend who is 5'6", blonde, and HOT. She gradiated from H.S. with a 4.5 GPA, got a scholarship to Purdue, graduated with a 3.75 GPA with a degree in Microbiology. She is one of the most "intelligent" people I know, but has absolutely zero "common sense." When she and a friend of hers (90 lb. girl of Filipino descent) had a car break down in the 3rd ward, the friend had to MAKE her call me, at which point she actually asked me "why can't we just hitchhike home from here?"

Love her to death and she is a sharp as a razor about most things, but no snap whatsoever.

 

Well, that would explain a lot about women.

 

My definition of "intelligence" is being able to solve problems without others' assistance.

Including words in Spanish in everyday conversations/threads/writings is not a sign of intelligence :

"He speaks English, so I know he's smart." - Shaq, when asked what he thought about Yao in an interview.

WTF?

I'd like to add something to what you dudes have so cleverly answered: DO NOT CONFUSE "memory power" with intelligence

 

Women have half the brain of Man. It's science.

 

They better give it back to us.