INTELLIGENCE — WHAT IS IT?

Intelligence is not knowledge. It is the capacity to obtain knowledge. There are many highly intelligent people that, due to their circumstances, have not had opportunity to obtain great knowledge.

There also are people who have accessed considerable knowledge about a particular subject, but have little understanding about many important subjects that affect their quality of life. Are they “intelligent”?

Intelligence can be defined and measured in a number of different ways. A common approach is the infamous IQ test. I have little respect for this measure.

In college I began to see by my junior year I was picking up information more redily and applying it more usefully than during my freshman year. I felt smarter, not because of information gained, but the ability to gain it.

I was given an IQ test by my psychology teacher my freshman year. The results were, for good reason, kept secret. I spoke to my teacher my Junior about my feelings expressed above, and suggested perhaps my IQ had grown. Politely but firmly she informed me, “Oh, no. IQ does not change”. That was the paradigm of the day, and still to large degree still is.

I made a wager with my dear friend and teacher. Give me another IQ test. If the results are measurably different you’ll have to tell me both scores, freshman year and now. If not, not.

She, with confidence, agreed. One, two weeks passed following this second test. No word. Finally I went to her and reminded her of…