Wisdom About Intelligence

WISDOM ABOUT INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence covers a broad spectrum of definitions, which varies from individual to individual. To a child intelligence may mean whoever can recite to Barney song most accurately, yet to an adult intelligence has a much more sophisticated meaning. I feel as if Intelligence is something that is acquired throughout ones life, through life experiences. For example when a kid touches a hot stove one time and hurts himself, they know not to do so ever again. John Locke’s popular theory is a perfect example. According to Locke an individual’s behavior can be progressed gradually throughout the life; that the individual is born with no innate mental intelligence (Wikepedia). Everything they learn and do is based on the environment they are brought up in and their experiences. My main belief involving intelligence is that I believe it is NOT a fixed entity. Intelligence is something that is acquired to a degree. Many scientific papers have proved its relationship to genetics, meaning a smarter couple produces more intelligent offspring; however I feel there are many variables that are involved. For this reason, I believe it is not a fixed entity. These variables include how a child is brought up, the atmosphere they are taught in, what they are taught etc. Another belief that falls hand in hand with the previous one is that every individual is smart to a degree and the level of work they do will matter accordingly. For example Student A, who is very smart, studies 3 hours for her Biology exam and gets an A. Student B, who is not as bright, studies 3 hours on her Biology exam and gets a B. However when student B studies 5 hours for her biology exam, she also gets an A. This simply means that student A and B and equally smart yet Student A absorbs information at a quicker and steadier pace. Student B will soon be at that level also, but is currently learning how to adapt to certain study tactics that student A already has. This example describes my overall belief of intelligence. How any two students can be at the same level of intelligence yet one may have to work harder than the other. Howard Gardner’s theory on multiple intelligence, explains that everyone is intelligent at different skills. In total he has about eight or nine different types of intelligence that one can acquire. Some achieve high level at specific one, while they may achieve low levels at a different category. I agree with Gardner one hundred percent. This follows what Emily Halevy writes in the article Intelligence vs. Hard Work. She discusses a study done by Stanford university researchers on ninety one seventh graders. The study concludes that Intelligence is not as important as how hard you work.

This brings me to the first and foremost education policy currently at had the No