What is intelligence?

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2003-07-04 12:12am

What exactly is intelligence?

I've begun to think that intelligence in the form of the ability to have insight and creativity is more of a subconscious ability than a force of will. What do you guys think??

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-07-04 12:22am

I would say that intelligence is the ability to learn and apply what you have learned.

TheFeniX · Post by **TheFeniX** » 2003-07-04 12:42am

Durran Korr wrote:I would say that intelligence is the ability to learn and apply what you have learned.

Isn't that more like "experience?"

I would say that intelligence is more along the lines of your ability to form logical conclusions and reason well. A more intelligent person would be able to take the same information and make a better conclusion or read more into it than a less intelligent person. Even with a text-book definition, the term can still be relative to a specific person.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-07-04 12:51am

Not really. Intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, I suppose.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-07-04 11:09am

We've had this thread.

Intelligence is a meanlingless concept referring to nothing tangible or measurable.

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-07-04 11:58am

Its semantics.

"Intelligence" is a word like every other word: it requires a definition. Depending on your definition, the meaning can change. Personally I'd go with "the ability to solve problems by applying knowledge". The more varied set of problems you can solve, the more "intelligent" you are.

If a person lacks knowledge in math, language, morality,
*or*
if their brain's pattern recognition is not as developed and prevents them from accociating new situation with past ones.
*or*
if this same system prevents them from seeing inconsistancies in data causing them to acquire a large pool of false information (eg. fundie, applying false data to solve problems)

then they could be considered less "intelligent" than someone who doesn't have these problems.

--------

Dictionary.com says

-The capacity to acquire and apply knowledge.
-The faculty of thought and reason.
-Superior powers of mind.

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2003-07-04 12:13pm

Can you define something by defining its exact opposite

?

If so then : Darkstar

'nuff said

.

Shadow WarChief · Post by **Shadow WarChief** » 2003-07-04 11:17pm

I would say intelligence is one's ability to solve problems. Of course, intelligence must be then broken down to practical intelligence, mathematical intelligence, scheduling intelligence etc.......

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 2003-07-06 12:35am

TheFeniX wrote:Isn't that more like "experience?"

Nah.

You could experience things and not learn from them. The Gambler's Fallacy is evidence of this.

I would say that intelligence is more along the lines of your ability to form logical conclusions and reason well. A more intelligent person would be able to take the same information and make a better conclusion or read more into it than a less intelligent person. Even with a text-book definition, the term can still be relative to a specific person.

To "reason well"...that's not bad

I've never given much thought to the definition of intelligence. It, like love, is one of those things I don't care to define too precisely. However, w/ respects to Innerbrat, I must say I think "intelligence" isn't totally meaningless or immeasurable. If that was the case, I couldn't determine whether or not I was more intelligent than an insect, for example, nor would such really matter.