Intelligence

[KG]

How do you determine how smart someone is without some standardized test?

Is it by how they speak, how quickly they pick things up, ability to do multiple things (tasks) at once, etc?

I'm just wondering because I work with people who are somewhat intelligent, yet they can't spell worth a damn. It really makes me question your intelligence if you can't spell simple everyday words.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Intelligence

I definitely believe in specialized intelligence. Some people are absolutely horrible with numbers or language but they have an innate ability to fix things or problem solve, etc... some are more specialized than others, and some are general knowledge people.. hard to have a "test" that captures all this.

Speaking is probably the first indication of intelligence, but that's just because it's the primary medium we have to go by when first meeting someone. People who talk very well are generally pretty smart, but the reverse doesn't hold really, as there are plenty of smart people (both in the traditional academic sense as well as vocational skills sense) who are horrible speakers for whatever reason. But I don't meet many people who are very good communicators, have good vocabularies, and experess their ideas clearly who aren't "intelligent".

Multi-tasking is a great skill to have, but if you're generally poor at all the things you're doing, it's not an indication of intelligence or mental aptitude.

And some people are just horrible at spelling. I honestly think that comes from some bad teaching early in their lives regarding figuring out how to spell words on your own. Basic phonics and "sounding out" words as a child will get you most of the way to being a good speller -- once you get the exceptions down and other strange English rules in later schooling, basically everyone should be competent spellers. However, I think that first step is often missing -- everyone has to learn some phonics just to be able to read at all, but the focus on parts of words, the use of those parts in other words, properly detecting prefixes/suffixes, etc. is the stuff that really helps with spelling. I don't think spelling is an indication of intelligence at all in my experience. It does make people seem stupid when they ask for really basic everyday words, but I don't think it's any real indication.. more likely it's just a reflection of bad teaching or in some cases, a person who is just linguistically-challenged.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Intelligence

I think that there insn't a such thing as your stereotypical "inteligent" person. People are smart in different things. Some may be good organizers but are average or below at everything else. It all depends on the person and the topic.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Intelligence

I think that there insn't a such thing as your stereotypical "inteligent" person. People are smart in different things. Some may be good organizers but are average or below at everything else. It all depends on the person and the topic.

I agree, which is why standardized tests are basically useless as measures of "intelligence" -- they can only really measure specific knowledge areas.

Heh, I'm one of those people who remembers every random fact I come across. I would've killed on Rock and Roll Jeopardy back in the day... I was getting most of the answers right when I was 14 and I've been sponging up more knowledge since then... me and my Dad are both like that. I pride myself on knowing at least a little bit about basically everything due to this "ability" (probably a curse really.. I remember the social security numbers of people I serve at work sometimes hah) and normally clean up whenever I play trivia-based games.

Also, my Dad and I regularly have "Name That Tune"-style contests whenever songs come on the radio. We both normally get it in 3-4 notes haha.. music is probably my strong suit when it comes to memorizing things I guess.

[Matt Diesel]

Re: Intelligence

And some people are just horrible at spelling. I honestly think that comes from some bad teaching early in their lives regarding figuring out how to spell words on your own. Basic phonics and "sounding out" words as a child will get you most of the way to being a good speller -- once you get the exceptions down and other strange English rules in later schooling, basically everyone should be competent spellers. However, I think that first step is often missing -- everyone has to learn some phonics just to be able to read at all, but the focus on parts of words, the use of those parts in other words, properly detecting prefixes/suffices, etc. is the stuff that really helps with spelling. I don't think spelling is an indication of intelligence at all in my experience. It does make people seem stupid when they ask for really basic everyday words, but I don't think it's any real indication.

Andrew Jackson is quoted as saying, "It is a damn poor mind indeed which can't think of at least two ways to spell any word."

I agree holehartedlee .

[duke776]

Re: Intelligence

Heh, I'm one of those people who remembers every random fact I come across.

I'm the exact same way, I'm really amazed about how I can just remember all these little facts that don't mean much but occasionally come in handy. Lyrics to songs are a big one, I know so many songs it's just absurd, I guess it's just something that gets stuck in my head.

[fishepa]

Re: Intelligence

I determine intelligence by the way people post on message boards. Needless to say there is not a lot of intelligence on OS.

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Intelligence

I'm the person my friends would call if they were stuck on a question on "Cash Cab", no question.

I love it when something I didn't think I knew comes out of the ether... like on Jeopardy I'll be totally stumped and assume I don't know the answer... then the answer just flies out somehow. The human mind is crazy as hell and the potential is almost limitless.

[callmetaternuts]

Re: Intelligence

Intelligence is so broad. You have fact people, memory people, math people, word people etc

[stewaat]

Re: Intelligence

I definitely believe in specialized intelligence. Some people are absolutely horrible with numbers or language but they have an innate ability to fix things or problem solve, etc... some are more specialized than others, and some are general knowledge people.. hard to have a "test" that captures all this.

Speaking is probably the first indication of intelligence, but that's just because it's the primary medium we have to go by when first meeting someone. People who talk very well are generally pretty smart, but the reverse doesn't hold really, as there are plenty of smart people (both in the traditional academic sense as well as vocational skills sense) who are horrible speakers for whatever reason. But I don't meet many people who are very good communicators, have good vocabularies, and experess their ideas clearly who aren't "intelligent".

Multi-tasking is a great skill to have, but if you're generally poor at all the things you're doing, it's not an indication of intelligence or mental aptitude.

And some people are just horrible at spelling. I honestly think that comes from some bad teaching early in their lives regarding figuring out how to spell words on your own. Basic phonics and "sounding out" words as a child will get you most of the way to being a good speller -- once you get the exceptions down and other strange English rules in later schooling, basically everyone should be competent spellers. However, I think that first step is often missing -- everyone has to learn some phonics just to be able to read at all, but the focus on parts of words, the use of those parts in other words, properly detecting prefixes/suffixes, etc. is the stuff that really helps with spelling. I don't think spelling is an indication of intelligence at all in my experience. It does make people seem stupid when they ask for really basic everyday words, but I don't think it's any real indication.. more likely it's just a reflection of bad teaching or in some cases, a person who is just linguistically-challenged.

I can judge my own laziness as just viewing the size of this quote and simply writing this without reading a single word of what this person wrote.

[dkgojackets]

Re: Intelligence

I can judge my own laziness as just viewing the size of this quote and simply writing this without reading a single word of what this person wrote.

a true lazy person would just have replied tl;dr

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Intelligence

I can judge my own laziness as just viewing the size of this quote and simply writing this without reading a single word of what this person wrote.

Seconded.

[stewaat]

Re: Intelligence

a true lazy person would just have replied tl;dr

Okay then I'm an intelligent lazy person.

Intelligence to me is how quickly you can pick things up and how you carry yourself.

[RAZRr1275]

Re: Intelligence

Okay then I'm an intelligent lazy person.

Intelligence to me is how quickly you can pick things up and how you carry yourself.

To me I'd add what you have potential to know. Without initiative potential just stays potential. That's how the laziness factors in for me.

[GoodVela]

Re: Intelligence

Intelligence is so broad. You have fact people, memory people, math people, word people etc

And then there's hndavis.