How do you measure intelligence in a person?

Stringer

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For me, it comes down to several ways - things that make me turn my head. Well spoken and well written people always come off as intelligent to me. If you have taken enough time to master the English language, chances are you are pretty bright. On the flip side, I find writers who are very vague and non-descriptive while using big "smart-sounding words" in their writing to be pompous, pretentious and less smart. You'll find this a ton with scholars and what they write (especially now as I find myself trudging through college textbooks). You know who I'm referring to. The guy who uses words like "antidisestablishmentarianism," when 99% of his audience will have no clue what he means, and therefore find him boring and tough to read. Anyway, I digress......

My mother always said one of the biggest signs of intelligence is this: "being able to take a complicated issue and put it into terms such that the average person can understand it." Barack Obama is an example of someone who does this impeccably. NY Times OpEd writers as well (almost all NYT journalists actually). I try to strive for this now with everything I say or write, and I obviously use it as a gage for smarts in a particular person. Thanks mom!

A real sense of humor with a quick wit is also another giveaway.

What in particular makes you take notice of someone's brains?
 
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AlphaMale

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It's my own personal belief that the good "brain-related" traits are as follows:

(Keep in mind that people can have one, none, or all of these)

Intelligence - Being able to learn new things quickly. Intelligent people can undergo new tasks and pick them up with relative ease. Even if the task is something that takes a 'normal' person a good amount of time to learn and understand. People who are intelligent have high IQ's (hence the name).

Knowledge - Knowing a lot of information and facts. This one really doesn't get you too much in real life other than high test scores in history and being able to beat your friends at Jeopardy. This is the "cool" one to have, but it has little practical use.

Smart(s) - Just generally being good at what you do (it can be nearly anything). This is the best of the three traits to have. For example, some people are very 'smart' at making money, but couldn't solve simple math problems to save their life. The career students could really learn a thing or two from these people. Rather than thinking that because they have 5 PhD's and are broke that they are somehow 'better' or 'smarter' than these people. Being "smart" is the trait that everyone wants to have (or thinks they have), but very few people actually have.
 
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Stringer

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Great post, Alpha. Couldn't agree with you more on the "smarts" category. I already alluded to my mother, well now I will with my father. He's an example of someone who is very smart, in the real sense of the word. He was always an average student and wound up dropping out of community college after a year. He came from a broken home with a very screwed up early life.

But he is very smart. He was able to start his own small business which he has kept running for over 35 years - always getting great reviews from his customers. He knows how to deal with and interact with people. Because of him, I believe being socially smart will get you further in life than any possible degree from MIT or Princeton can.
 

AlphaMale

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Great post, Alpha. Couldn't agree with you more on the "smarts" category. I already alluded to my mother, well now I will with my father. He's an example of someone who is very smart, in the real sense of the word. He was always an average student and wound up dropping out of community college after a year. He came from a broken home with a very screwed up early life.

But he is very smart. He was able to start his own small business which he has kept running for over 35 years - always getting great reviews from his customers. He knows how to deal with and interact with people. Because of him, I believe being socially smart will get you further in life than any possible degree from MIT or Princeton can.

Great personal story! And I completely agree with the bolded part :biggrin1:
 
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798686

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Because of him, I believe being socially smart will get you further in life than any possible degree from MIT or Princeton can.
This is true. When I was younger, I always thought it was raw academic ability that counted. It took personal setbacks and mistakes to realise that's not always the case.

Common sense, initiative, practicality, drive - these are all equally (if not more) important. Looking back at people I was at school with, it's the ones who got life experience and had their feet on the ground who got the furthest - being good at school opens doors and is good in addition, but it's pretty useless unless you have the social and life skills to make good use of it. :)
 
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Everone has their own speciality. I suppose intelligence can be measured by how one can not only talk about something in theory, but put it into practice and succeed. Theory and practical application.
 

kenny233

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I always notice what people contribute to discussions. To me, clearly spoken ideas and opinions based on logic, rather than what might be popular or trendy, indicate that a person is intelligent.

Many people are "book smart," and there is nothing wrong with it, but I appreciate hearing someone explain how things work, or why something happens a certain way because of practical knowledge. Examples would be explaining something's mechanics or design, why a tradition exists, or the logic of the way something is done in society. I can't believe how many "smart" people don't understand basic happenings that surround them every day. I truly believe that some of the mechanical engineers I graduated with would not know how to change the oil in their car, but are qualified to design machinery.

To me, being well rounded is important. I am impressed by folks who have practical common sense, as well as being well read and educated.
 
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deleted3782

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One of life's little joys is when someone proves me wrong, such as my face-value assumptions of their intelligence...and I get that joy with greater frequency the older I get. :rolleyes:
 

luka82

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It`s easy! I use Patchos :)
If you are close to Patchos, then you are smart. There aren`t many people above Patchos.
Most people are under Patchos :)))))
 
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798686

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It`s easy! I use Patchos :)
If you are close to Patchos, then you are smart. There aren`t many people above Patchos.
Most people are under Patchos :)))))
Awww, you're also without equals, Luka!
... only superiors. :wink:
 

OhWiseOne

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As stated previously social skills in your field of work are very important. Nothing against "book smarts" but if you can't apply it to life in the sense what good is it?

I would much rather spend time with someone who is personally interesting and hear about thier lifes experiences than be bored to tears with meaningless BS.
 

D_Sal_Manilla

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It's my own personal belief that the good "brain-related" traits are as follows:

(Keep in mind that people can have one, none, or all of these)

Intelligence - Being able to learn new things quickly. Intelligent people can undergo new tasks and pick them up with relative ease. Even if the task is something that takes a 'normal' person a good amount of time to learn and understand. People who are intelligent have high IQ's (hence the name).

Knowledge - Knowing a lot of information and facts. This one really doesn't get you too much in real life other than high test scores in history and being able to beat your friends at Jeopardy. This is the "cool" one to have, but it has little practical use.

Smart(s) - Just generally being good at what you do (it can be nearly anything). This is the best of the three traits to have. For example, some people are very 'smart' at making money, but couldn't solve simple math problems to save their life. The career students could really learn a thing or two from these people. Rather than thinking that because they have 5 PhD's and are broke that they are somehow 'better' or 'smarter' than these people. Being "smart" is the trait that everyone wants to have (or thinks they have), but very few people actually have.

I think Alpha ended the thread cause its pretty much on point.
 
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798686

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As stated previously social skills in your field of work are very important. Nothing against "book smarts" but if you can't apply it to life in the sense what good is it?

I would much rather spend time with someone who is personally interesting and hear about thier lifes experiences than be bored to tears with meaningless BS.
I often find low-paid people much more interesting to listen to (and nicer) - not sure why? Possibly they've been through more, or had hardships or view things in a more down-to-earth way. Obv a generalisation, but often holds true. :)
 

bigboy9239

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Frankly, I agree with all of the posts above, to a degree....but there are numerous types of intelligence. Yes, there is book smart, and street smart, as well as empathetic intelligence. Some people are geniuses at "reading" others....mostly criminals, but most females seem to be on that side as well. I have a friend who is good at manipulation, but can't spell and can't add, but he's a published author. There are so many types of intelligence, that there is no ONE criteria that would constitute it.

Give me street smarts and mechanical abilty anyday.
 
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798686

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Frankly, I agree with all of the posts above, to a degree....but there are numerous types of intelligence. Yes, there is book smart, and street smart, as well as empathetic intelligence. Some people are geniuses at "reading" others....mostly criminals, but most females seem to be on that side as well. I have a friend who is good at manipulation, but can't spell and can't add, but he's a published author. There are so many types of intelligence, that there is no ONE criteria that would constitute it.

Give me street smarts and mechanical abilty anyday.
Give me all of 'em! :biggrin1:
 

bigboy9239

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I often find low-paid people much more interesting to listen to (and nicer) - not sure why? Possibly they've been through more, or had hardships or view things in a more down-to-earth way. Obv a generalisation, but often holds true. :)

I drove a tractor trailer...and when I would deliver to a rich neighborhood, the people always thought their shit didn't stink...and I was beneath them. Most had lucked into their situation....but the ones who worked for it...I could tell...they were nicer and always tipped. When I went to a poor neighborhood, they always tipped...even if it was a buck or two. The point? How about an example?

Delivered a machine of some type to the Chemistry department of Swarthmore College..... 400 lbs, On a pallet. Saw the department head...a women with a PhD. She for the life of her, could NOT figure how we could get it off the truck. She was trying to engineer some contraption to get it to the ground. She was actually doing math calculations!!! Joking with her, I asked if she had a PhD or something...she said yes! I said then I don't want to talk to you...give me a grad student or a janitor, since you are complicating things. i asked the janitor if they had a loading dock...he pointed behind the building. Problem solved!!!!

First lesson: Don't try to over engineer anything.....second find someone with practical common sense, not just book learning! As I said, there are many types of intelligence!
 
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rbkwp

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and when I would deliver to a rich neighborhood,


ha
reminds me of Voluntary work in London for a housing trust .. collected all this Flash gear, Clothes, to Fridges even, on Tuesdays, delivered it to the Really poor on Thursdays, whole 9 months i was there, week after week,
Rich never tired of getting free cartage out of it hah, of course the poor benefited tremendously ..