Intelligence is not important

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There are a lot of other attributes besides intelligence that will get you farther in life.


> Personality

> Good looks

> Athletic ability


I define intelligence as the ability to understand, extraprolate, and utilize information.

On the surface, this would seem very valuable. But in reality, having advanced intelligence is worthless. Most people on this board have advanced intelligence. We go in depth with a variety of topics and issues.

What we do on this board is pointless and unimportant. Why do we do it then? Because we don't have lives. It is as simple as that.

What we do doesn't lead to anything tangible. Most people NTs would come on this board and think, "Who the f*ck cares?".

Last edited by KevinLA on 26 Dec 2008, 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

> Social skills

> Ruthless opportunism

> Connections

> Hard work

> Dumb luck

also come to mind.

Basically that'll get a lot of the kids in my college to prestigious universities- regardless of their grades (like I'd ever be able to get into a decent course, let alone one at Oxford with a D- and yet /somebody/ manages it due to their background).

For me (~my subjective perception) intelligence has or is a spectrum. Some have more like mathematical intelligence, analytical, some more social intelligence, some maybe more musical int., some are more intelligent to pick up languages, commercial, artistic, games or sports, etc.. I don't know how many categories to make but one is more intelligent in one field and a bit less maybe in an other.

If intelligence isn't important, why does everyone here at WP go to such lengths to prove how smart they are? Since this is the Internet, we can't all whip it out and measure to see who's got the bigger dick. And I'm serious when I say this. Sometimes this website seems like one big intellectual pissing-contest.

Pardon the vulgar language.

What about other traits such as calmness, or enthusiasm, or kindness, or perseverance?

Intelligence governs one's ability to utilize all of these traits to the best of their ability. So yes, it is important.

Peace be to all worshippers of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, but these are talents. Intelligence refers to IQ and the ability to think abstractly.

Intelligence is handicapped if other talents are missing, but the people who most favor the idea that it isn't important probably need some way to compensate for their own lack.

Obviously, these traits are unimportant. Nobody really needs to be smart to do anything.

I dont know about that. My (mother's) dog has a pretty low IQ but she is a genius at creating fun, happiness and making others laugh and being generally great company.

You can't compare dog-mind with human-mind.

Dumb luck is actually a product of several other personality traits (and related behaviors). Unfortunately they're basically all the traits and behaviors that people with AS have a really difficult time with. One of the world's most well-respected scientists, by the name of Richard Wiseman wrote a book about that, covering 10 years of research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wiseman

It's part of the research material for this book I've been working on:

http://smolderingremains.deviantart.com ... 1-82212934

WOW, I haven't seen all the "contests" you speak of. Out of every three I have ever seen here, I probably see AT LEAST one thread like this! BESIDES, WHY BRAG!?!? Most here are relatively anonymous, and intelligence and special abilities are hard enough to PROVE.


> Personality <<<<-Respected less and less if the people are REALLY dumb!
> Good looks <<<<-See last response
> Athletic ability <<<<-There is ALWAYS someone better, and some things will be enhanced more and more if you are smarter.
> Social skills <<<<-Dumber people DO need them more though!
> Ruthless opportunism <<<<-Really dumb people can REALLY get hurt!
> Connections <<<<-EASIER if YOU have something to offer!
> Hard work <<<<-This will become even HARDER for dumber people.
> Dumb luck <<<<-Well, one person once said something like "opportunity meets preparation". In other words, a stupid person may be given a GREAT opportunity and not even notice it. Someone else may be given less opportunity, and end up succeeding BIG TIME! It is like the twilight zone episode where a guy gets to go back in time with info he has NOW, and buy land worth MILLIONS for what he thought was a SONG! He EVEN gloated to those that sold the land. THEY KNEW about the oil! He didn't REALLY know enough, and didn't even know what he didn't know, or how to achieve it(He KNEW about a "starter motor", for example, but called it a "self starter", didn't know how it worked, or that he was a bit too early for such an idea.), and ended up having to sell his asset for over a 96% LOSS! He got back as a PAUPER and the person he sold the asset to ended up being HIS boss, even though he was that guys boss prior, etc....

BTW I will always remember the time a major toy company could have made me RICH! I didn't have the financing(preparation), and was too honest/risk adverse for the "Ruthless opportunism", so I failed to be able to use the "dumb luck" to get RICH! I COULD have gotten some good connections. Who knows, they WERE perhaps the first that Amazon dealt with. If I had lined up that deal, Amazon might have dealt with ME, and I would have invested at a time when they started making money!

So STUPIDITY just doesn't cut it. HECK, even the DUMBEST people that are RICH have OTHERS helping them. Look at mary kate and ashley! They became rich before they likely even understood the concept! HOW!?!?!? Their AGENT was an attorney that created a corporation, etc... They had DUMB LUCK! AND as KIDS, GIRLS, and RICH, they were able to play off almost every attribute. Just look at Limited too!

Intelligence is a relative thing to begin with. A man or woman in the company of apes for example.

Truth be known, I HAVE spoken of a planet of the apes. I mean JUST LIKE THE MOVIES! IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE. OK, the apes have different makeup, but STILL. Somehow though, I will have to change my story. Science has hurt the punch line: 8-(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominidae

Look at the first animal in the list.

Yes you can.