I've been thinking about intelligence recently.
What makes a person more intelligent than some one else? Can intelligence be increased and decreased individually, or are we born with a set number? Where do I fit on the IQ scale, and what does that mean for my potential in life?
This sudden interest in the implications of my IQ comes as a result of several instigators. As I've decided to pursue my Masters degree in nutrition, I've started the process of completing all the prerequisites needed for a girl with a B.A. in Media Communication to pursue a Masters in the field of Science. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, and upper level nutrition courses. Pretty abstract stuff.
I know I can excel at these classes if I put my mind to it, but it's going to take an enormous amount of "mind to it" for me to do so. Some people see a mathematical or abstract concept and instantly get it, like those annoying boys in 7th grade algebra who raced through their homework in the last 15 minutes of class and finished without a mistake in the bunch. I, on the other hand, was, and continue to be, a "plodder", methodically mastering one equation after another, having to build metaphors to really grasp the concepts and behaviors of the equation principles before me.
I'm not one of "those" people. You all know at least one - the person who can do advanced calculous in his head and remembers everything he reads. He can argue both sides of his own argument, and win in either case. He processes data like a computer and reasons like a wise sage, being able to quickly analyze and critique cryptic classical literature while devising a cure for the common cold using basic organic chemistry concepts, for which he wins a scholarship and a nobel peace prize.
Yeah, that guy. As I ponder his many great works and try to understand the basics of his scientific breakthroughs, I have to ask myself: Is my lack of comprehension and speed when pondering abstract concepts because of a less-than-stellar IQ?
Come to think of it, I do a lot of things that would insinuate I'm a few fries short of a happy meal. I'm distracted easily. I mix up my words and colloquialisms. One time, I poured myself some milk and promptly put the gallon up in the cupboard with the plates and glasses. Hours later, Bob opened up the cupboard to grab a dish for a snack and found himself staring at a half-full gallon of skim milk. Confused, he paused and thought, "well, she must have a reason", grabbed the plate and closed the cupboard door.
That night, I opened up the cupboard to set the table for dinner and found the gallon of milk.
"Bob, why on earth did you put the milk in the cupboard?!" I asked him.
Aghast, he looked at me and said, "I didn't do it! You put the milk in the cupboard!"
Of course, he was right. And I was mortified.
Who puts milk in the cupboard completely unawares?
I wish I could say things like this were few and far between, but it would be a lie. Poor Bob has been in the middle of many similar moments of confusion and random acts of weirdness on my part, prompting him to think the warm milk was a planned act. The question that remains for me is this: is this behavior a result of a lesser IQ? Am I really that low on the scale? Would a higher IQ mean the milk would always be put away in the right place?
I recently decided to calm my fears regarding this matter by downloading an IQ test app on my Ipod. Brilliant, I know. I was actually fairly excited about it - I could take the test whenever I wanted and work on my reasoning skills in between tests.
I punch up the app and started my first test. Something about lines and a vague abstract reasoning question. Boring. So I did what I did when I see a clue I don't know right away during a crossword puzzle - I moved on. Well, first I picked a random answer. "C" looked good.
Next question. Ug, a geometry equation. Really boring. Dry as dust. I picked a random answer - "A" - and moved on.
My third question was at least doable. "Which of these four lines is the same as the line to the right?" "B" looked plausible.
And so it went, question by question, most of them dull and uninteresting, most prompting a haphazard educational guess before moving on to the next, until I reached the end and hit "see my results".
According to my Ipod app IQ test, I have a total IQ of 36.
Oh joy.
Now, I don't think that's my real IQ...at least, I hope not. In fact, I think intelligence goes beyond what we would identify as "classic smart". I've observed there is such a thing as niche intelligence.
At Starbucks, where I work as a Barista, there is a certain level of know-how you need to be considered smart by your co-workers. My ability to do calculous in my head is worthless (A special note, I do not possess that ability). My ability to make 5 drinks and prep coffee while simultaneously chatting with customers, coworkers and my manager is a kind of niche intelligence that is respected. I can process many things that once, solving drink problems on the fly and calling ahead in the line to get drink orders quicker, all with a smile. If you put Mr. Science genius in a Starbucks, would he be able to survive? Would he be adaptable? Is a high IQ enough to make you do well at customer service and coffee preparation?
It's the same thing in an office, a zoo, a bag factory and a grocery store. Each environment has a certain set of skills and knowledge base they consider to be the threshold of intelligence. Those who grasp these concepts well and can problem solve have the respect of those around them for their intelligence. Those who don't are considered stupid.
I think there are a set of intelligence markers that transcend niche environments. Adaptability, for example. Quick grasp of concepts. Hard work. And there are other factors involved in learning - learning styles, for example. If you an auditory learner, watching someone sew won't be as helpful to you as someone telling you how to sew. If you're a kinetic learner, sitting through a chemistry lecture is almost pointless, where as Lab work is ideal for learning.
Besides, the human mind has an enormous amount of potential. Study after study shows the malleability of the mind, and it's capacity for regeneration and growth. I read a study about a man who lost half of his brain to a virus. He was like a stroke victim for months until, little by little, he regained almost all of his faculties. A study showed the other side of his brain had grown and changed to accommodate him, and carried 90% of the man's cognitive function. Studies tell us to exercise our brains by challenging them to difficult problems to keep them growing and high-functioning. By agitating our think-tank regularly, reading a variety of literature and expanding our understanding of the world around us, we become smarter.
So before I start to fret over my IQ score with the same concern I give my jean size, I have to look at all the contributing factors. I'm a kinetic learner, so it would make sense that I would need metaphors to make abstract concepts tangible which, of course, takes a little longer. I'm a college graduate with honors, so I know what a huge role hard work plays in success. I have moved around more in my young life than many people I know, so I'm well-versed in adaptability, and I have no desire to find the cure for the common cold, so I know the amount of intelligence I have is plenty for what I want to do in life.
Besides, my IQ, your IQ, is only a number. Life and work is ascribed meaning through our relationships, goals, hopes, actions and enjoyment thereof. My IQ doesn't influence the taste of a perfect summer tomato drizzled in olive oil, or the exhilaration of a run in the rain. If it does, it's all I have and I won't ever know the difference.
I would rather focus on learning about the world around me, sharpening my mind through education and crosswords, working hard for the things I want, and enjoying all that I've been blessed with.
And quite frankly, I think that's pretty smart - IQ of 36 or not.
