IQ and The 4 Myths about Intelligence That You Should Be Aware Of

What is intelligence? How do we know that a person is intelligent?

These questions have fascinated both the common population as well as the psychological experts, giving rise to everything from quiz competitions to the concept of IQ or intelligence quotient. Intelligence is often assumed to be synonymous with money, success, and happiness.

After all, an intelligent person with a high IQ will always have great job opportunities, and the smarts needed to plan out their life to the last detail. But as scientists have repeatedly discovered, this trait of intelligence, which has been central to the rise of human civilization, is not that easy to understand.

Here are the top myths about intelligence, and the reality that lies behind them.

What do we talk about when we talk about intelligence?

IQ is the Ultimate Intelligence Marker

Created in the early 1900s, IQ has often been seen as the magic number for intelligence. From membership of exclusive clubs like Mensa to the in-depth profiles of high-power CEOs, IQ has featured again and again as a market for intelligence. However, studies have repeatedly shown that IQ is just not enough.

The blame lies in the original conceptualization of intelligence. Many older psychologists believed that intelligence was a single set of mental skills that could be measured. However, it is well documented today that intelligence actually comprises of a lot more skills.

A street smart hawker may not perform well on a traditional IQ test, yet have the skills to thrive in his roadside business. Similarly, musical, creative, and kinesthetic intelligences have often been left out of intelligence tests, which tend to focus on language, analytics, and problem-solving.

Thus, just because somebody performs poorly at an IQ test does not mean that they are not intelligent. Rather, they simply may not be good at the things the test is measuring – and excel at the things it is not measuring.

High Intelligence = Success

While it is true that having higher levels of intelligence does stack the cards in your favor in many ways. But, there is also a catch. In fact, their are multiple ones. People who are gifted tend to struggle early in life, where the average educational settings may not be enough to stimulate their brains.

This may lead to boredom or problem behavior, unless such a child is identified and given an appropriate structure. High intelligence also comes with social caveats.

Those who are recognized as bright students in early days may have a constant pressure to keep performing well in all areas of schooling – even though, as we discussed, intelligence tends to be multifaceted, and one may not be very intelligent in all areas.

Higher intelligence has also been associated with a higher level of mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Thus, intelligent people do have certain challenges that they have to deal with. Intelligence is not a buffer against the trials and tribulations of life.

However, there is no denying that intelligence, and especially the money and resources that come with it, can help in adapting to these challenges easily.

Intelligence is not just about the books

Nature or Nurture?

What really makes a person intelligent? We have the children of some of the brightest people on the planet coming out splendidly average. On the other hand, high IQ has been found even in the most poorest and deprived regions. The reality is not nature or nurture. Rather, it is nature and nurture.

Our genes and hereditary do play a massive impact on our intelligence, but that does not mean that they are its sole determinants. As we saw above, bright children kept in non-stimulating environments are unlikely to have a chance to manifest and work on their intelligence.

Thus, the genes can be seen as a boundary maker, within the confines of which the presence or absence of nurturant factors can ultimately determine how intelligent a person really is.

The exact proportion of impact of these two factors – environment and genetics – have on IQ is not that easy to determine, but scientists do agree that the proportion varies for different people.

Some Cultures/Countries Are Just More Intelligent

For a long time, a dangerous and racist notion was perpetuated on the basis of IQ scoring, one that suggested that western cultures and white individuals tend to be smarter than the rest of the world. However, this wasn’t really a function of intelligence – rather, it was a function of biased testing.

IQ tests were developed in the western context, and sampled on white males, and was meant to calculate the skills that lead to success in the urban landscape. As a result, important markers of intelligence that the other cultures have, have been consistently missed out.

It is important to remember that intelligence is about your ability to adapt to your situation. A fisherman in southeast Asia or a tribesman in Africa may fail on IQ tests – but that does not mean they are failing in life.

This pitfall has been recognized by psychologists worldwide, and has led to the development of better tests of intelligence that are more culture fair. Nobody can deny that intelligence is a very important part of humanity.

It is, however, important to realize that IQ tests and other measures of intelligence are not always accurate, and being intelligent isn’t always a guarantee for success. So the next time you feel like your brain’s a big dum-dum, remember – there is certainly something out there that you are very good at. You just have to discover it.