Intelligence is a common term that everyone uses. We talk highly about it, experts discuss it, there are even studies that were done exclusively on it. But what exactly is it?
Photo by Dawn Marie
Simply put, intelligence is the ability to acquire as well as apply knowledge and skills in whatever environment that one is in.
But is that all there is to it? Perhaps there is more to the typical meaning of intelligence than the ability to learn about, learn from, understand, and interact.
Let’s take a closer look at this word intelligence. Perhaps it can also mean one’s ability to perform abstract reasoning. It could also include one’s memory capacity, as in, how much one is able to retain in his or her memory, how fast their mental speed is and how capable they are at problem solving.
Perhaps it can also include their creative capabilities in maybe music or the arts. Many musical and artistic legends throughout history have been described as geniuses, so perhaps this is something else that we need to consider.
And what about emotional intelligence? Is there even such a thing?
Well, this is what I want to discuss in the upcoming series that I'll be co-writing with my partner, Janet Doman. Janet is the Director of the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential. We will be looking at intelligence from all sorts of angles and perspective.
We'll be covering these aspects of intelligence:
- Intelligence - the key to Increasing Your child's Potential
- Want a Smart Kid? - Environment is the Key!
- Debunking the IQ Test.
- Motivation or Intelligence? The Great Debate...
- The 1 thing that Increases Intelligence NO MATTER WHAT
So, stayed tuned this week for more posts and in the meantime, please post any questions that you have on the topic and I will make sure they get answered!
Thanks 
Melissa
I believe there is something that could be called Silent Knowledge. Where is person knows something yet cannot find the words to tell about it or express it.
It is like unconditional love. The moment you try to find words for such a thing you realize that it cannot be explained and you just let it be what it is. It appears like if we try to explain it, "it" goes away.
Would you comment your thoughts on this?
I have 2 adopted children, who were both considered to have "below average intelligence" and I was told there was very little I could do to change that. But with tutors and an at home reading program they have begun to thrive at school. Can you please provide your thoughts and tips on how the environment a child grows up in can enhance their intelligence? Thanks!
Anna
Hi Melissa
The very first thing you wrote on your website was:
'All children are born geniuses'.
I therefore don't understand why a lot of the articles you present contain ideas about 'improving' our children or their 'potential'. Would it not be better to leave our children largely alone (with the exception of protecting them from harm) and to let them develop and grow into themselves naturally rather than replacing one set of impositions (traditional education) with another set (new educational forms).
Are not both of these unnecessary interference for a genius? How can we be sure that the new ideas are not equally restricting and inadequate? Just because they are new and different does not necessarily make them any more useful.
Also, if we think that our children need to be 'improved' in some way, are we not implying all the time that there is something wrong with who they are and thus potentially dealing a serious blow to their self-esteem?
How about a little bit of humility? How about the notion that we have no need to interfere and can let Life flow naturally. An acorn does not need to be taught how to become a magnificent oak. Of course we can produce beautiful gardens which conform to our personal tastes, but can we ever come close to producing a garden as beautiful as the one that Nature produces automatically when left alone? Why should human life form be different from every single other life form on Earth?
I prefer to remain open-minded and therefore do not subscribe to any particular religion or philosophy, but I believe that Christians call this notion something like 'let go and let God'.
"Then have no care for tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself." Matthew 6:34
"Leave life alone. Let it be." Eckhart Tolle
I believe all children are born geniuses' because they are more closely connected with their spiritual nature - the God within. They are guided by intuition but then we start to train them and create limits. Some limits are necessary to protect them from the world as it exists today but when we get to education we continue to create barriers, boundaries, and constraints and insist that this is the only way to be successful. I believe this is where we are moving off the natural path. It is a fine line that we must walk and each of us moves at different speeds and sees life from their own perspective so there is no one size that fits all. This is where it become difficult for any school system because they assume everyone needs to learn in a certain way and must learn certain a specific set of facts. This even occurs in college but what if we changed the approach and it became one of free interaction were we could all share each others perspective and discuss many multiple approaches to solving a problem. Would not this approach speed up the evolution process while acknowledging the uniqueness and value of each individuals perspective? I think that the group would eventually gravitate to the best answer. How would this enhance self esteem as well as respect for an individuals opinion if there was not any repercussion or threat of negative or destructive criticism? I would anticipate that the speed of evolution of our education system would increase significantly and we would again have the best and brightest in this country. Our children would stay connected with their spiritual natures which would result in a more balance existence and I belive that we would have more breakthroughs in our understanding of every aspect of our lives and this physical plane where we currently reside.
After all we are all spiritual beings on a temporary journey manifested as physical beings on this particular quantum plane.
I am anxious to see what comes out of this blog. I hope that we continue to get connected with a diverse group of opinions as well as with those who have tried various methods that work well for them. Again the more perspectives that we see and the more folks that have tried varous approaches, the faster we will all be able to learn from one another and leap frog over each other resulting in value for everyone connected.
i just wanted to say that I love all the comments posted on this. Especially the last two. They were very well thought out responses and I really agree with them. I believe that when children are left to alone so that they can learn what interests them they will naturally accell in what they suits them and the world best.