Intelligence

[Treadon]

Is it something we're born with or somethign we develop over time?

Are smart people always smart?
Can moderatly intelligent people become smart?
Can geniuses become stupid?

[Shanna]

yes
yes
and yes

[Colonel Sanders]

It's partially genes, but the majority I believe is just the experiences you go through in life, more importantly your personality (which I believe you are mostly born with) and how you handle situations..leaders/followers and a dozen other personality combos etc....which also greatly influence what you are more apt to learn and follow..thus intelligence.

[peddle07]

Is it something we're born with or somethign we develop over time?

Are smart people always smart?
Can moderatly intelligent people become smart?
Can geniuses become stupid?
Are smart people always smart?
I guess what you define "smart" as really. I mean there are a multitude of ways to look at being "smart". There are people who can study a subject vigorously and learn that particular subject, do well with it, and in turn, be considered smart. Then there are people who can look at something, read it once or twice and it is always going to be recalled and used by them. But then it comes down to again, what is being "smart".
Is smart someone who excels in studies? Or is smart someone who is very logical, or uses common sense. Is someone who can work through problems that seem small or insignificant yet important, such as everyday needs or social problems. I think being "smart" is more than the conventional university graduate with a 4.0, its a combination of being able to learn different subject areas, not always with ease, as some people react to different material differently, and also be able to easily function in a society making good and justifiable descions.

Can moderatly intelligent people become smart?
I really don't have a good answer or debate for this question. I guess it depends on if you depend intelligence on for example an IQ test or whatever other means you try to define the persons "smartness". I honestly think that someone can increase their mental capacity by using problem solving techniques and applying them along with just thought provoking activities. Now this I believe is only true to a certain extent, as not everyone will be the engineers, lawyers and doctors of society, but everyone has room to improve.

Can geniuses become stupid?
Lose intelligence or not be as smart as they were at a certain time in the past? Sure. Just as I believe someone can gain intelligence by stimulation intelligent thought processes, why not work in the reverse. I mean, I know for one if I were to take say, 4 years off from school, I would not have the same knowledge or problem solving abilities that I do now.


As mentioned above, I believe that intelligence is not something that someone is just "born with", well sure there has to be some level of brain development that affects how intelligent a person is, otherwise learning disabilities or people being "developmentally delayed" would be unheard of. I guess it really comes down to a nature vs nurture debate, which neither side really wins. I mean take an infant who is deprived of nutrition. Chances are, that is going to have a development effect on the child, and could very well impact intelligence. Then take the kid who's parents, whether it be lower middle or upper class, doesn't matter, doesn't help the child realize their potential. Like sometimes children need to be forced to do certain things, no matter how much crying or whining or "I hate you!" 's it gets. Also, a parents attitude towards anything that requires that much extra effort also sets an example for the child, and effects their work ethic, which I mean, succeeding an any type of study comes down to working for it.
All in all, I agree with it being nature AND nurture. We are given building blocks in the beginning, and all of the very early responsibility is given to the parents, to build upon what we are born with. How good of a foundation is set, determines alot, not everything, but alot for where that particular persons intelligence ends up in the end.

Wow that was great. I'm all ready for my 50% midterm tomorrow morning. =)

[Stinger]

Is it something we're born with or something we develop over time?
Both.
Are smart people always smart?
Not necessarily.
Can moderately intelligent people become smart?
Smarter.
Can geniuses become stupid?
Everyone is capable of making stupid choices, and intelligence is relevant only so long as it pertains to the subject matter at hand. No one knows everything about everything...so one can always know more, therefore "genius" is also limited.


It's partially genes, but the majority I believe is just the experiences you go through in life, more importantly your personality (which I believe you are mostly born with) and how you handle situations..leaders/followers and a dozen other personality combos etc....which also greatly influence what you are more apt to learn and follow..thus intelligence.

Conditioning plays a major role in our views about learning as well. Some people are born into environments that encourage learning, therefore making it easier to obtain knowledge. In some families the value of knowledge is not as high as in others, so the drive to achieve success of an academic nature could be stifled. "Personality" as you put it could make the person raised in either home rebel against what is considered their "fate", or accept it because of their genetic makeup...so I agree.


...As mentioned above, I believe that intelligence is not something that someone is just "born with", well sure there has to be some level of brain development that affects how intelligent a person is, otherwise learning disabilities or people being "developmentally delayed" would be unheard of. I guess it really comes down to a nature vs nurture debate, which neither side really wins. I mean take an infant who is deprived of nutrition. Chances are, that is going to have a development effect on the child, and could very well impact intelligence. Then take the kid who's parents, whether it be lower middle or upper class, doesn't matter, doesn't help the child realize their potential. Like sometimes children need to be forced to do certain things, no matter how much crying or whining or "I hate you!" 's it gets. Also, a parents attitude towards anything that requires that much extra effort also sets an example for the child, and effects their work ethic, which I mean, succeeding an any type of study comes down to working for it.
All in all, I agree with it being nature AND nurture. We are given building blocks in the beginning, and all of the very early responsibility is given to the parents, to build upon what we are born with. How good of a foundation is set, determines a lot, not everything, but a lot for where that particular persons intelligence ends up in the end.



I agree with peddle07 whole-heartedly.

I also believe that a lot of our societal problems stem from parents' unwillingness
or inability to stay at home with them in the child's formative years.
There are, of course, situations in which this is not a possibility, however,
I am of the firm belief that children need discipline and nurturing from their parents first.
Too many people rely on daycare providers to teach their children the discipline they need,
or to give them the encouragement needed in reading and writing skills...
early childhood development should really be JUST that.
If you can give a child the skills they will need to obtain knowledge early on they will benefit highly,
and doing so when they are so very capable of absorbing vast amounts of knowledge is tremendously valuable.

[TraPStaR]

Is it something we're born with or somethign we develop over time?

Are smart people always smart?
Can moderatly intelligent people become smart?
Can geniuses become stupid?

if you mean by "we're" as in oddthougt community.... then its non existent ... :P

geniuses can never become stupid but they can lack common sense. moderatly smart ppl are alrdy smart and can always increase in 'smartness'.

if u want scientific proof let me know i wrote a scienctific paper about human brains and evolution, i came across alot of cool facts.

[bzzt]

born intelligent or acquired? perhaps in time science will answer the question. till then it's hypothesis as to y or n.

Are smart people always smart? that would imply not making any stupid mistakes. so far nobody is perfect.

Can moderatly intelligent people become smart? my opinion is yes

Can geniuses become stupid? isn't that what happened to king Solomon.

[tca]

No you can't become smarter rit :D

seriously though, whats more to say then has been said, i think stupid people can expand their intelligence levels, they'll never be genius but hey

every arguments comes back to what do you define smart as