Have you ever wondered why some people are able to quickly find the right solutions in any situation, while others are lost when difficulties arise? It is not only a matter of character. The most important thing that distinguishes us from each other is the intellectual abilities that an individual has. In this article, we consider what intelligence is and how to develop it.
What is intelligence?
Intelligence is a combination of abilities that allow you to solve problems, solve problems, and learn about the world. It is knowledge that gives us information about the laws surrounding us. Intelligence is a complex of cognitive processes: thinking, memory, imagination, perception, sensation, performance.
The concept of intelligence appeared at the end of the 19th century, and it was introduced by the scientist F. Galton. Various scientists engaged in the study of intelligence: J. Piaget, C. Spearman, A. Binet, and others. All of them believed that the mental abilities of a person are a complex system that is only partially used. Intellectual abilities do not arise by chance, they are developed over many years.
So what is intelligence, and how to develop it? Intelligence is not a person’s innate qualities, but acquired. Favorable circumstances for the development of a high level of intellectual ability is a genetic predisposition. If you have the ability to develop, then the process of cognition will be faster and more fruitful. A person with a good memory, for example, has a great advantage over a person with a bad memory. In this case, the chain of tasks that need to be solved will be analyzed much faster. Since the technology of selecting patterns and instructions for solving problems are fixed in the human memory. Well-developed memory, thinking, and logic are signs of high intelligence.
Types of intelligence
Depending on the field of application of mental abilities in psychology, several types of intelligence are distinguished.
Logical intelligence
Based on the solution of mathematical problems. Operations with numbers and the search for patterns - this is the main area of application of this type of intelligence. The development of logical skills begins in early childhood and lasts a lifetime.
Spatial intelligence
It consists in observing a specific process with the aim of repeating it independently. In this case, there are several categories:
- Physical intelligence. It consists in the ability to control your body, repeat and learn complex dance movements, develop the ability to respond quickly, rebuilding your body to the desired position.
- Social intelligence. It is characterized by a person’s ability to find a common language with other members of society.
- Spiritual intelligence. It consists in self-improvement and self-knowledge. A person should always progress and strive for a goal, the achievement of which is possible only with constant self-development.
- Creative intelligence. It assumes that a person has creative talent in a certain area: music, literature, art, etc.
- Emotional intelligence. It consists in the ability of a person to think analytically, to realize his needs and to look for ways and methods to satisfy them. It is very important to be able to communicate with other members of society, to feel their mood and analyze their behavior, these are also signs of high intelligence. Based on this, the formation of productive interaction takes place.
Thinking and intelligence
These two concepts are very close by definition, but there are significant differences. If we replace these concepts with synonyms, then it will become clear what the difference between the terms is. The concept of intelligence is comparable to the concept of "mind." A smart person is a person with a high level of intellectual ability. Thinking is "thinking." Thus, the intellect acts as a property, characteristics of a person, and thinking implies an action, a process.
A person with a high level of intelligence is capable of productive thinking. And thinking is a process of realization of intellectual abilities.
Intelligence Test
You can check the level of intelligence using the online IQ test. The questions in the test are selected in such a way that it is possible to diagnose the level of development of intellectual abilities. Diagnosis of the level of intelligence is carried out comprehensively. A person is invited to solve several problems within a certain time.
- Tasks with numbers. Given a few numbers and an empty window into which you need to insert the missing number. To understand what number to insert, you need to build a logical chain of interaction between the available numbers.
- Tasks with pictures. This is a task of logic and attention. You need to understand what kind of picture is missing in a row, relying on neighboring images.
- Tasks for compiling words from a list of letters.
- Tasks to continue the list of letters. Sometimes letters correspond to the ordinal number of the alphabet; in other cases, the word is composed of them.
Depending on the number of correct answers, a total score is set, which gives a characteristic of a person's intellectual abilities. IQ should not be taken after just one test. Testing should be comprehensive. And how to determine intelligence yourself? There are special programs for this, consisting of a series of tests. It’s not necessary to go anywhere to conduct such tests. You can do it yourself. Before you start testing, make sure that no one and nothing bothers you.
People with high intelligence
On our planet there are only 3% of people who have an IQ level of more than 130. Almost all of them have devoted their lives to the study of a certain area in which they have reached considerable heights. Among these people there are world-famous personalities:
- A. Einstein - IQ 170-190;
- Bill Gates - IQ 160;
- Stephen Hawking - IQ 160;
- Andrew Wiles - IQ 170;
- Garry Kasparov - IQ 190;
- Kim Ung-Yong - IQ 210;
- Christopher Michael Hirata - IQ 230.
- Terence Tao - IQ 230.
Impaired intelligence
There are birth defects that adversely affect the development of the baby's intelligence. Impaired functioning of the brain or other important parts of the body can lead to mental retardation. This disease in a scientific language is called oligophrenia.
Congenital abnormalities in children are officially divided into 3 categories:
- Debility. Labor is possible, but its choice is limited.
- Imbecility. The ability to work is completely absent, but a person can independently serve himself.
- Idiocy. Self-service is not possible.
Mental abnormalities can occur in an adult. This process is called dementia, it usually occurs in old age. Symptoms of mental retardation are manifested in a partial loss of memory, a person ceases to apply previously acquired skills, the emotional world becomes meager and monotonous, there is indifference to the processes taking place around and to the whole world as a whole. The formulation of thoughts is difficult, thinking becomes unproductive.
How to develop intelligence?
If your intelligence is low, this does not mean that you are mentally retarded. This can only mean that the stock of knowledge and skills is too scarce. For the development of intellectual abilities, it is necessary to train your skills: to develop memory, thinking, logic, etc.
Daily training and mental stress will expand your horizons, learn new areas of life and discover previously unexplored areas. Reading books, for example, will not only bring you new information, but will also help expand your vocabulary. The solution of logical problems of different directions will stimulate the development of analytical and synthetic abilities, and will open up new logical chains.
Learning foreign languages is very useful not only for training your memory, but also for studying the culture of other nations. It is much nicer to read the works of foreign authors not in translation, but in the original. A foreign language is not only the transmission of information, it is also a peculiar way of thinking.
Intelligence features
Scientists believe that a person does not fully utilize the full potential of his physiological capabilities. Intelligence is a property that, if desired, can be developed to a very high level. Constant training of the mind will surely yield results. The upper limit of the level of intelligence simply does not exist.
Some believe that you need to be born with the ability so that it can develop in the future. This is not entirely true. An artist or musician lives in each of us, but not everyone pays attention to it. It's all about vital interests. Someone has a great desire to do fine art, but there is no talent. In the process of learning, abilities appear that allow you to create masterpieces of art.
Artificial Intelligence
Currently, scientists are actively working to create artificial intelligence, but all types of AI are limited only by narrow specialization. For example: a program that can beat a person in an online game cannot execute other commands. We will understand what AI is.
Artificial intelligence is the ability to think and make decisions based on prevailing circumstances, which is endowed with a mechanical object. Simply put, a person wants to create a machine that will be as intelligent as any of us. Each year, the leading world powers spend significant funds on the creation of such machines, but full-fledged artificial intelligence has not yet been created.
Many believe that machines with signs of high intelligence are a great danger to humanity. If a smart computer is created that can control other devices in its interests, then the course of its actions will become unpredictable, which means it is dangerous for all living things.
Interesting Facts
The determination of the level of intelligence is complex. A person is invited to pass several tests aimed at checking thinking, logic, memory and other signs of high intelligence. After that, the results are processed and an average rating is set for all levels of verification. If a person has an intelligence level above average, then, as a rule, he equally skillfully copes with all types of tasks.
According to statistics, people with high intelligence have fewer health problems. The risk of death due to negligence is much lower. Such people are less likely to get into car accidents, as they behave cautiously, accurately and carefully. At the time of a critical situation, people with high intelligence react very quickly and instantly look for an option.
Studies conducted over the past few decades show that the average IQ level in people increases by 2-3 points every 10 years. Most likely, this is due to Internet access, which makes it possible to get any information. People are smarter than a few years ago.
Finally
A high level of intelligence is the key to a long and comfortable life. After all, it is smart, smart people who occupy leading high-paying positions in organizations. Each of us should have a desire to develop and improve our skills, and you can start doing it right now.