What is Intelligence Anyway - Four Levels | The Flax-Golden Tales

Isaac Asimov, USA (1920-1992)

What is Intelligence Anyway - Four Levels | The Flax-Golden Tales

What is Intelligence Anyway

Literal Comprehension: In this essay by Isaac Asimov, an American science-fiction writer, he consists that those who score higher marks in intelligent test are considered to be intelligent people. The writer also used to always score high marks and therefore he thought himself to be intelligent, but his intelligence did not help him anymore. He had to be an assistant of the cook in the mess of the army. He had to go to the car-mechanic to make his car repaired although the mechanic may score low marks in the intelligent test. If the questions were made by non–academicians, the writer would be unsuccessful. He really became a fool when the mechanic asked him a puzzle question. Therefore, any person who scores high marks in any test may not be an expert in every field. It is very limited knowledge in this vast world. So, we should not think ourselves very proud of scoring a high score in any test; there are so many fields to scoring high score in life, then only we can be expert in many fields.

Interpretation: Knowledge has no limit. The only academic score is not enough to be a versatile expert. It is impossible to have knowledge of every field equally. This essay tries to analyze intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to solve the intelligent problem easily. Although the writer used to score very high marks in the intelligent test, he was fit for only an assistant cook. The car-repair mechanic was intelligent enough to make the car although he could not score high marks in the intelligent test. One-sided knowledge is not complete. We should be multi-dimensional to score high always everywhere but it is impossible for a single person to be versatile. One can be intelligent in only one field. If the car-repair man makes questions of the test, the highly intelligent writer can fail because it is not his field. Therefore, in different fields, different people with different types of knowledge are useful. Only a single knowledge is not sufficient everywhere.

Critical Thinking: After reading this essay, I came to remember one thing very fresh in my mind. In our society, we think that a person who got a high score in academic exams and positioned high is always assumed fit for other all positions. A literate doctor, an academic engineer with a high score can never be a good politician or ruler or administrator. It is foolish to think a doctor expert and success in administration and good governance. It needs good knowledge in administration and governing than academic scores. I have some questions. It is not rational to think an intelligent person in school or college is always intelligent in every field? Can a doctor run the government smoothly and wisely? Can a warrior be a success in administration? Likewise, can the leaders only be a success in formulating/drafting a good constitution? Can a hero in the film be always everywhere be a hero in politics and real life? Even very limited knowledge can make people wise. Everybody can be intelligent in a different field. Is it right to think that learned people are intelligent? Why shouldn’t we realize that any person should be fit from any angles? Is only mental capacity enough for good practical life? It is not true that one person expert in one test or field cannot be expert in other fields; to think so is just silliness.

Assimilation: Different persons have different capacity or level or field of knowledge. A single person never can fit for every field. It focuses on individual talent in the individual field. This essay memorized me that one person who is talent in school or campus may score fewer score in other fields. It is needless to be sad when a friend gets more marks in an exam; surely I will get more marks than his in other exam or other fields. In school, I never stood first in mathematics but the friends who scored more marks in mathematics never scored such score in English. It has taught me to value even an ordinary man to be able to do anything. Everyone is capable of his or her place. There should not be feeling of any discrimination of intellectual and non-intellectual person. Everybody is a capable person in his field. Now I am a little back in earning money but I have a good idea in my field than those rich people and I am able to use their money but they are just thinking how to collect money.

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