Theme
5:09pm July 8, 2014
natalunasanz-deactivated2015010 asked: it has come to my attention that some people think intelligence doesn't exist (only skills) and some people think that it exists but there are more kinds than what is measured in IQ tests or academia generally. what do you think, currently? (especially if it's Neither.)

I don’t think, currently.  And I think that’s a problem to a lot of people who want me to think.  (Not you.)  

Things are what they are, and they aren’t going to change based on what I think of them.  I’ll use a concept when it’s useful, and discard it when it’s not.

People want me to have opinions.  I don’t have as many opinions as most people have.  I don’t think opinions are always useful.  Sometimes all they do is prevent you from seeing what’s in front of you.  If I had an opinion on intelligence, then I am certain that it would make me unable to see what was happening in front of me.  No matter what the opinion was.

I’d rather remain able to observe my surroundings, than make myself oblivious to them.  And in this case, it means I can’t have an opinion on what intelligence is or isn’t, or whether it exists, or what it means.  The same goes for a lot of things people ask my opinion on.  But I think it’s especially important, with concepts like intelligence, to be observant, rather than to imprint my own ideas over the top of what I’m observing.

This doesn’t mean I won’t use the idea or word for intelligence at times.  That’s part of it too:  Use it when it’s needed, set it down when it’s unneeded.

Hopefully this makes some kind of sense.

Notes:
  1. gvprtskvnis said: remaining unbiased sounds like an intelligent decision
  2. withasmoothroundstone posted this