I must confess that for as long as I can remember, I've felt felt a tinge of loneliness; ok, more than a tinge. It isn't because I don't have tons of friends--I mean, I don't, but I don't need tons. The scant few I've got are all I need because I've never been the type of person who judges herself on popularity. That seems stupid to me, given how fleeting popularity really is. But, this year, I began to rethink the way I jusdge friendship as well.
Often, when I'm feeling alone, I like to keep moving. Specifically, I like to go for walks. Well, first I drive to a place I've either 1) never been OR 2) always go.
It's the drive before the walk that allows me to let go of the day and absorb the night. These walks of mine always happen at night. I feel like that's an important detail. Don't ask me why.
So this is the state of affairs that brought me to Center City Philly the first Friday night in November.
As I roamed Old City, a place I once lived, I found myself replaying some of the interactions with various people I'd had up to that point in the day. When my mind settled on one of the day's conversations--I don't remember which--I distinctly recall feeling a rising tide of frustration. And while I'm sketchy on the details of the conversation which sparked these thoughts, I know precisely what frustrated me that evening, because it's something that consistently frustrates me to no end: the realization that most people seem to have no handle on what it means to be "a good friend." Not that I feel that I have a monopoly on the definition. It's just that I feel that people throw the term "best friend" around like it's a hacky sack, with little to no thought about how their use of the term speaks volumes about what they value in terms of human interaction.
So, you guessed it. I'd like you to weigh in on the subject. What does it mean to be "a good friend"? Who's your best friend? Has that changed? Be specific, cite examples and do your best to arrive at a definition. But DON'T consult a dictionary. If you absolutely can't resist the temptation to chew on someone else's thoughts on the subject, I'd like you to google quotations on friendship and tell me if you come across one that sums up your views on the topic--or one that doesn't if playing devil's advocate is your thing. Share the quote with us and connect it with your response. Don't rush your thinking. Let it marinate...
A lot of people relate intelligence a quantity, the amount of things that a person knows. I do not think that that is what intelligence is. I look at it as more of an ability to learn new things. I don’t mean just memorize the meaning of a word, or memorizing dates or formulas in order to pass a class or get good grades or impress somebody with your “knowledge.” I mean the ability to understand concepts. To fully understand an entire concept and apply these concepts elsewhere, not memorize specific details and simply repeat. I use arguments as a measure of intelligence. They really aren’t the best “intelligence test,” if there even is a good test, but I feel as though they do give a glimpse into a person’s intelligence level. First of all, I think of myself as good arguer, so if somebody beats me in an argument and I can see that I’ve been beaten, I think of them as intelligent. If somebody allows personal bias, and even worse, lets it blatantly be shown, in their argument, that is not an intelligent argument. That is one of the few things that will make me lose respect in your argument. Emojis, cursing, attacking somebody instead of stating your case, I find these very unintelligent argument strategies.
ReplyDeleteI don’t really know these people obviously, but I would say the most intelligent people I know are J Cole and Kendrick Lamar. The music these people produce is insane. Now, I’m not one of those people who attack senseless rappers because I only love lyrics or whatever those people’s arguments are, I love me some lil uzi, but these two guys are just on another level. Ernest Hemingways of modern rap. I started gassing cause we’re learning about Hemingway in English but that’s kind of what they do. They make a song about issues in the world, they tell stories. They’re the only rappers I’ve ever listened to that have made me think about their music like it’s a conspiracy theory. Just look up songs of theirs on genius.com, it’s kind of genius, no pun intended.
Intelligence can be perceived a lot of different ways. Some people may think a person is smart just because they get good grades in school, but are they really intelligent? Or do they just work hard? Maybe they are naturally intelligent, but most of the time people who get good grades work for the grade they want to see. Intelligence is not solely based on academics, intelligence means being knowledgeable in specific topics or categories. For example, you may be intelligent in academics, “street smarts”, music, art, athletics, there are various things people can be knowledgeable about, and that makes them intelligent in that field. Therefore, if someone does not get the best grades in school, that means their intelligence lies somewhere else, because school does not measures intelligence.
ReplyDeleteIn my short life span of approximately seventeen years, I have came across a lot of people who I consider intelligent. One person you may know or obviously know, and it’s Bryan. Bryan is in fact the smartest person I think I have ever met. He is well-rounded in all subjects and can tell you whatever you want to know. Even if you were randomly pondering a question in your head and you wanted to know the answer, all you have to do is ask Bryan and he can answer it for you. Bryan just loves learning about everything and being knowledgeable that he actually knows everything. He is so organic with learning and does not care about the grades on his report card because he wanted to learn it, tests and quizzes and grades or just a thing that he is required to do. I remember in Lang last year when Bunje asked us what we want our careers to be and Bryan said something along the lines of, “I do not want a concrete career because I do not want to contain myself to one subject, like science, math, business. I want to do everything and continue learning and if I have a specific career, I will not be able to do that.” Therefore, what makes Bryan so intelligent, to me, is that he loves learning and being knowledgeable, which makes him intelligent because continues to learn new things.
What I hate the most is when people say, “Oh my god, I’m so stupid and bad at this”. You doing something that you are not great at does not mean you are stupid, it just means that subject is not your strong suit. For instance, I am better at English rather than math. Math is not my strong suit and something about it does not connect together in my brain, but that is okay because my strong suit is in English, like reading and writing. But being bad at math does not make me stupid, because I know I am intelligent in other subjects. Just like how it is with other people, do not call yourself stupid because you are bad at one thing, because you are intelligent in your own specific, personal way.
Intelligence is a hard word to tackle. Psychologists have attempted to measure and define intelligence from different angles. Some people believe in a general intelligence, while others believe that intelligence can not merely be determined in one area. In fact, they’ve broken it down into emotional intelligence, linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence and several more. To me, intelligence is one’s ability to think and act with reason and composure. An intelligent person knows what to do even when they are put in new situations or are given hard problems to solve. An intelligent person may not know everything but they sure do know how to learn and semantically encode valuable information. Furthermore, an intelligent person needs to be mature, well-spoken and well-rounded. The most intelligent person I know is Taylor Van. Taylor fits my definition of intelligent because along with her math talent and intuition, she has matured beyond her years. Taylor does well in every subject and her emotional intelligence is bountiful. I know this to be true because whenever I express my troubles to Taylor she will always find the best solution. Also, if I’m struggling in math, Taylor will always lend her help. Plus, she’s one hell of a writer. Alright, I’m done gassin Tvan. It’s all facts, though.
ReplyDeleteI don’t like the quote, “Intelligence is like underwear. It’s important that you have it but not necessary that you show it off.” I feel like this is what a dumb person would say. I’m not saying that if someone is intelligent that they should be an annoying know-it-all but they definitely should use their ability. I guess it’s not “necessary” to show it off, but hey, I think it makes you look like a more credible outlet for aid and advice. Plus, sometimes intelligent people get more respect. I personally trust intelligent people more. If you’re not showing your intelligence then you’re doing yourself a disservice.
I do like the quote, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination” because it encapsulates the meaning of intelligence. While I believe that an intelligent person is one who is well-rounded and intuitive, I also believe that they should bear some sense of imagination. Many people believe that intelligent people are just those who can memorize study guides and ace tests. That is not intelligence, that is knowledge. Intelligence is knowing how to learn and apply the information. Intelligence is grasping difficult concepts and giving further insight. If you have knowledge, yes you’re aware and that’s great. Though if you have intelligence, you will be the one who sticks out. You will be an innovative, improvisational and a problem solver. You will have good ideas, think outside of the box and ask thoughtful questions. Overall, intelligent people never stop thinking of new more effective ways to do things.
aww jess
DeletePSA: GRADES WILL NEVER MEASURE INTELLIGENCE. I do not care how much you value your grades because they don't mean shit to me or anyone else after you turn 25 or even right this second, to be completely honest. Oh, shit, you got a 96 on your calc quiz? Congratulations, now go tell your future college roommate and see if he/she cares. You passed your DBQ? Great, I'm so happy for you! But your essay doesn't mean shit. I've been surrounded by people who can do logarithms but don't know where New Zealand is and reciting the state capitals doesn't mean shit if you can't even tell me where the states are. YOUR GRADES DON’T MATTER. DON’T COME TO ME WITH THAT BULLSHIT.
ReplyDeleteWith love and zero intentions to hurt feelings,
Breyoncé
I've always valued intelligence and I've always been attracted to it. It's one of those traits that once you experience it in someone, they instantly become more attractive. Book smarts are important; if you can't have an intelligent conversation with me then I send you walking, but there are so many more levels of knowledge than that. Knowledge is not intelligence and I find those two be completely different things. I don't really find smart and intelligent to be as severe as synonymous rather than similar. To me, being intelligent means to be smart, but on a different spectrum. I can't figure out a running definition for intelligence and none of this paragraph makes sense so allow me to explain:
ANTGC is intelligent. We started out as AP kids that I was barely friends with. We were all smart; in the rigorous classes and somewhere near the top of our class. As time went on, we started to realize that grades didn't mean as much as we thought they did. While we continued to apply ourselves in school, we also realized that there is a world full of people who don't know us yet, nor will they know our class rank or ask us what we got on our AP Gov exam (if anybody asks you that, run away). We were realizing that in the real world, no one would care about these small world problems because the big world expected us to be ready for everything that was about to be thrown at us. ANTGC is a group of people I consider to be intelligent because we started off smart. The grades were good. But we’ve become something with a better understanding of the world we live in, and that cannot be defined as something so basic, such as smart.
At this point, I'm running with the definition of intelligence being “a higher understanding to a deeper meaning”.
There are so many intelligent people in this world, but we were taught to be realistic and quiet rather than loud and bold. ANTGC will end up going our separate ways, and the sixteen of us will be set free to plant our knowledge and let it grow. And nothing is more exciting than watching the most brilliant people I know, allow their intelligence to rub off on someone else and spread across the world.
To start off, I do not think I am intelligent. Not coming from a bad point of view. There are billionaires, scientist, writers, activists, presidents, protesters, teachers, etc. Not all are intelligent. I believe that intelligence is something you can't grasp without some type of hard work. You can't just say your super smart because you know how many leaves are on a oak tree or what year will we all die. Intelligent people don't brag or people others down. An uncle of mine is 53 years old with a wife, a daughter and two dogs. He serves in the military, he's a doctor, he's from Atlantic City and beyond the most intelligent person I've ever witnessed. He grew up with my grandfather and 7 other siblings with his mom being the only parent. He's had 4 siblings die in one year, he had cancer and been through hard times. He talks like he should be the president but oh my, he doesn't even notice he's amazing. He talks about politics and South Korea. He just tells you the best advice and tells you all the time he loves you. He is my rock. He fits my definition of a intelligent person because even though he escaped his past, he never dwells on it. He will tell you something you don't want to hear but you deal with it because it's true.
ReplyDeleteI will become intelligent sometime in my life. If it's when I'm 54 or 21, I will know. I hope to one day be talked about by my nieces or nephews.
Intelligence is something you understand or is quick to comprehend. Many people get intelligence mixed up with how smart a person is.Some people are smart in different aspects and area of life such as book smart, street smart, and ect. But I feel intelligence comes from you knowing and something that's flows naturally. Some people work to be smart in school and intelligence i feel isn't something you work at but comes nonchalantly. The most intelligent person in my eyes is the 16th president for he layed the ground work down for equality and abolishing slavery.
ReplyDeleteIntelligence is very important to me when it comes to human relationships. I consider myself smart I guess. I like to have people in my life that are more intelligent than I am. I enjoy learning from other people. Intelligence to me is someone who learns from the world around them and passes what they have learned onto others. I like people who are more in tune with the raw side of humanity rather that the school portion. Don't get me wrong I value education in a school setting but not in the same way I value human interaction and the concept of learning on the go. It speaks volumes about a person when they can go to a new place or meet a new person and learn in that environment without assistance. The fact is one day we will be out of school in the real world. I believe only those who are intelligent and can learn from their surroundings thrive in the world. You have to know how to meet people create connections and network if you want to make it anywhere and those who already understand that I find intelligent. They only way I know this is if they offer up the information. You watch people all the time and you can see the ones who will make it. Even if they're not that book smart. You can see intelligence in the way people behave, their interactions with others. Those interactions mean everything. At the end of the day it's all about making life full and enjoyable, people who can see the world in front of them and draw their own conclusions thrive long after we leave the classroom. Making it on your own, that is intelligence.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest misconception that I feel many people have is that someone's level of intelligence correlates with and depends on the grades they receive. But, obviously, that is super false because of the fact that grades can be forged with a little cheating here and a little memorization there. Someone who is intelligent is someone who constantly learns from books as well as his environment. One has to be book smart and street smart. People cannot just read about everything the world has to offer in order to be considered intelligent, they have to experience the world and all the goods and bads it offers also. Which is why I do not believe that I am that intelligent. I do not experience enough around me to know everything. One day, I will fulfill my dream of traveling the world and then I will see myself to be some sort of intelligent. But, of course, that day will come when it comes.
ReplyDeleteThe smartest person I have ever known by far in my short life is my mom. Cliché, but true. My mom has experienced so much in her life and while her educational track record shows her to be the textbook definition of unintelligent, she is forever going to be one the smartest people I know. If you look at her path of education, you will find that she dropped out of high school and never even went to get her GED or go on to go to college (obviously). However, she went on to owning her own restaurant and having the funds to live comfortably. She overcame the hardships of her past and has accomplished so much with so little. Few of the many things that make her intelligent are the fact that she (1) moved to an entirely new country and had to learn a completely new language, one that she is now fluent in, (2) can do arithmetic super quickly and super accurately in her head, (3) has the mental strength to deal with my dad (insert laughing emoji here). People are not born with intelligence, they obtain it through every endeavor they attempt and every experience they go through.
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ReplyDeleteI don't think a person's intelligence depends on their grades. Grades do not level intelligence. In fact I don't think school makes a person a whole lot smarter than someone who didn't go to school. Obviously someone who went to school will know how to solve the pythagorean theorem or about history a lot more while a person who grew up on the streets might not. But that person who spent 5 days a week in school might not know as much about being outside of that safe building as person who didn't get an education and lived on the streets. I can bet a lot of people (not all) were lucky enough to get an education and also be privileged enough to have other people do a lot for them and wouldn't even know the cost of milk. They wouldn't know what it's like to struggle to find money to put on the table because they get food at school. And some kids that go to school know that feeling I'm not saying all do because some kids can get an education but still struggle a lot more than others in the real world.
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their own problems, their own lives, their own experiences and not everyone Knows the same things. I think intelligence is how much you know about life not just about what comes from a textbook but from actual life. While one man in America might know so much about Einstein's Theory of Relativity and has rewards for his knowledge on scientific findings and how much he has accomplished, he doesn't know the first-hand struggle of a child in Syria who just lost his whole family after his apartment building collapsed after being bombed and the feeling as he refuses to Release his new born brother who might I mention was suffocated in the collapse of the building (true story by the way). Not everyone knows everything, and that's okay. An open minded person might know more than a close minded one but that close minded person's intelligence might lie somewhere else that doesn't have to do with understanding others. I don't think intelligence means one person is better than another or smarter than another.
The smartest person I've ever known is my grandfather. Hands down the most intelligent man I think I'll ever meet. He knew how to work with what he got and learn about whatever he can to educate himself. He loved learning new things and that's where I think I got my passion for learning from. He was book smart and street smart which are both very nice but I don't think one is better than the other. He knew about life, he knew what to say about any situation and I don't know if there was a thing he didn't know and even if he didn't know something I wouldn't even be surprised but intrigued that there was finally something that stumped him, but not even 24 hours Later he would be an expert on whatever the subject was. He experienced so much throughout his life and opened his mind to so many opportunities I think information just naturally came to him. I think he lived life so open to new things and open minded about situations that he just became the intelligent man I knew him as.
As far as I know, the school system defines intelligence as a number, a grade. Whatever ranking you are, that’s how smart you are. But intelligence is so much more than that. Being smart isn’t just about the grades you get in school, or your ranking. In fact, intelligence does not measure your intellectual worth. Intelligence could be anything-- knowing random facts, or interpreting a piece of art, or knowing what to do when walking in the streets. Intelligence can be anything, but it doesn’t have to be everything. And I truly believe everyone is intelligent, or has some sort of intelligence. Some grasp concepts much more quickly than others, or some understand it differently than others. Because if they didn’t, they probably wouldn’t even be here. It’s just everyone is intelligent in their own way, and I think society has a hard time accepting that. In the grand scheme of things, Intelligence means being able to learn something, whether it be from your environment or from books, and apply it, to fully understand it. Or at least that’s how I see it anyways.
ReplyDeleteThe smartest person I know probably has to be my cousin, Yvonne. She’s a pharmacist, and has always wanted to be one since she was little. But the thing is, she doesn’t limit herself to that like most people her age typically do. In between her breaks, she’ll read a book or watch a video about something (let’s say) the history of the olympics because she truly wants to learn about the history of the olympics (or maybe she’s bored, who knows). She’s traveled to so many different countries, she’s worked at so many different hospitals-- the things she has seen and the things she has done is insane. And that alone just makes her even more intelligent. If I have a question about anything, she’ll give me an answer (especially if it’s about food). And it’ll usually blow my mind. Even if she doesn’t have an answer, she’ll come up with things that could be the answer (which then just leads her into saying a bunch of random facts). She’s great at adjusting to new environments/circumstances. She puts herself in other people’s shoes to understand what they’re going through, to help them better.Because that’s just the type of person she is. At almost thirty (28), she continues to expand her horizons. She loves learning/ experiencing new things, and I don’t think she will ever stop.
Intelligence is kind of like love. There is no true definition because everyone has different perspectives on it. To me, intelligence is being well-rounded. That includes both book smarts and street smarts. To provide an example of someone who goes against what I believe is intelligent, I will use Kartik Garg (I am not sure if I spelled his first name right, but I could care less). This man had 0 common sense. Yes he was very studious and book smart, but when it came to common sense it was bad. Last year he probably failed AP Physics because Seaman constantly told him he couldn’t memorize physics, yet he tried to. Every physics question is different because you have multiple variables in a scenario that can impact the final answer. And since Mr. Garg could not use the same formula for every question he did poorly. Not to roast him too much, he did fit into 1 category of my definition of intelligence, he just completely lacked the other one.
ReplyDeleteA person that I admire and find to fit every aspect of my intelligence definition is my mom. It sounds cheesy to say but it is true. She knew half the words last year from SAT Vocab. It made absolutely no sense to me because I would've never thought any of those words were even words. She shows me intelligence in 2 different languages, her career, and just randomly wherever we are. Most of the time she does not know that she is even giving words of wisdom or knowledge which makes the impact even stronger to me. To add to her intelligence, she raised me, as a single mom, without any problems. I would not be the man I am today without her. She shows courage as well, as she has been through a whole lot throughout her life. From her double lung transplant to her recent intestinal surgery, she seems to impress me more and more with every bump in the road.
Intelligence takes knowledge is 2 fields. The field of “book smarts” and “street smarts.” You must have both to truly be considered “intelligent.” The difference, to me, of intelligence and being smart is that intelligent is overall smartness everywhere, while being smart is in specific categories. For example, one can be smart in their field of study, but not smart anywhere else, so they are not really intelligent. Not to bash on anybody, because everyone is smart in their own way, just not truly intelligent. Not me, not you, not many people. Intelligence is something that is developed through almost a whole life of practice and repetition. To add, with intelligence comes wisdom so I guess you can say you must be able to give wisdom in order to be intelligent. This is because if you are intelligent, you should be able to relay information to others in order for them to learn as well. This intelligent person won’t be able to live on the world forever, so they should be intelligent enough to spread their knowledge.
ReplyDelete“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” – Albert Einstein
Many people force themselves to be intelligent so they can impress the world. Automatically they think to do that with their book smarts, or studies, or grades. But scaling intelligence with academic achievements is unwise because it’s not a very good measure of intelligence for each and every person to be ranked and categorized by. Everyone learns and excels in a different manner. We each have our own strengths and weakness so I think there are different types of intelligence. For example, the many different jobs in the world. We all can’t do the same one.
From what Albert Einstein’s quote, I do believe intelligence is imagination. You see the world differently with imagination, maybe even seeing it clearer. From imagination comes great ideas; ways to solve problems and understand concepts. For example, artists (like me teehee) have extraordinary imagination.
The most intelligent person I know is my mom. Obviously because ‘mama knows best’.
I think that intelligence is measured by how many things you know about different subjects. If you know a little bit about everything instead of knowing everything about one thing, then I consider you intelligent. The smartest person that I know is the one and only, Bryan Merango. Bryan knows so many facts about anything you ask him about. One time I was having a conversation with Bryan and somehow planets came up. He was telling me facts about a few different planets and that there's even a planet made of diamonds! Bryan makes every conversation interesting because of his wealth of knowledge. I also view him as intelligent because he always impresses me. Bryan isn't afraid to challenge ideas that the majority believe. I sat with Bryan during lunch in eighth grade. One day at the table next to us (which was the table kids got put at if they got in trouble), one of the kids said "Yo man you get your clothes at Walmart!" The kids around him gassed him up like it was the most clever insult that ever came out of someone's mouth. Bryan looks at the kid, then looks at me and Alfonso, and he says "what's wrong with Walmart?" He didn't care that this kid wasn't afraid to beat someone up or that most kids think you shouldn't buy clothes at Walmart. He was right. I also think that an intelligent person makes other people think. I definitely have to think about some of the things he says (especially in Lit). To this day I still think "what is wrong with Walmart?" Bryan doesn't let society persuade him to do something. For the longest time he said he was going to be either a Walmart cashier or a stripper. He might not have been serious about the stripper part, but I know he'll do whatever he sets his mind to, and he won't let people persuade him otherwise.
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ReplyDeleteI always throw around inteleginace as if everyone is intelligent. I assume this is only because I've been surrounded by the same intelegiant people since 4th grade after school math enrichment. I depend on my friends and my piers a lot more than I should. They're all intelligent. I consider most of my friends which if not all are AP kids the smartest people I know. I would greatly love to give a shout out to TVAN because she is the smartest person I know. She doesn't just sit at home and study and read and do all her homework and all that stuff that we all do. She does the most in everything else as well. She always sees the best side and the smartest side of almost every situation she's been in. She's so accepting of others and their thoughts it's truly amazing. I honestly have no idea how I'm gonna survive college without her because she's the only one that puts up with my stupid questions about anything. So yeah, Taylor Van is definitely the most intelligent person I know and a lot of others will agree. All around she is my go to even in Latin, sorry Donna or Abby and sometimes zach. But most of my friends are just are intelligent. You guys are all such well rounded kids and that's what I define as intelligent. Just also letting everyone know I don't know how to spell intelligent so I'm not intelligent . I'm just a little more skilled in certain things in life :) I love you all and I hope you guys impact others around you in college the same way you've impacted me. <3 I love you TVAN too, lots<3
ReplyDeletewowz
DeleteHmm… what does it mean to be intelligent? Before I answer that question, I’ll just say this-- whatever “intelligent” means, not enough people are it. So, let’s get to the real question. Without looking at a dictionary definition, to be “intelligent” means to be smart, be wise, make good decisions. An intelligent person is someone who is not everything I am about to list, but is a combination of these characteristics: educated, is wise, thinks before they speak, thinks before they do, thinks not only in the moment, but how something may impact a future whether it is theirs or someone else's. There’s no many other little characteristics that make someone “intelligent, but I won’t list them-- mainly because I can’t think much right now-- because most of them fall into a bigger category that I already listed.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to pick just one of the smartest people I’ve known, which is going to be a hard one, I’d say it’s my great uncle. My great uncle Walter--you can ask anyone-- is THE smartest man I know. He was a great deal of wisdom, being that he is in his eighties and has lived through a lot of different and struggling decades. He is so well educated on everything, but especially the stuff going on around him. He can talk your ear off about politics, life lessons, or how the pyramids were built, it’s truly mesmerizing when you talk to him. Well when you start a conversation with him, you don’t get much talking in because he just goes and goes and goes with all of his intelligence and doesn’t stop for you to get a word in. Whether it’s a family dinner, a holiday dinner, birthday party, or even a funeral, yes I said funeral, he doesn’t hesitate to spark up an intelligent conversation with someone and spread his knowledge. I feel like calling him intelligent is an understatement or even close to an insult. This man, for my blog is the most intelligent man I know, but in real life he is much more than that.
What it means to be “intelligent” to me, is just having common sense. Having knowledge of different things, whether it’s something small like about an insect, or something big and knowing politics. When I ponder on who the smartest person I know is; one person comes into mind. The first person being my mom. I feel like it’s a common kid thing to think that your mother know everything and anything- and that she will always have an answer to something. I think I find my mom so intelligent because she’s a nurse and I constantly hear her talking to her co-workers, doctors, anyone and she knows all the medical terms. She truly knows what she’s talking about. When my grandmother, well actually both of them were sick the doctors and caretakers weren’t doing things properly. And they couldn’t figure out what was wrong, but my mom knew all along what it was. She made the doctor feel stupid because him being a doctor, should’ve knew what was wrong. There was two quotes I found that really suit my view on intelligence- or is something similar to what my mom always says. One:
ReplyDelete“Never downplay your intelligence. Dumb is NOT cute. Integrity, dignity, and wisdom are true indicators of beauty.” My mom always tells me ugly is not cute nor is being ignorant cute.
Two:
“Intelligent people tend to have less friends than the average person. The smarter you are, the more selective you become.” My mom always says to pick and choose my friends, and to hangout with people who genuinely are happy for your happiness, push you to be better, and who have goals. And if they don’t do any of that leave them be.
Addition to what I think intelligence is- it's the ability to imagine situations and to put your self in different perspectives.
DeleteMy uncle Mark is probably the most intelligent person I know, in my book. He is very happy and I envy that, so that is probably a big part of why I think he is so intelligent. He has worked very hard his whole life and he might not be the smartest person in the world, but he applies himself. He does everything himself and teaches himself. He could make or do anything, if there is ever something that I need help with I call him, he always has an answer for me. I guess that being able to teach yourself and establish happiness in your own terms is intelligence to me. I tend to do things by myself and I think that that is why I respect someone who does it so well like my uncle
ReplyDeleteTwo people so far have called me intelligent, hm. I don't know maybe. I don't have a good definition on intelligence because the word is subjective and definitely not concrete. I could only tell you it has nothing to do with grades.
ReplyDeleteI see intelligence in almost everyone. What they can bring to the table, what they can do, what they like, what they are good at---all parts of an individual's intelligence. Everyone is intelligent. In some way or form.
Teagen's dumb questions and spelling bring humor and love which is her intelligence. She can heal. She can be happy.
Bryan is probably the most intelligent person I know for being able to see past what his eyes can see. To control what comes out his mouth, to plan (something i suck at)
Kayla and her reality smarts, she is extremely intelligent and doesn't get enough credit.
There is intelligence in being able to handle your life and wanting to do well because a lot of people can't. Like the people above, and jess, and haley, and donna bad, and just anyone who does anything more than school. It is hard to handle your life. I commend the intelligence people who do, every single day.
There is intelligence in failure because at least you tried. There is intelligence in pain because you will heal and grow.
I just think everyone is intelligent in their own lil way. :)
Thank you everyone who called me smart
I define an intelligent person as someone who thinks outside of the box or someone who has a different way of thinking. It is a quality that anyone can obtain. Some people earn it through hard work and dedication, and others were born with it. Even though most people classify intelligent with the foundation of education, like math and English; it isn’t the only way for identifying who is smart or not. Basically, I am saying that academies scores can’t measure how smart you are. While the SAT and the IQ test give scores, it excludes some other factors like creativity, social skills, and reasoning. It is okay if school work isn’t your strong field, something else in the world can be. Maybe through music or art. There is always a field for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI picked my aunt Hing as the most intelligent person I met. She experiences rough times in her life and she didn’t give up at all. She would use her experience in Laos as advice for her nieces and nephews, which includes me. Every time I ask her a life question, she would always incorporate apart of her past to her answers. It shows me that there is always a different angle to look at in every question and she likes to remind me of her past. Through her entire life, she worked hard to provide for her family and to help them succeed in the future. She made some risky decisions like escaping from the communist’s country, Laos in order to benefit her family. If you can tell, her family was her motivation in life. She learned English to get a casino job to support her family. She stuck with that job until she retired. It wasn't the best paying job, but it was decent enough to support her family. Her two children were able to graduate high school and college. Now they are successful and it was thanks to my aunt. She may not know a lot about academic subjects, but she knows a lot about surviving in the real world and how to support a family.
What does it mean to be intelligent? Socrates defines intelligence perfectly by saying “I know that I am intelligent because I know I know nothing”, so Intelligence is simply accepting one’s own ignorance.
ReplyDeleteWho is the smartest person I know? I don’t like that question to be honest because intelligence isn’t quantifiable so there would be no way to accurately determine who the smartest person I know is. The question I would prefer would simply be “who is the wisest person you know?” The wisest person I know is my Pop Pop Bob, he dropped out of high school in the 9th grade and was determined to be borderline mentally retarded. He doesn’t have knowledge for knowledges sake, instead he knows how to use everything that he knows. After all knowledge is pointless when you have no effective way of using it.
Personally I believe the most intelligent people on this planet are the ones who learn things for the sake of bettering themselves. Any person that bases their intellectual worth off of grades and test scores simply isn’t intelligent in my eyes, a lot of people probably disagree with me on this and that fine. I know that I’ve grown more as a person since I stopped evaluating my intelligence off of test scores. The first step to defining one’s own intelligence is to not attempt quantify it because you have to except that you know nothing. Knowing nothing is the key to discovering the world, questioning your existence and established theories, and developing independent thought.
An intelligent person doesn’t look at the cup half full or half empty but rather they look at a broken cup and spilt water.
Intelligent not only has the basic meaning of what you know but also of how aware you are. Intelligence seems to only be measured on how well you score on the ACT or SAT but some people are so unfortunate because they are so so so smart yet have horrible testing anxiety. Some of the smartest people I know are the ones most aware of the things happening around them. Being intelligent means knowing not only current events but also past events. Knowing what has happened in the past helps you not repeat the bad past. My parents are the smartest people I know and experience is a big factor in this. They have experienced many things in their life like siblings, marriage, divorce, college, graduate school, work, summer jobs, houses, taxes, life, starting over and so much more. My parents have gone through many different experiences that is why I name them the smartest people I know, plus they are my parents. Some parents only have a few kids or only have one marriage but my parents have me, my sister, my brother and my step sisters and have gone through divorce and have found love again. My parents have also experienced hatred toward each other and now friendship. I crown my parents the smartest because they always seem to be right even when I do not want them to be.
ReplyDeleteIntelligence is a strange thing to define because I think everyone's scale on which they should be ranked is different. It’s not fair to compare a senior in high school to a second grader and say that the second grader is unitelligent because for their age they could be very smart and their level of experience cannot even be compared to a senior. Same thing goes for comparing a child who comes from poverty to that of a rich kid. One is not more intelligent than the other just cause they might have had better schooling.
ReplyDeleteIntelligence is merely a word using to to raise some up and put others down. Intelligence has no true definition because universally it means something different to everyone everywhere.
That being said to me intelligence means nothing. I can't truly define it since I don't believe it has a true definition but I can say something about the people that think they are intelligent. I know bright people who are amazing learners, kind people, know so much yet I wouldn't call them intelligent. To me the word is rather boastful and I think it's most often used when someone is trying to make themselves look good. So to me to be intelligent is to be smart but conceited about it. As for the smartest person I know I don't know who that is but I wouldn't call them intelligent since I can't define it if just call it smart.
Albert Einstein has this quote that goes “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live it's whole life believing that it's stupid.” I think that kind of goes with what I'm trying to say. Many people are smart but once you make the label of intelligent or not and you start telling some people they are and some they aren't just being a very strict scale you're going to downgrade some very smart people. Intelligence is merely a word and I don't think we should allow it to define us or others.
I think about this a lot, specifically because what I think it means to be intelligent is the exact opposite of what we’re taught in schools. It’s crazy how some people base their worth off of SAT scores and grades. Just because you have good grades, does not mean you are intelligent; and if you have bad grades, that does not mean you are unintelligent. Standardized testing and GPAs don’t measure intelligence- they measure motivation and obedience.
ReplyDeleteSO I’d say that someone is intelligent if they are capable of thinking on a higher cognitive level than most people. I understand this is a really broad definition so I’ll try to narrow it down with an example. People who can make connections between the world and themselves are intelligent; people who can think in metaphors. I think good poets are brilliant. They can’t help but think in metaphors 24/7. For example, they could look at a big yellow school bus and be amazed that big yellow school buses exist in this world; they’d marvel at the fact that giant neon vehicles roam around on 4 wheels and carry children to various destinations. And they’d be amazed at how everyone seems to take these vessels for granted, or rather brush them off as an everyday sight, when in fact it can be argued that a big yellow school bus is the most bizarre thing ever. I mean if someone from a different country or society saw a big yellow school bus driving down the street, what would they think? Would they be just as amazed as the poet, who may have grown up seeing big yellow school buses everyday, yet still possesses the mental capacity to recognize its bizarreness? And then the poet, in awe of such an overlooked phenomenon, could go on to connect big yellow school buses to a larger theme or occurrence, such as how the majority of people don’t see things that are right in front of them- and then they’d use their creativity to write a poem about that connection and try to make others see things the way they do. And this, being able to see what other people have grown blind to, I think is a mark of intelligence.
ALSO I believe that anyone who can create art is intelligent (this is kind of related to my poet example but just go with it). Anyone who feels passionate about a specific thing or idea and then goes on to inspire others with that thing or idea is capable of higher thought and is therefore, I’d say, smart. For example, I know this one kid who’s pretty good at anything artistic; he can draw and write and sing and play any musical instrument he comes across and he can film really creative videos (and he can also spot metaphors from a mile away, which is unrelated to this specific example but further speaks to his intelligence). He didn’t do well in school, which exactly proves my point that grades do not directly correlate with intelligence; it’s impossible to deny this kid’s intelligence, you’d know it from the second you started talking to him. He’s one of the most intelligent people I know and he doesn’t even realize it. Okay I’m done gassing him. The point is that he’s really smart and intelligence is impossible to measure.
For someone who has never considered herself that intelligent, it kind of is hard to spark my mind and find what true intelliegence is. I’ve always considered myself as maybe average which is like I’m not dumb and I know some things but others I don't- I’m talking about school. INtelligence is usually defined as the amount of information you know and how you apply that information. But I believe there are a few types of intelligence and that not everyone is intelligent in the same ways, and everyone is in some kind of way. So I believe there is a basic school intelligence which I do not have a lot of, it kind of just depends on the person. But you could be really smart when it comes to common sense or just knowledge about life and it’s experiences. There are people like taylor who are just overall smart. Good test scores, but then she has amazing writing skills, and then she has so much insight on the world. She is easily one of the smartest people I know. I really did not want to use myself as an example, but here I go. There are people like Taylor and people like me. I am horrible at tests, school is not my thing. But I have knowledge in other things that don’t revolve around schooling. Everyone has some type of intelligence, and I don’t think there is a specific definition besides the usual one that everyone perceives it to be. Doing well in school does not make you the smartest person ever, everyone has something that makes them intelligent. :)
ReplyDeleteIntelligence is a combination of wisdom, acceptance and realism. I could define it in lots of ways. There's different kinds of intelligence too: book-smart, street-smart, etc. Overall I think intelligence is the effort to learn, to accept, and to apply the knowledge you gain to your life or life in general. Otherwise, why strive for intelligence at all? How intelligent are you if you refuse to apply your knowledge?
ReplyDeleteThe smartest person I know? That's hard to say because of the different types of intelligence. I know someone who's incredibly street smart but placed anywhere else in the world appears socially inept. I know people who are booksmart but have no common sense.
The hardest part about deciding the smartest person I know is keeping the line drawn between wisdom and intelligence. So maybe there doesn't need to be one.
The smartest person I know is a boy named Colin that I used to work with. I met him at a coffee shop and then later on the boardwalk. I kept running into him when I needed it most. It meaning his genuine love and kindness.
One night in particular I saw him on a bench outside of my job. He was doing this thing he called “sound yoga” which is a real thing, not just some eccentric thing he made up. After I got off, I sat with him. Everyone walking by made fun of him and laughed. Some people even came right up to him and messed with him. But no matter what he stayed kind, and loving, and genuine. He never got angry or embarrassed or upset. His friend came by sometimes. He was a writer. He wrote these amazing poems about the world and nature and I loved hearing them. We would talk, all three of us, for hours until real real late at night. One time I didn't even go home before my shift the next day because we talked for so long. He would explain how sounds can calm people and how other sounds can stress people out. He has a yoga studio that he and a few other people run. He was really wise. And really aware. And he talked about everything in a logical way despite the fact that most things he found logic in, others couldn't. He made sense.
He was street smart too. I know because I've seen it but I won't say how.
And he's book smart. He used a really wide vocabulary and so did his friend and his words flowed so nicely and he really was such a good person. He still is, I hope. I haven't seen him since summer. I never got his number or anything because I think he's one of those people you're meant to appreciate. The kind of person you're supposed to always meet by chance, and to think about in a decent light other times. I would never want to ruin a person like him. I would be scared that I could. I'm really happy that I met him though. And I'll probably never forget him.
The world needs people like him and that's by far the smartest person I know.
I suck for forgetting about this blog but it was a very stressful week last week. Not that that's an excuse, but now that Anthony is stationed with a phone I'm back to my senses.
ReplyDeleteI think being intelligent is such a powerful and strong quality. With that being said, I also believe everyone is intelligent in their own way. Some people can rip through a SAT like it's their hobby, others can smell weed and know exactly what kind it is. I don't know in what category I fall into when it comes to intelligence, but I landed in AP Lang so I must have something.
I believe that intelligence is so freaking attractive. Even though my boyfriend "dropped out" of school his junior year, he takes my breath away with the shit he knows. I have never met someone so amazing.. but when it comes to the most intelligent person I know it is most definitely my best friend Samantha. Not only does she use some big words that spins my head, but she can write like a bitch. If words could kill, most people that come in contact with Sam would be dead. I love reading anything she writes and the way she makes comparisons is beautiful. She compares people to stars and assholes to fire. That girl is amazing. She makes the most of nightmare situations and smiles like there is no tomorrow, that is not only beautiful but that, that is smart. And that is why I admire her.
Intelligence is something hard maybe even impossible to define, similar to the word love. Everyone has their own ideas of what qualifies as intelligence. For me, an intelligent person is someone who has empathy and sympathy and is unselfish. Intelligence for me is based mostly on what kind of person you are. Another quality that you need in order to be deemed intelligent is the ability to hold a mature and thoughtful conversation that is based on an open minded thought process. I don’t really know anyone that I’d consider to be intelligent, maybe my sister but she tends to be selfish and inconsiderate. If I had to choose who the most intelligent person I know is i would say Bunje. Bunje has always been understanding and empathetic towards her students. She is able to have actual conversations that are important and controversial while remaining open minded about other people’s views.
ReplyDeleteIntelligence has been defined in many different ways including as one's capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, planning, creativity and problem solving. This is google’s definition of intelligence. I think that intelligence can be measured in different ways. People say there are those that are book smart and street smart. Just seeing what’s happening in the world everyday make you wiser. Seeing people’s mistakes and looking for a way you can capitalize on it and don’t make the same on is smart.
ReplyDeleteThe smartest person that I personally know would have to be my cousin Shmar. He’s done a lot for his community and he’s always helping me with work ever since I’ve been young. He’s very intelligent. He uses his experiences in life to basically guide him of what his next move in life will be. He inspires me to be greater than him and the challenge is set to be faced.