Intelligence

There has often been debate about exactly what intelligence is. A few years ago, a book called the “Bell Curve” was written about intelligence and it stirred up so much controversy that one of the authors went into hiding for fear of his safety. At its core, we can define intelligence as the capacity for goal-directed, adaptive behavior. This type of behavior is that which helps us achieve the goals we set and the challenges we face. If we are stuck in a very bad situation, those with a lot of intelligence should be more likely to find a solution or a way out of the bad situation than those without a lot of intelligence. In addition, intelligence is not just inborn, but increases with experience. Thus high intelligence is both innate and socially influenced.