Intelligence: A Matter of Opinion

Annyeonghaseyo~!

You're sitting at your high school awards ceremony, or you've just finished taking an exam or the ACT. You get your scores back for the test, or you receive a couple of awards, if any. You look at yourself and feel as if you aren't smart enough or that you could have done better. We all do this. Everyone does. And in some point in his or her life, everyone feels unintelligent. But just because your grades aren't the best, or you didn't receive an award, doesn't mean you aren't intelligent. Because, get this: grades don't measure intelligence.

Did I actually say that? Yes, grades are an important factor in getting into colleges, or having a high GPA. But they don't measure how smart you are. They also don't determine how well you will do in a particular career. Why? Because you're learning. You don't know all this stuff beforehand, and you're just now taking it all in. You'll apply it later in life.

Intelligence is defined in multiple ways. It's the capacity for a person's logic, understanding, abstract thought, self awareness, communication, learning, problem solving, emotional knowledge, memory, and planning. Therefore, intelligence isn't just book smarts. It isn't all about grades. It's about understanding and learning. And the way one person learns isn't the same as any other person's. One person may be a kinesthetic learner, and the other, an audio and visual learner.

This is why grades don't accurately measure intelligence. In school, the only type of resource you're supplied with is audio and visual (except in lab, where you get to apply science and hopefully not blow up the class). For someone who learns kinesthetically, the books and lectures may not be enough. And many schools don't supply an alternative learning style.

Aside from learning styles, test taking is nerve-wracking. It's a huge thing for many students. Many get stumped when put on the spot, or even have a fear of taking tests. I know of many people who I consider intelligent that may not have the best grades. My younger brother, for one. He may not be the best student in school, but there is no doubt that he has a high capacity for understanding, emotional knowledge, and communication.

Grades can't measure your capacity for many things that makes a person intelligent. In my opinion, intelligence isn't measured by grades or ACT's or GPA's. It's measured by your own opinion, and by the person that you are. My brother is empathetic; he knows when something is wrong with someone, and he understands. That, in my opinion, is a sign of intelligence.

My boyfriend, who loves learning and dislikes school, is intelligent. He has a high capacity for learning and logic, and loves to apply science to even the smallest things. He has an understanding of emotions, and always knows when something is wrong. I find that it doesn't matter what grades are, what your ACT scores look like, what college you go to, or what your major is - intelligence is all a matter of opinion.

~이하늘