What is Intelligence?

what is intelligence? -- a delightfully intriguing question -- indeed!

lemme present a fabulous tale from that fabulous Panchtantra -- world’s FIRST book of fables and parables -- and u decide what intelligence is –

Once upon a time there lived a Brahmin in the old kingdom of Magdha – in a remote village called Motihari -- in Champaran, Bihar

the Brahmin, a very learned man -- had four sons -- three of his sons were very bright, very bookish, very studious, voracious readers, with prodigious memory, unquenchable thirst for knowledge, eager to learn new things -- and equally eager and adept in applying the knowledge to develop new concept --

unfortunately the Brahmin`s youngest son was just the opposite of the other three boys -- he was very fun loving -- had no interest in books -- hated to sit and read -- spent all his time playing with his friends outdoors --

naturally his brothers didn`t think much of him -- and treated him with contempt -- but being the youngest his father still loved him very much.

One day the father Brahmin decided that he had imparted all the knowledge that he could, to the boys -- and that now it was time for the three boys to go away from home to Nalanda -- to acquire the super knowledge of mastering the elements.

When the Brahmins three boys were getting ready to travel -- the youngest one wanted to go with them too -- and was very insistent –

the older boys told him to stay home as he had no interest in studies -- hated books -- and knew nothing about anything -- what he will do in Nalanda --

but the youngest one persisted -- finally the father told them to take their younger brother with them – he is not as smart like u guys -- but he IS endowed with ‘good’ commonsense at least – he may be of some help to u three some day -- so the brothers agreed to take him along -- the four of them went to Nalanda --

after three years of their stay at Nalanda the three older ones became scholars, mastered all the Puranas, all the Vedas and acquired all the knowledge and powers of the occult as well as the real world -- whereas the youngest turned into a playboy.

then it was time to return home.

On way to home the four brothers were passing through the thick jungle of Brindaban when they found a skeleton of a tiger lying by the side of the road.

The boys became very excited -- the eldest one suggested why not we apply some of our knowledge and powers learned at Nalanda to this tiger`s skeleton –

the eldest one said -- well I think I can restore all the flesh and muscles on the tiger’s skeleton –

the second boy said -- well I think I can put the skin over the muscles -- the third son said -- well if u two can do that I can make him alive –

the youngest one was not at all impressed by all that scholarly discourse – in fact just the opposite – the youngest one got real alarmed – gesticulating excitedly he said -- scholars my foot -- are you three crazy -- making that tiger alive – does it occur to u -- what will happen to us after that -- the tiger will eat us alive – can u comprehend that – please don`t do that -- don`t do that – he pleaded with them –

but to no avail --

the three brothers derisively laughed at him -- what do you know u stupid illiterate little twerp – just shut up.

and they started to work on the tiger`s skeleton -- the youngest one then asked hem for a favor -- ok ok if u really want to do that – could u wait -- till I climb a nearby tall tree –

the brothers agreed –

the `stupid` one climbed the tallest tree in the vicinity – and the ‘wise’ scholar brothers started their science project –

they put the flesh, -- put the skin -- and then finally revived the tiger -- the tiger got up -- thanked them profusely and said -- I am sooo hungry I could eat a horse -- and then the tiger with equally profuse apologies --ate the three scholars -- while the little twerp sat safely on the tallest branch of the tallest tree – looking at the dismal end of an innovative nuclear science project:-)

Thus ends an exceedingly intelligent story – now does it answer your question -- folks?

Whatever intelligence is, it has unfortunately bypassed the author. Do not take me wrong but it is best you concentrate on software engineering only.

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Author

``Are we really using our intelligence to use the nuclear power for the welfare of human being? I think the real intelligence lies in understanding that. ``

You make good points. There is a point here I have been pondering since interacting on another board.

Where and when does my intelligence become worse than nothing for `human welfare`? Always where someone fathers a nation based on the fundamental premise that myself and other baniyas like myself have been a security threat to the human welfare of a group of people for the last 1000 years. (This person is also held up as a role model for secularism and moderation).

This baniya security threat theory is still held as fundamental premise of nationhood. Hindus and baniyas will always exist and my (a baniya`s) continued existence and signs of life or intelligence in me serves only as a corroboration and continuation of aforementioned 1000 year security threat to `human welfare`.

Can you suggest what intelligence I can use in this situation ?

I liked the message in this writing.

There is hope...

Ras

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Ok, now for my 2 cents :-)
Intelligence to me is governed by the scope you have in the way you perceive things... and how that affects your decision making.
Every action and its ramification is the result of a decision.
The more you think it out before acting, the more you justify the result of your action.
now for the funny part...
If your decision has a Positive result, you are smart...
If your decision causes a disaster or a massive failure somewhere.. people call you a fool !
haha !!! so much for intelligence...

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Below, is a little excerpt from a review i once read...
It is totally unrelated to my reply above...

Several years ago actors Dustin Hoffman & Tom Cruise made a movie called Rainman. In it Raymond, (Rain Man) the title character was an Autistic Savant. He was literally a genius and an idiot at the same time. Raymond`s greatest intellect was Mathematical. He could count and calculate as fast as a computer. But at the same time he was dysfunctional interpersonally. He couldn`t even carry on a normal conversation. The movie is based largely on truth.

Yet many of the world`s great discoveries came not through quickness but through sustained laborious thinking and creativity. Thomas Edison is said to have been ``a drudge`` before his invention of the light bulb. He reportedly tried thousands of times to create it with no success.

A new question regarding intellect is not how smart are you but How are you smart? If we asked that question of Raymond, the answer would be immediate; He is smart mathematically. That answer would give us a sense of what he would do well, what he would probably enjoy and where his greatest contributions would come from.

1. Dont all beings have ways to communicate through action, animal languages, territorial displays, etc?

2. The writer is correct in contending that India and Pakistan suffer from a tremendous lack of imagination in reconciling their differences non militarily.

What happens when all the intelligence in the world is rendered useless in the face of this lack?

For many, intelligence is solving a problem in a shortest possible time = IQ

For others, an emotional balance is intelligence = EQ

For me, intelligence is Common Sense. Pure and simple.

Now, a couple of statements in the article I disagree with:

``Nature`s biggest gift to man is an ability to think`` No. The nature`s gift to mankind is language: words, written and spoken

``Nobody is intelligent or genius by birth.`` No. Geniuses are born not made. On the other hand, a person can be made intelligent, as defined by me, by reinforcing Common Sense into him. But it does not work with everybody. An example of it is India and Pakistan!

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