Intelligence?

[rabbitearbandicoot]

what is Intelligence?

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 50 years ago?

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 500 years ago?

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 5000 years ago?

Is a person of today who can read, more intelligent than the people of x,000 years ago who recognised the need for written language and set about designing one (well many)?

I am not talking about learned knowledge although that could be a subject all on it's own - I am talking about Intelligence or the ability to reason, learn.

[i-need-a-martini]

In my opinion, we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation,

What we have lost in waves over decades/century is our perception. And at the same time we have gained (again in waves) a sense of self importance which means we lose the ability to reason during those times.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

In my opinion, we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation,

What we have lost in waves over decades/century is our perception. And at the same time we have gained (again in waves) a sense of self importance which means we lose the ability to reason during those times.

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"we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation," - what makes you think that?

[i-need-a-martini]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

In my opinion, we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation,

What we have lost in waves over decades/century is our perception. And at the same time we have gained (again in waves) a sense of self importance which means we lose the ability to reason during those times.

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"we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation," - what makes you think that?

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Simple. Each generation applies the knowledge of the last.

Your example of learning to write is a good example.

• Some group decided symbols as a way of communicating was a good idea. 
• Next generation decided the language of these symbols could be unique so that many people understood the same symbols.
• Next generation thought they could use these symbols to write down their history and explain their culture.
• Next generation decided these symbols were wasted on cave walls because they weren't mobile.
• Next generation think if they can put those symbols on 
• Paper was born.
• Books were born.
• Computers were born.

Obviously I have skipped some steps but you get my drift.

Intelligence is the build up of knowledge based on previous intelligence/knowledge. 

[the*scarlet*pimpernel]

Less intelligent.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

In my opinion, we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation,

What we have lost in waves over decades/century is our perception. And at the same time we have gained (again in waves) a sense of self importance which means we lose the ability to reason during those times.

---

"we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation," - what makes you think that?

---

Simple. Each generation applies the knowledge of the last.

Your example of learning to write is a good example.

• Some group decided symbols as a way of communicating was a good idea. 
• Next generation decided the language of these symbols could be unique so that many people understood the same symbols.
• Next generation thought they could use these symbols to write down their history and explain their culture.
• Next generation decided these symbols were wasted on cave walls because they weren't mobile.
• Next generation think if they can put those symbols on 
• Paper was born.
• Books were born.
• Computers were born.

Obviously I have skipped some steps but you get my drift.

Intelligence is the build up of knowledge based on previous intelligence/knowledge. 

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I don't agree - surely that is Knowledge rather than Intelligence? We have the advantage of LEARNING from the accumulated store of Knowledge it makes us more Knowledgable but does it make us more intelligent?  Are you saying that DaVinci was not as intelligent as someone today? 

[joz*garage]

Are we more or less Intelligent than those who lived 5000 years ago?

the evolution of the human brain is pretty much the same 40+ thousand years ago

if you could turn back time - grab a baby and bring it back, they would be capable of learning anything like you or i

[joz*garage]

....so i would say: although technology has advanced, especially in the last 200 years, our intelligence is somewhat stagnant  

[bright.ton42]

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

In my opinion, we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation,

What we have lost in waves over decades/century is our perception. And at the same time we have gained (again in waves) a sense of self importance which means we lose the ability to reason during those times.

---

"we are becoming (have become) more intelligent with each generation," - what makes you think that?

---

Simple. Each generation applies the knowledge of the last.

Your example of learning to write is a good example.

• Some group decided symbols as a way of communicating was a good idea. 
• Next generation decided the language of these symbols could be unique so that many people understood the same symbols.
• Next generation thought they could use these symbols to write down their history and explain their culture.
• Next generation decided these symbols were wasted on cave walls because they weren't mobile.
• Next generation think if they can put those symbols on 
• Paper was born.
• Books were born.
• Computers were born.

Obviously I have skipped some steps but you get my drift.

Intelligence is the build up of knowledge based on previous intelligence/knowledge. 

---

I don't agree - surely that is Knowledge rather than Intelligence? We have the advantage of LEARNING from the accumulated store of Knowledge it makes us more Knowledgable but does it make us more intelligent?  Are you saying that DaVinci was not as intelligent as someone today? 

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Good point.   Accumulated knowledge is not the same as intelligence the way I see it. 

These quotes are thought-provoking

Einstein said, "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." Socrates said, "I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

The other thing that separates Intelligence from Knowledge is opportunity and learning.

ie a native in remote Papua who has no exposure to anything other than his village and  5km surroundings could be as INTELLIGENT as the guy who has lived in a city and had  the opportunity to be educated and Learn lots of STUFF, but the two have totally different KNOWLEDGE BASES. The attitudes of the early explorers tell us that - the native would be considered an ignorant savage regardless of his Intelligence level. He may have absorbed the names and healing properties of every tree, plant, animal and insect in the forest - certainly a sign of Intelligence. Of course that opens up another can of worms - what is Knowledge and why is that native's Knowledge base any less vital or any less 'Knowledge' than the university graduate's knowledge of STUFF.

So, does it mean that a person of high intelligence KNOWS everything there is to know? Certainly not - without Intelligence one could not learn and retain Knowledge, any type of Knowledge, and without a Knowledge base to learn from Intelligence means nothing in itself. How did Knowledge come about? I would say experimentation had a lot to do with it.

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