More than two thousand years ago, Plato stated, “A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men.” In that quote, Plato is expressing his observation that “wise men” or geniuses exist, but only a fraction …
An aptitude test of middle school students asks them, “Which of these questions is mathematically different from the other two?” a) What is the approximate cost of building a fence around a rectangular swimming pool that is 60 feet long and 30 feet wide if fencing costs $10 per foot? b) What is the cost …
Intelligence is relative, rather than absolute. That is, it’s easier to discern intellectual differences in a class of primary students than to estimate the intelligence or IQ of a particular child. Elementary school teachers scanning 25 or 30 students in their classroom, observe that some children absorb ideas and master skills quickly, while others have …
The best time to begin building wisdom, intelligence and knowledge is during your early formative years, but that is no longer possible for us adults and we must settle for the second-best time–now. A popular author who was writing about education, stated that children come to school as a question mark and by the end …
What are some ways to increase wisdom, intelligence and Knowledge? Read More »
In 2005, Professor Larry Summers, President of Harvard University, stated, “The physicists in the top 25 universities in the US are probably 3.5 standard deviations above the mean IQ.” This equates to an IQ of 100 + 3.5 x 15 or 152.5. IQ is a reasonably good measure of the ability to think in abstract …
In 399 BC, Socrates was on trial for his life, accused of corrupting the youth of Ancient Greece. In his defence, he stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In this assertion, Socrates was enunciating his belief that we must question all our beliefs in order to find truth. He was convicted of impiety …
The answer to this question depends upon what we mean by “intelligence”. Justice Potter Stewart of the US Supreme Court said in 1964, “Intelligence is like porn, difficult to define, but you know it when you see it.” When we observe members of our species we see some who learn quickly, can solve problems easily, …
Each of us is born with a unique intellectual potential that is determined by the genes we inherit. Achieving that potential requires an environment that offers optimal stimulation. The greatest opportunity to improve our IQ occurs in our formative years, and the earlier the better. It is during these early formative years (between birth and …
The answer to this question will differ, depending on whether the question is, “Can a person be too intelligent to achieve happiness?” or whether the question is “Can a person be too intelligent to achieve success?” Can a person be too intelligent to achieve happiness? The 18th-century poet Thomas Gray, coined the proverb, “Where ignorance …
A few years ago, research was conducted on the self-esteem of students in classes that were divided into ability groups with designations, bluebirds (high level learners), robins (average level learners) and starlings (low level learners). What students do you think had the highest self-esteem? It was found that the students of highest self esteem were …
