Defining Intelligence: In an Educational Context

It may be unethical for a person to conduct an intelligence assessment on another human being. Human intelligence is unquantifiable. Observing or analyzing behavior, appearance, personality, beliefs, or acquired knowledge cannot produce a quantifiable measure of a person’s intelligence. The brain can perform millions of billions of calculations per second. This gives the person enormous power and incalculable potential. We are thinking beings. We are compelled and condemned to think. Thinking is process. We cannot analyze thinking, but we can analyze thoughts and ideas, the products of thinking. The mind can reflect on the past, live in the present, and plan for the future. Intelligence involves abstract, purposeful, logical thinking, and the ability to create and execute ideas. It also includes unconscious thinking. Primary education should allow time in the curriculum for students to daydream purposefully. In early schooling, greater emphasis should be placed on creativity, music composition, innovation, and artistic pursuits.