The
Gifted
Lewis Madison Terman (1877 – 1956) was the professor of psychology
in the early 20th century at the Stanford Graduation School of
Education. He is best known for his study on Children with high IQ (IQ=
Intelligence quotient is the measure of intelligence). Terman was interested in
intelligence testing and he had firm belief that those children who have high
IQ become more successful in their career and life that means there is direct
relationship with intelligence and success in life. He selected 1500 kids from
all over the country who had exceptionally high IQ and carried out study on them
on their entire life time. It was the longest study of the world and it is
still going on from last 100 years. He wanted to observe their career growth,
their achievements, and their success since he had firm belief that these high
IQ kids are gifted kids and they will be very successful in their life.
Terman believed IQ was of central prominence to achievement and
attainment. He thus hypothesized that when these kids grew up they
would become prodigious—they would be policy makers, Nobel laureates, famous
professors, or great artists. Terman called these kids “The Termites” and
this famous study is called “Genetic Study of Genius”. With the time those kids
grew up, they completed their education and started to work and here came the
greatest twist. Those gifted kids of high IQ when they became adult and started
working they could not do exceptionally well. Their combined performance might
be called “Average”. Few of them did well, few of them failed and few of them
performed average. So no significant relationship could be established between
Intelligence and success. Terman’s life long belief was shattered. He spent his
entire life just to prove that those kids who have high IQ are gifted kids and
they would perform exceptionally well in career but his belief was erroneous.
Being intelligent doesn’t guarantee the triumph in career. His work was
published in 5 books, lot of articles and one monograph.
Brain as Big Library
Intelligence is the ability to grasp the information, and storing
in memory in such a way that at the time of needs it can easily be retrieved
and visualized. In the previous articles – “The Amazing Hard Disc” and “Science
of Learning”, It was well explained that how do we learn something new and how
do we store the information in our memory and what changes occurs in our brain.
It was also explained that neuron is the most basic unit of human cognition and
neural connections (neural pathways) are used to transfer information from one
neuron to another neuron. Our intelligence is very much depends upon
brain structure that includes white matter volume, grey matter volume,
efficiency of neural connection, cortical thickness etc. So if someone
articulates that intelligence is God’s gift then it should not be surprising.
Yes it is God’s gift but as elucidated in previous article it can be learned
also. Every human have different brain architecture and it’s very much
dependent on our genetics. Intelligent people have good grasping abilities.
When you were in school you must have observed that few of the students were
very quick in grasping what is taught in classroom by teachers. They were very
good in putting information in memory and they could easily recall that learning from their memory in examinations. Consider our memory like big
library, Intelligent people are very good in sampling and putting pertinent
information in similar areas consider it with the library that is very
organized and have different sections. They have efficient neural connections
to retrieve information efficiently when looked-for and you can compare it with
the big library that have lot of pathways so that you can reach easily to any
section and can easily grab your books.
Check
the above image. This is the question from IQ test. This image consist 3 shapes
in first row, 3 shapes in second row and 2 shapes in third row. Candidate
is supposed to analyses the pattern in first two rows and on the basis of that
need to guess third shape in third row. You will find these kinds of questions
often in IQ exams. The basic idea behind such questions is that those persons
who have high IQ, that means those who are more intelligent can solve these
kind of questions very easily. Now the question is how intelligent people can
solve these questions easily but less intelligent people can’t solve it easily.
What actually happens in their brain when they try to solve this type of
question?
Our
eyes see the first shape of first row and send the information to brain and
brain stores it into memory at random location, then brain sees the second
shape and store it in again in random location and then see third
shape and store it into also random location and now the role of intelligence
comes into play. Brain analyses all three pic and if has efficient pathways
then quickly it establish a pattern and store all these 3 pics together in a
pattern and second row strength the pattern and when he goes through third row
his brain automatically told that which shape is required to complete the
pattern and all these happened in seconds only and on the basis of this the IQ
of candidates are decided. Now what happens when an intelligent guy is
encountered with such type of question –?
A bat
and ball cost $ 1.10
The
bat costs one dollar more that boll.
How
much does the ball cost?
Where
Intelligence fails
The
immediate answer will come in your mind is that cost of bat costs $ 1.0 and
ball costs $ 0.1 but wait is it right answer? Just check again, the logic was
bat is costlier by 1 dollar from ball but if your answer is $1 and $0.1 then
difference is here only $0.9 that means your answer is wrong. The correct
answer is bat cost $1.05 and ball cost $0.05. If you have answered it wrong
then you don’t need to worry because most of the people who have very high IQ
failed in this question but if your answer is correct then congratulations you
are a Rational person.
This
classic question was designed by famous psychologist and Nobel prize winner
Danial Kahneman and Amos Tversky. The question is very simple math question and
normally students of 8th grade can easily solve this question.
Kahneman asked this question to thousands of under graduate and post graduate
students of Harvard, MIT, Princeton students and more than 50% of students
answered it incorrect. In other universities the rate of incorrect answer was
more than 80%. It cant be assumed that students of such an high reputed schools
are not intelligent. They reached there it means they are very intelligent but
the question is why all those intelligent students failed in such a simple math
question and here comes the second character of this article in picture and
that is rationality
The
Antagonist of Intelligence
Why
lot of intelligent people failed in bat and ball question? The reason can be
explained by Mind and Brain theory. As per mind and brain theory we have two
judgment making units and they are mind and brain. Brain is responsible for
logical judgements and mind is responsible for intuitive, emotional judgements.
Intelligence is tool of brain while intuition is tool of mind. Wherever we need
to make logical decision the decision should be made by brain and wherever we
require intuition then brain should take the help of mind. If both happen in
coordination then there is no problem but when they don’t work in coordination
and when mind interferes in the work of brain then problem occurs. The first
question pattern finding in shapes was related intelligence so it falls under
jurisdiction of brain and in most of the time mind doesn’t interfere here
because there was no temptation and intelligent people can answer it easily.
Second question of bat and ball also falls under jurisdiction of brain but here
intuitive mind interferes in brain works. The first answer that you get in you
mins (Bat $1.0 and Ball $0.10) actually comes through mind. Many of you who
answered it correctly had also felt that this intuitive answer came in your
mind but somehow you ignored it and gave logical answer (Bat $1.05, Ball
$0.05).
Intelligence
is God’s gift and is tool of brain and those persons are lucky who have this
gift but what if you can’t use this tool. You have lot of money but you are not
allowed to use that money. You have a beautiful car but you are not allowed to
use that car. The same thing happened with those kids of Terman who had high IQ
but still failed in their achievements and their culprit was their mind.
Intelligence is of no use if we can’t use our intelligence because mind hinders
when brain uses intelligence and doesn’t allow brain to use it. Why mind
controlled by dopamine obstructs in brain’s work has been explained in previous
articles. So if your brain doesn’t have control over your mind then despite of
being intelligent your intelligence is no more useful for you and that’s why
lot of intelligent persons failed in their career because they don’t have
control on their mind and when they require to use their intelligence their
mind takes control on them and they takes emotional decisions. Those
persons who have better control over on their mind are rational person because
when we have control over on mind then brain can freely take decisions when
required.
The
Savior of intelligence
Mind
is very powerful and interferes in most of the judgement that must be made by
brain. Any decision that is supposed to be made by brain but we make through
mind is biased decision and prone to wrong and same happened with you in bat
and ball question. That’s why rationality is superior to intelligence. Suppose
you are driving a car and cat cross your car. What thoughts will come in your
head? Your emotional mind will articulate you that something bad is going to
happen. Your logical brain will tell you that there is no relation between cat
crossing the road and something bad omen. If you are a rational person than
your brain will ignore the suggestion of mind and keep driving. Suppose you
check in a hotel and you are handed over the keys of room no 13 and coincidentally it is Friday also. Your emotional mind will convey you that its
bad omen and something wrong can happen. Your logical mind will say to you that
a room is just a room and a number is just a number. If you are a rational
person you will accept what your mind says and will stay in hotel. Suppose you
are a very intelligent person and working on some important work and few of
your friends come and ask you to join. Your logical brain will tell you that
work is important and stick with your work but your mind will ask you to enjoy
for some time. If you are rational person then you will attend to your mind and
will stick with your work but if you don’t have control over your mind then you
will fell in the trap of your mind and will deviate from your work and despite
of being intelligent. So if your kid is gifted and is very intelligent then
don’t be in delusion that he/she will be very successful in life. You need to
teach him/her is self-control. You need to teach him/her the art of declining
the mendacious proposals of mind. You need to teach him/her the art of
controlling mind. You need to make him/her rational.
Intelligence
and Rationality
Sp
till now we have learnt that-
Intelligence
is a tool to make quick and reasonable decision
But
mind is the big villain for intelligence and it doesn’t allow to work
intelligence freely
Rationality
is savior of intelligence and it saves intelligence from the grips of mind
But
there are lot of situations where neither intelligence nor rationality can
solve the problems and here comes the third character of this article and to
explain about it, I want to tell you a story.
Wisdom
Once a rich merchant’s house was robbed. The merchant suspected
that the thief was one of his servants. So he went to Birbal and mentioned
the incident. Birbal went to his house and assembled all of his servants and
asked that who stole the merchant’s things. Everybody denied.
Birbal thought for a moment, then gave a stick of equal length to
all the servants of the merchant and said to them that the stick of the real
thief will be longer by two inches tomorrow. All the servants should be present
here again tomorrow with their sticks.
All the servants went to their homes and gathered again at the
same place the next day. Birbal asked them to show him their sticks. One of the
servants had his stick shorter by two inches. Birbal said, “This is your thief,
merchant.”
Later the merchant asked Birbal, “How did you catch him?” Birbal
said, “The thief had already cut his stick short by two inches in the night
fearing that his stick will be longer by two inches by morning.”
Intelligence
has its limitation. It is dependent on the available facts and logic but world
doesn’t drive through logic. The way we have mind and brain and mind hampers
our decision making abilities in the same way each and every person in this
world has its own brain and mind and their mind also hamper in the working of
their brain. You can control your own mind but you cannot ask each and every
one to control their mind and make only logical decisions. We need
to accept persons as the way they are not the way we want. To
understand other person’s mind and brain for making such a decision that
benefits you to get your work done is called wisdom. It involves of
understanding of people like how they behave in particular situation,
understanding of objects, events, situation as well as the ability to apply
your brain and mind in such a way that it preserves the understanding what is
actually required. To apply wisdom you need intelligence and rationality
(excellent control over mind) both.
Wisdom
– The art of understanding other’s mind and brain
Wisdom
requires flexibility of mind and brain. It requires understanding of human
behavior. Suppose your boss believes that 2+2 = 5 and he doesn’t like those
persons who offend him and you are aware about this fact. If he asks you how
much is 2+2 =?
What
will be your reply? Intelligence says that answer should be 4 but wisdom says
that you should answer 5 and this is basic difference between intelligence and
wisdom. Wisdom is not about what is correct or what is incorrect, wisdom is
about what is important. Wisdom is not about knowing what is logical or
illogical; wisdom is about knowing what is useful. Suppose it someone asks you-
How
many hairs do you have in your head?
Logical
answer will be to count each and every hair for next few hours and to reach on
some figure
Emotional
answer will be “this is stupid question, it can’t be answered”
But
the wise answer will be – “I have 20000 more hairs than your hairs”
Now
let him count his hairs.
Wisdom
is one of the most important virtues that we learn through people, situations
and event. I recommend to read famous book of Del Carnegi “how to win friends
and influence people” to understand more about wisdom. Wisdom is all about
realizing that we humans are not logical machines, we are emotional creatures
and logics are not right everywhere. Understanding someone’s emotions and
behave in such a manner that it helps you to accomplish your work is wisdom.
This chapter is not about how to become wise. Wisdom comes through knowledge.
Wisdom comes through melting of ego. When knowledge shines ego diminishes.
Wisdom is the most valuable virtue among all three virtues discussed in this
chapter.
In
short:
To
make sharp and logical decisions by using your brain is intelligence
When
you make logical decisions, your mind creates obstacles. Controlling your mind
and to make logical decision is rationality
By
understanding others mind and brain and to make flexible decision by using your
both brain and mind that helps you to find your ultimate purpose is wisdom.
Sometimes
you don’t have resources to make decision by your brain and you are completely
dependent on you mind to make decisions. Those types of decisions are called
intuition. We will discuss about in another chapter.
