Comment what does it mean to be smart ? (Score 1) 227
Is a preteen boy smart when he can memorize 40,000 digits of pi? Or is he really dumb for having directed his energy in such a stupid direction? Should we feel dumb the first time we see the word 'omphaloskepsis'? As many here have said- knowing stuff isn't the same as being smart.
New members of Mensa (the hi IQ society) often want to explore what intelligence really means. Experienced members are tired of that discussion and just want another beer. IQ tests don't satisfy everyone's idea of intelligence but we have nothing better yet.
Note that the internet won't help you when the test asks "Which object is most different from the other three?" It won't help you match puzzle shapes. Neither Wolfram nor your religious order can help you with logic problems typical of intelligence tests Neither Google nor Wikipedia are of much, if any, help with IQ tests.
So these newbie discussions in Mensa are usually fruitless. One point sometimes arises that may satisfy some people. Humans are different from other animals in their survival equipment. We have no claws or fighting teeth or camouflage. We are weak, flabby creatures but we are smarter than others. You could say that our individual ability to survive and thrive is a measure of our intelligence. How well you achieve your life goals is your measuring stick.