Intellectual Glass Ceiling

2006-08-17 05:26:54

#1

Vub: The Power of Two; +188|6737|Sydney, Australia

Is there such a thing as an intelligence cap?

There are people who are naturally born sportsmen (ie they are physically intelligent), writers (creatively intelligent), scientists (deductively intelligent), leaders (socially intelligent)...How come, our brain structure essentially being the same, people seem to have different natural talents, and is it possible for someone not born with these traits to develop them?

2006-08-17 05:32:33

#2

fadedsteve: GOP Sympathizer; +266|6733|Menlo Park, CA

Well as far as physically intellegent, it seems you are either coordinated or your not! Some people just ARE NOT physically fit to do anything!!

I think everything else to some degree is a learned behavior. . . .

Good topic though, makes you think!

2006-08-17 05:53:55

#3

Pug: UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate; +652|6785|Texas - Bigger than France

Vub wrote:
Is there such a thing as an intelligence cap?

And on the eighth day, God created Beer!

2006-08-17 05:58:24

#4

CameronPoe: Member; +2,925|6798

Vub wrote:
Is there such a thing as an intelligence cap?

Yeah I wear one all the time. Sometimes back to front - but that's getting a little old fashioned now.

2006-08-17 07:33:30

#5

.:XDR:.PureFodder: Member; +105|7072

Basically most of the talents people have in later life are determined by what happens in their childhood. If you look at most of the best sportsmen and women they were being encouraged/pushed into it by their parents at a very early age, way before there could have been any indication of their later life prospects.

Similarly with intelectual abilities. they will be massively influenced by your early life experiences.

Generally you've got your parents to thank for making you the way you are today / blame for screwing you up.

2006-08-17 13:23:08

#6

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|6908|NT, like Mick Dundee

.:XDR:.PureFodder wrote:
Basically most of the talents people have in later life are determined by what happens in their childhood. If you look at most of the best sportsmen and women they were being encouraged/pushed into it by their parents at a very early age, way before there could have been any indication of their later life prospects.

Similarly with intelectual abilities. they will be massively influenced by your early life experiences.

Generally you've got your parents to thank for making you the way you are today / blame for screwing you up.

This explains everything. I always thought that being dropped on my head was to blame...

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2006-08-17 17:56:58

#7

kr@cker: Bringin' Sexy Back!; +581|6792|Southeastern USA

considering how little of our brains we actually use I think we are no where near being able to quantify total intelligence, I've met a few certified geniuses, one guy that I went to school with got a perfect SAT score (this was before they nerfed the scoring system), yet he couldn't seem to figure out how to make sure his socks matched

2006-08-17 18:35:28

#8

ht_fly: Member; +6|6709|Chicago

Yeah, we have to call some people stupid!

Dee Dee Dee!

2006-08-18 01:22:49

#9

Vub: The Power of Two; +188|6737|Sydney, Australia

I hate to think though that you're strengths are set in concrete after a certain age and you've got to learn to deal with that for the rest of your life. Anyone should be able to develop any exceptional talent if they want to, otherwise what's with all this "you'll achieve your goals if you set your heart to it" advice?

2006-08-18 01:29:27

#10

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,053|7014|PNW

I believe that there is a cap somewhere, but I don't think any human has reached it yet.

I don't think any mode of thought is set in concrete. It is possible, short of direct mental or physical failings, to learn anything (readily available), up until the point you die. For now, that is the cap.

Last edited by unnamednewbie13 (2006-08-18 01:29:41)

2006-08-18 01:38:06

#11

Marinejuana: local; +415|6828|Seattle

Some people keep learning and change their entire lives. Some people stay more or less how they are as a 14 year old forever.

2006-08-18 01:44:35

#12

GotMex?: $623,493,674,868,715.98 in Debt; +193|7006

kr@cker wrote:
... got a perfect SAT score (this was before they nerfed the scoring system)...

I wonder if EA had anything to do with that...

2006-08-18 08:25:39

#13

Marconius: One-eyed Wonder Mod; +368|6937|San Francisco

Actually, there's a story going around debunking "natural intelligence." Being an expert comes from practice and dilligence, and being trained to be assertive with whatever your parents or teachers want to mold you into.

People with Physical intelligence are just brought up to be that way. Mozart was a genius because he was trained from an extremely early age and was just brought up with nothing but music before anything else.

It's a nature vs. nurture argument, and I feel that people aren't born with anything inherent. They are born blank and will fill into whatever they are influenced towards. As for a limit, I'd say intelligence is limited to all that we currently know about anything. One can't know everything, but if you specialize in something, you can become an expert in it, and will only remain an expert in it as long as you commit to constantly learning and finding things out about your field. Commitment to education and intelligence is the key.

2006-08-18 08:29:27

#14

1927: The oldest chav in the world; +2,423|6916|Cardiff, Capital of Wales

Anthing to do with Gene's. For eg, Sports stars who have kids who grow up to become just as successful. Or is that down to the parent pushing the kid harder than the average parent. Does the parent know how to extract the talent from the child so it fulfills it's full potential? Or more than likely, its who you know, not what you know and a famous mummy or daddy can get you that audition where as the next child will be told no more needed.

2006-08-18 17:09:58

#15

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|6908|NT, like Mick Dundee

I've just been thinking about this aaaaand...

Our intelligence is determined by the physical links (synapses) in our brains. It is quite possible that there is a definite cap to what our brains can achieve just through physical limits placed upon them by skull cavity size and such.

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2006-08-18 19:02:43

#16

Major_Spittle: Banned; +276|6898|United States of America

Anyone with kids can tell you how much hereditary traits play into a person's make up. You can see it in nature also. Certain instincts and knowledge are inherited from parents. Babies know to suck a tit, dogs know to bury bones, monkeys know to hold on tight before their eyes open, a bitch dog knows to immediately clean its new born so it can breath, boys have a drive to fight, and girls have a drive to nurture.

There are many family inherent traits: stupidity, intelligence, coordination, and even more specific traits.

I am sure genes has a lot to do with intelligence, but anyone can spend their life learning and becoming smarter.

2006-08-18 21:34:12

#17

jonsimon: Member; +224|6738

It has been proven over time that the brain can adapt to learn, re-learn, or develop any traits. Yes, genetics can create restraints (the arch of your feet is one example), but anyone is capable of anything mentally.

2006-08-19 00:07:12

#18

Marinejuana: local; +415|6828|Seattle

for nature versus nurture... Just know that all biologists are in complete agreement that organisms are formed through nature AND nurture simultaneously. All inherited traits depend on the environment to some extent in whether or not they are expressed. It is silly to take a nature alone stance or nurture alone stance because then you are either denying the existence of genetic inheritence or denying that organisms can be affected by their environment as they develop. So I doubt you could make a mozart out of just any kid. But I also doubt that mozart would have become what he did without some amount of training and influence.

2006-08-19 01:49:18

#19

GotMex?: $623,493,674,868,715.98 in Debt; +193|7006

It kinda goes back to the question: "If you clone Michael Jordan, will the clone show his basketball skills?"

It'd be interesting to see which of the following plays out:
A: Clone has Michael Jordan basketball skills.
B: Clone is not proficient in basketball, but finds another sport to dominate, or another field.
C: Clone plays BF2 all day and shows no such MJ traits.

2006-08-19 22:57:47

#20

Vub: The Power of Two; +188|6737|Sydney, Australia

Of course most traits and skills can be picked up through learning and practise, however, I don't know if it's possible for nutured traits to be ever as great as natural traits.

Maybe the brain does have a physical limit like Flecco said, and there's only so much you can put into it. If you're an expert at one thing, then perhaps you don't have enough "room" to fit being an expert at many other things. For example certain genetic diseases in children which slows intellectual and behavioural development can lead to them having exceptional talent in music or art, and be able to hear on a completely different level to others. In this case, maybe the brain has developed this skill with the "spare room" left by underdevelopment in other skills.

Last edited by Vub (2006-08-19 22:58:29)

BF2S Forums Intellectual Glass Ceiling

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Vub wrote:

.:XDR:.PureFodder wrote:

kr@cker wrote:

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