Intelligence Has Little to Do with IQ

Source: www.chacha.com

I am currently reading a book, ‘Goals!’ by Brian Tracy and over the next few weeks, the articles I will be uploading with be based on and adapted from the book. It is one book I recommend to everybody that cares to make progress in life and career. Whilst reading this book, I came across a new definition of intelligence that first intrigued me, then encouraged me. It intrigued me initially because I was always under the impression that intelligent people were the ones who had been proven to know more and be smarter than others and it encouraged me because, after looking at this definition of intelligence, I realized that I am actually more intelligent that I gave myself credit for. Thus, after reading this excerpt, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to become more intelligent or you want to remain as you are.

Here goes: In Gallup interviews of thousands of men and women to determine the root causes of success in life and work, the importance of “intelligence” was mentioned again and again. But when researchers pressed for a definition of “intelligence”, they received an interesting answer. Intelligence was not defined as high IQ or good grades in school. Rather, intelligence was most commonly defined as a “way of acting”. In other words, if you act intelligently, you are intelligent. If you act unintelligently, you are unintelligent, irrespective of the grades you may have received or the degrees you have earned.

And what then, by definition, is an intelligent way of acting? An intelligent way of acting is anything that you do that is consistent with achieving goals that you set for yourself. Each time that you do something that moves you closer toward something that you really want (a goal or an aspiration), you are acting intelligently. On the other hand, an unintelligent way of acting is doing things that are not moving you toward your goals, or even worse, are moving you away from your goals.

You can argue with this definition, it’s up to you. But I’d rather that you take it, think on it and then begin to act on it. Ok, I agree that in intelligence, IQ is important, but I must say that IQ counts for nothing if it won’t positively impact upon your results. Whatever will not move you towards the achievement of your personal, academic, business, or life goals is not an expression of intelligence. So, from today, take a good look at yourself and ask “what am I doing that isn’t moving me toward my goal? What can I do to change this?” and you will discover that everything around you will begin to push you towards the achievement of your goals.