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Do You Think Intelligence Is Inherited Or Learned?


Noire

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The smartest people, in general, have  fewer children. In terms of the theory of natural selection and breeding rights, this implies the smart don't see themselves as the naturally selected, or else they would have the most offspring like in nature. 

 

The instinct of the smart is not to depend on their genes, but on the money and means they have with respect to nurturing children. This high level of nurture will compensate for poor genes, with fewer children allowing the nurture to be more concentrated. The poor person has to depend on genes because cultural nurture is not at the same level of advantage. 

 

In the olden days gone by, the royalty have more ways to nurture their children and therefore can compensate for less than premium genes. The poor did not have the same access to cultural nurture but had to depend on genes and instinctive nurture. The path of the poor appears to have selective advantage, which is why the poor are the dominant demographics. It would almost imply nature come first. While the royalty showed with enough nurture, the opposite can also work. However, this will not have selective advantage in nature, due to being too resource intensive, to be viable for all. Only a small group gets to use excess resource for an IQ boost that is free, if natural. 

Stupid people, along with ugly people and Manchester United supporters should definitely not be allowed to have children. It's basic common sense.

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My two girls are poles apart in everything. The one is introspective, an introvert, and incredibly intelligent. The other one is the exact opposite - she loves people, she's an extrovert, full of laughter, holds no grudges, but as far as intelligence is concerned, she ranks on average with the other kids in her class.

 

Yet, they have both grown up in the exact same house, under the exact same conditions, with access to the exact same toys (there goes the early-exposure to intelligence-enhancing toys theory) and books and parental love.

As others have mentioned, being the first and second child results in a huge difference.  Our 2 year old is growing up in a completely different environment than our 5 year old did, even with the same house, same parents, same toys etc.

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As others have mentioned, being the first and second child results in a huge difference.  Our 2 year old is growing up in a completely different environment than our 5 year old did, even with the same house, same parents, same toys etc.

Don't forget that your children also do not have identical genes.  As the youngest of 5, I can tell you that I did learn a lot from my older siblings.

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Is intelligence inherited genetically from your parents or is it knowledge that you pick up along the way and the way you use that knowledge? Some people say it's your education that gives you intelligence but I've talked to people who never graduated high school and are more intelligent than some university students I know. 

My favorite uncle had exactly one and one/half year of schooling.  From then on, he educated himself.  He could sit and talk with the best of educated men in many topics.  He knew more about the universe than I who had the advantage of university.  He could quote and discuss the works of many famous writers and (his favorite) philosophers. 

 

So there you are and I'll bet you can look around and find college-educated people who seem to have dropped out at age 16.

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My two girls are poles apart in everything. The one is introspective, an introvert, and incredibly intelligent. The other one is the exact opposite - she loves people, she's an extrovert, full of laughter, holds no grudges, but as far as intelligence is concerned, she ranks on average with the other kids in her class.

 

Yet, they have both grown up in the exact same house, under the exact same conditions, with access to the exact same toys (there goes the early-exposure to intelligence-enhancing toys theory) and books and parental love.

 

My point is that I'm much more inclined to lean towards the nature side of the argument, rather than nurture. Intelligence is inherited, and there is nothing you can do about it. You can merely expose an already-intelligent kid to a stimulating environment and build on what's already there, but you can't turn a kid with average intelligence into the next Einstein. 

 

My $0.02.

I'll make it $0.04 if you tell us which is older.   But, yes, I agree with what you say.  Only adding that place in line also contributes.

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From personal experience it has to have to do a lot with the surroundings and opportunities you get, rather than purely genetic. In my extended family, I am the only one with a PhD, so far not even someone else having a master...this does not prove that it is not genetical, but that there are also other factors (i.e support from family, people you interact with, etc...)

 

I agree. but I think that there is no clear correlation between education and intellligence. education is required this is correct ,but that will  not "always"  prove that you are intelligent even if you have high education.

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I agree. but I think that there is no clear correlation between education and intellligence. education is required this is correct ,but that will  not "always"  prove that you are intelligent even if you have high education.

 

 

According to this guy, education has different effects on different people, eh?

 

Education, n.: That which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding." (Ambrose Bierce)

 

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I agree. but I think that there is no clear correlation between education and intellligence. education is required this is correct ,but that will  not "always"  prove that you are intelligent even if you have high education.

I get what you're trying to say. I know of a few Ph.D's who are complete social dropouts and totally incapable of performing many basic tasks that require intelligence outside of their field of expertise.

 

We are likely born with an already installed IQ, which can be measured in early childhood. If it happens to be much under 100 then we've been dealt a bad hand and usually won't go on to achieving a higher IQ. 

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