When determining how intelligent another person is, what criteria do you use?

Question

longview - quit trying to use my question to promote your libertarian ideology.

Bru - I'm asking YOU.

Answer 1

I determine another's intelligence by what level of empathy and compassion they have for others and themselves.

People whose lifelong dreams and aspirations are to do nothing but win the lottery and spend their lives on the beach with a metal detector would hardly receive my vote as intelligent people.

Likewise, those who are unkind to animals and children exemplify unintelligence and immaturity.

Extreme self-indulgent behavior and those who use excuses for their behavior rather than trying their best at life (those who consistently over-indulge) also show little sign of intelligence.

The ability to stand alone on a moral issue, for example, and defend an unpopular position, although neither right-nor-wrong, also shows a pathway to intelligence.

Being able to cite a work word-for-word is not intelligence, but memory. Being able to manipulate another's work to your own style or flair...Creating your own masterpiece out of bits and pieces of your own and others' creations also shows intelligence.

The ability to show concern and compassion every day to your fellow man, to stand up for those without a voice, to make the best decisions for your family, are all examples of how I assess intelligence in others.

Mostly, however, I see brightness in people with little or nothing, willing to give it to someone they love, or even someone they don't know, because of a commitment they have made to the betterment of humanity, rather than raising someone on a pedestal because they have managed to achieve financial wealth.

There is a richness about a person's knowledge of humanity that is immeasurable in dollars. Those that know this truth and live in this belief are light-years ahead intellectually from those that seek more than they need; be that financially or some other source.

Answer 2

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. There's no question that design exists in nature. The question is how the design came about--whether through natural mechanisms or through supernatural agency. Your arguments might be more persuasive if you focused on examples of poor design which would be expected from a natural mechanism like Darwinian evolution but not from the hand of God. The panda's thumb is a famous example. The wandering path of the recurrent laryngeal nerve is another good example. The placement of the blood supply before rather than behind the retina of vertebrates is yet another example.

Answer 3

My usual "look for" list includes: do they speak well and use more than four or five letter words; do they have a genuine sense of humor or will they laugh at anything; can they discuss more topics than just how many beers they had last night or how many women (or men) they've been with in the last couple of days; how do their nails look, their hair, and especially thier shoes.
It may seem trivial, but most intelligent people care about how they look and come across to other people.
Don't confuse "smart" with "intelligent". I've come across many people in my lifetime who could memorize any book or fact, but when it came to actually thinking, they were dead in the water.

Answer 4

If they are over 25 years old, have read Ayn Rand books and George Orwell books, and have read literature explaining the beliefs of Libertarian Party, but they are still not a libertarian, then they are not intelligent.


*I smile at you*

EDITED TO ADD:

You misinterpret my answer as incorrect.

Intelligent people are Liberttarians. That is a fact. Look it up if you like.

*Still smiling at you*

Answer 5

Initally, I go by a person's eyes. Another good test is how quickly a person recalls information. I look for indications of how fast their brain works.

Word association is creativity.

Language is knowledge, even a parrot can talk.

Answer 6

Define intelligence, it depends on your own personal observations and parameters.

Answer 7

Do a crossword puzzle together, play cards, ask him/her to read you ("THIS POEM/ BOOK) LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY!! How they speak,how they pronounce words,! AXE THEM THEIR I.Q.

Answer 8

Vocabulary and grammar are my first clues.
-MM