Why are some people smarter than others?

 

     While most students with high or above-average intellectual skills thrive in schools, many others with equal IQs seem lost in school. This is because there are many different kinds of intelligence.

 

     We all possess all these intelligences, but each of us has them developed to different degrees and uses them differently. How much of our “smarts” comes from our DNA—our parents’ genes (nature)—and how much comes from the way we were raised or from our environment (nurture)? We know that genes hold some degree of influence, but no one knows how much.

 

     An individual’s interests and work ethic can influence intelligence. Hardworking people tend to learn more than even very bright-minded but lazy people. And being passionate about a specific topic, say music or art or science, pushes a person’s thirst for knowledge.

 

     There are more factors. Intelligence also depends on wealth and social status, to some extent. A child who has been taught the importance of education will have a higher desire and motivation to learn than a child who hasn’t. Poor families are unable to send a bright kid to college, while wealthy families not only put their kids through college but also hire tutors.

 

     The brain is an organ, but treating it like a muscle can improve its function. The more you exercise it, the better and stronger and more efficient it becomes. So people can become “smarter”and raise their IQ simply by exercising their brain. Conversely, an idle mind tends to lose its abilities. That is why music for young kids is very helpful, and experts recommend reading, writing, crossword puzzles, etc., for senior citizens.

 

     Last, please keep in mind that being “smart” or having a high IQ is just one aspect of a person’s being. An IQ test does not measure creativity, empathy, kindness, or even motivation. Talent can’t be measured accurately by IQ tests, especially in the areas of music, art, dance, writing, social skills, or most important, people skills. 

 

                                            -adopted and edited from Ask a Science Teacher by Larry Scheckel