Define Smart

[Chase Leader]

What I don't get is why someone who gets straight A's and still has no clue on how to act or think around others...they might know about something, but wouldn't know how to use that in any given situation. I think there are many catagories of being "smart"

1. Smartness can be classifyed as knowing any given amount of information.
2. Smartness can also be classifyed as knowing any given amount on any given subject.
3. There is book smart...
4. street smart...
5. being creative...and so on
How do you define smart?

 

[Cherrim]

I actually follow Howard Gardner's theory of the Seven Types of Intelligence. He basically states that there are different kinds of "smart," which explains why some people are good at some things, while they lack in other areas that other people might do well in. The seven kinds are:

1. Linguistic ~ People who are linguistic, or word smart, tend to do well with languages and with words. They like writing and reading, etc.
2. Logical ~ People who are logical, or number smart, are good with puzzles and problem solving. This is the kind of smart that people who excel in math are.
3. Kinesthetic ~ Also "body smart," I think. These people are good at sports, or physical activies like dancing. (This one is also definitely not me, rofl.) These people often learn best by doing things for themselves, I think.
4. Spatial ~ Also visual or picture learners, these are the artists. ^^; They think through images and they're often very good at visual arts, such as drawing sculpting, etc.
5. Musical ~ People who are musical (I think it's also called aural, but I can't remember) learners are good at picking up sounds or recalling tunes. They listen well. I don't remember much else. XD
6. Interpersonal ~ People smart! These are the leaders in society; they're good at communicating and can understand other people with ease. They're good at getting people to interact with each other and whatnot. ^^;
7. Personal ~ Last but not least is self smart. These people aren't necessarily introverts, but they can identify with themselves easily and they know themselves inside out. Often times, though, these people tend to be shy.

So... yeah. I use the above to define smart... though I suppose I tend to lean more towards defining smart mostly as logically smart, eheh. ^^;; I'm not the greatest to be thinking about these things since whenever I take tests to see which smart I fall under, I end up with high scores in all of them since I like learning in a bunch of different ways. XD;

 

[Pounce]

i've actually been thinking about this a lot lately. i know a lot of naturally intelligent people -- the kind who have scored well on IQ tests and other similar tests since they were little, i being one of them -- but i still think there's something else that isn't considered.

what's the point of having a sharp mind if you never use it? some of the people i know may be considered smart by a test, but they aren't smart in the sense that they really think things out logically and rationally. or they may be ignorant, lack common sense, what have you.

i consider philosophy to be the highest echelon of intelligent thought, so it follows that i think philosophically-minded people are the 'smartest' people. it takes quite a mind to be able to think for hours on end about "what is truth," "what is happiness," "what constitutes quality"... and so on. i try to stay away from the word 'smart' though, because of all the things it can mean, including all those that you listed.

 

[Chase Leader]

i consider philosophy to be the highest echelon of intelligent thought, so it follows that i think philosophically-minded people are the 'smartest' people. it takes quite a mind to be able to think for hours on end about "what is truth," "what is happiness," "what constitutes quality"... and so on. i try to stay away from the word 'smart' though, because of all the things it can mean, including all those that you listed.

Wow, that is almost an exact definition of myself.

 

[Kylie-chan]

I actually follow Howard Gardner's theory of the Seven Types of Intelligence. He basically states that there are different kinds of "smart," which explains why some people are good at some things, while they lack in other areas that other people might do well in. The seven kinds are:

1. Linguistic ~ People who are linguistic, or word smart, tend to do well with languages and with words. They like writing and reading, etc.
2. Logical ~ People who are logical, or number smart, are good with puzzles and problem solving. This is the kind of smart that people who excel in math are.
3. Kinesthetic ~ Also "body smart," I think. These people are good at sports, or physical activies like dancing. (This one is also definitely not me, rofl.) These people often learn best by doing things for themselves, I think.
4. Spatial ~ Also visual or picture learners, these are the artists. ^^; They think through images and they're often very good at visual arts, such as drawing sculpting, etc.
5. Musical ~ People who are musical (I think it's also called aural, but I can't remember) learners are good at picking up sounds or recalling tunes. They listen well. I don't remember much else. XD
6. Interpersonal ~ People smart! These are the leaders in society; they're good at communicating and can understand other people with ease. They're good at getting people to interact with each other and whatnot. ^^;
7. Personal ~ Last but not least is self smart. These people aren't necessarily introverts, but they can identify with themselves easily and they know themselves inside out. Often times, though, these people tend to be shy.

So... yeah. I use the above to define smart... though I suppose I tend to lean more towards defining smart mostly as logically smart, eheh. ^^;; I'm not the greatest to be thinking about these things since whenever I take tests to see which smart I fall under, I end up with high scores in all of them since I like learning in a bunch of different ways. XD;

I'll go with that. XD
I'm not smart under any of 'em =O

 

[Cherrim]

Those were very vague descriptions and it doesn't necessarily mean smart in that area, but it also describes how one learns. ^^;

For example, a visual learner would learn to do something from seeing pictures of each step. An aural learner would learn to do it by listening to the instructions. A kinesthetic person would learn from doing it themselves, etc. :O

I actually have one or two of these tests up in my room (it came in this course booklet I never handed in <<), so if I have nothing to do in the next few days, I might type one up or something. :\

 

[<<-_Lord-Krishna_->>]

Smart- Stayin alive, yeah dat works for me.

 

[RoxasOld]

Smart- The oposite of stupid eg; Anyone who is not me

 

[ArKiVe]

Hm. It really depends. There are different things you could be smart at or excel at. For one, you may act like an idiot or seem it but you can really not be one and actually be highly intelligent. You could be considerded dumb but you could actually just be a slacker with a genius mind. So in all, the definition to me for being smart is having the knowledge about whatever particular subject/topic thats brought forth to the table...

 

[Chairman Kaga]

"Smart" feels like a word that a sixth grader would use to describe a classmate who can do math better than they can. Like other people have said, I think we need a more fitting word before we can find a definition, like intelligent, philosophical, et cetera. I hope that all of us here can agree that intelligence should not be based on school-instituted scales, such as GPAs, standardized testing, and the like. For instance, a genuinely-intelligent person can take a very difficult course load and their grades will suffer for it, or a person who has no interest in learning can take the easiest classes possible and glide through with perfect scores. Numbers on paper will determine that the second person is more intelligent, while the truth is otherwise. To be generally considered intelligent, one must at least show an unending desire to learn, but I find it equally important to grade one's intelligence on how they carry themself, as in being polite, helpful, conversational, and authoratative. After all, intelligence is a choice. Ignorance is the opposite of intelligence, and an ignorant person is not someone who has no knowledge, but is a person who makes a conscious choice to reject any pursuit of knowledge and to reject acting in a respectful manner. I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but I consider myself intelligent to an extent, not because of what I know, but because of how I use it. Wherever I am I simply try to be a presence people can notice and think "if I need assistance I can go to him. He'll know what to do." On the other hand, I lack personal skills and a great deal of common sense, and in that way I am not well-rounded in my abilities, therefore I may have intellect, but I cannot be considered an intellectual. As people have said in this topic, it would take the greatest philosophers their entire lives to find a true definition for intelligence, and I don't dare even try and define such a broad concept. These are just the first things that came to my mind.

 

[John Denver]

Wow, that is almost an exact definition of myself.

Somehow I disagree...BAM! I'm only saying that cause I actually know you, donchya know ;)

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But Lightning took the words from me. In Psychology I learned about the different definitions of intelligence, and I think that's really the best way to describe it.

I personally think that everyone who uses big words, writes empty poetry, starts philosophical discussions they themselves don't know or care about, or pretty much anyone that tries to impress others by sounding smart, like it's the most important thing ever, like they don't think they're smart enough so they think that the only way to make themselves feel better is to make everyone else feel dumber by "tricking" them into thinking your smart.......is just stupid...

Did anyone get that O_O I think I just blew my brain up...

 

[Greed]

The definitive definition of smart is - an individual who has an intelligent sense.

My literal definition is - somebody who has moral sense. =/

 

[22sa]

Somehow I disagree...BAM! I'm only saying that cause I actually know you, donchya know ;)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But Lightning took the words from me. In Psychology I learned about the different definitions of intelligence, and I think that's really the best way to describe it.

I personally think that everyone who uses big words, writes empty poetry, starts philosophical discussions they themselves don't know or care about, or pretty much anyone that tries to impress others by sounding smart, like it's the most important thing ever, like they don't think they're smart enough so they think that the only way to make themselves feel better is to make everyone else feel dumber by "tricking" them into thinking your smart.......is just stupid...

Did anyone get that O_O I think I just blew my brain up...

I got it, yeah. But I don't like or agree Howard Gardner's theory or anyone else with multiple intelligence theory.

A smart person, to me, is any person with a lot of ideas or knows how to think and can think about anything. Someone who reasons properly.

 

[John Denver]

It's kinda dumb to try and categorize Smart as a fintesimal thing...

That's like trying to describe Humor or Courage or something...it's just another thing that humans have that makes us better than the animals, SQUEE!!

*liek, omg he can't saaaayyy that!*

 

[22sa]

It's kinda dumb to try and categorize Smart as a fintesimal thing...

What's a fintesimal thing? :\

I must agree with Cartoon to be smart is to be moral, but moral according to the real world, not just to a religion.

Definately, man is better then animals when he uses his smart productivity.

 

[Chase Leader]

Dakota, you may know me but you don't know the way I think...sorry to dissapoint you.

Dakota your talking but nothing you say is cominng out quite right, your not practicing what your preaching so why should I beleive you?(Only saying that cause I know you.) ;)

I think the first part of classifying smartness is the ability to understand others, look at things through a different perspective. You should also gain a better understanding of a freind, family member, or any relationship. Once you do that you have acheived a certain degree a smartness...not the "definition of smart" but a degree.

So Dakota, sorry you don't know your freind as well as you thought you did.

 

[Pounce]

the more i think about it the more i think human IQ's aren't really that different from each other... it all seems pretty subjective... i mean, from an outside standpoint, like say another species (aliens XD) who are a lot 'smarter' than us, our IQ's probably don't mean that much 9_9 they're not really THAT different, except in the case of mentally retarded people, i suppose...

the more i think about this the more mixed-up i get :< how puzzling!

 

[Ryoutarou]

The definitive definition of smart is - an individual who has an intelligent sense.

My literal definition is - somebody who has moral sense. =/

Different people have different morals though, and yeah, to a lot of people religion does play a part in that. But it depends on what part(s) of religion you let effect your morality. Of course for a lot of it people it's just them using their common sense on how to treat different people.

 

[Chase Leader]

At least your puting you opinion out there and your making an effort, that could be considered "smart". Thinking to much can confuse you but its better than not exploiting other aspects of being smart. Who knows maybe our IQ's do mean nothing, but who are we to say...smart maybe its what you make it, but I beleive it just a little bit more than that.

 

[22sa]

"IQ" is definately not a good measure of being smart. A high IQ just means a lot of common sense, and does not necessarily indicate ability or endurance or decent morality.