“Education is no substitution for intelligence.” - Frank Herbert
Nowadays, too many people equate being educated to being intelligent, when the two are far from synonyms. According to the dictionary, education is merely “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university,” while intelligence is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.” So, if an education only guarantees you instruction and not absorption of “applicable knowledge and skills,” then why does society use it to measure intelligence? Attending school does not inherently make you smart. Even if you show up to class everyday, pay attention, and complete your work to maintain a good grade, it does not mean you are truly learning much of anything. It certainly does not mean you are learning any valuable skill that will be useful in your path for life. Yet, society still likes to treat a college degree as the requirement for being considered intelligent. A degree is a piece of paper, it does not dictate the capabilities of one's mind. Sure it takes around four years of studying a lot of courses to obtain a degree, but does that really take notable amounts of intelligence to achieve? Not necessarily.
Children are told, “Do well in school and you will grow up to be a genius!” or “You want to be smart? Go to school. Get an education.” In reality, how well you do in school depends on your level of effort much more than your level of intelligence. There is an
abundance of students who do not get the best grades in school because they simply do not care enough to try, though they are plenty smart enough to get higher grades if they apply themselves. So, no. I do not think that intelligence is determined by a person’s success in school, or whether or not they have a higher education. I am not here to argue that all kids who dropout of school at age thirteen are intelligent, because we know that is not true. All I am saying is that having an education does not automatically make you intelligent, and having a lengthy education does not automatically make you smarter than those who do not. It is absolutely possible, but it is not definite. For example, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are two of the smartest, most successful people I can think of, and both of them dropped out of college. This is why society should not place so much value on college degrees.
There is a lot more to “you live and you learn” than there is to sitting in a classroom. What makes intelligence is growth and understanding from various experiences that you will often not find in the school system. Intelligence is not just memorizing every math equation you have been introduced to, it is the ability to adapt and problem solve in real life scenarios. Intelligence is not remembering the exact date of every battle in American history, it is taking the knowledge you have been given and using it to make the right decisions under pressure. Furthermore, what many people would not include in their definition of intelligence, but I would argue is the most important, is social intelligence. Social intelligence is one thing that is hard to teach at school as it really is just common sense and conversational skills. Social awareness, the aptitude to reason with, and the ability to interact with others are extremely essential to well rounded intelligence that will lead you to the most success in life, which are more
frequently developed outside of the classroom. Everyone needs to be done with “Well if you didn’t go to college, then you must not be very bright.” It is time we stop putting all of our eggs in the university basket, because intelligent does not mean educated.
“Education.” Bing, Microsoft,
www.bing.com/search?q=definition+of+education&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=definit
ion+of+education&sc=6-23&sk=&cvid=0E77A1A56BB74B369AB51E6C9CFFF39B.
“Intelligence.” Bing, Microsoft,
www.bing.com/search?q=definition%2Bof%2Bintelligence&qs=LS&pq=definition%2Bof
%2Bintel&sc=6-19&cvid=0485FE69E4804C9F951BDEC1B1F39DED&FORM=QBRE&s
p=1&ghc=1.
Great job, Morgan! I completely agree with you saying that education doesn't make us smarter or above anyone, its applying yourself that makes you intelligent.
ReplyDeleteHAZAAH, SOMEONE SAID IT!!! I couldn't agree more, and it truly irks me when people equate education to intellect, especially since, almost without fail, everyone is intelligent in some way. Someone who may struggle in math class might be able to intuitively understand how light works and reflects and create a masterful painting. Education should be to help people find their natural intellectual strengths and help them excel while simultaneously strengthening their weaknesses, unfortunately we have a one size fits all system that hardly fits any.
ReplyDeleteWilliam James Smith III: (This box acts weird when I try to change the spelling of some things, so for some whatever reason, there will be some things misspelled, sorry.)
ReplyDeleteI loved your essay! I definitely agree with many of the things you said. The only thing I think you were not necessarily missing, but maybe did not emphasise enough was that it really is a combination of the skills you learn in school and in life to be successful. There are just many ways to be successful, and just doing the college route isn't the only way. I definitely agree that you don't necessarily have to have a college degree to be smart, but most of the stuff you know allows you to develop a social awareness. Because of science and history, us as people are now more active in the world, tackining health and social issues with this knowledge. If you watch Jim Kwik, who is probably one of the greatest psychologists of all time, he was frustrated that the school system teaches you what to learn, but does not necessarily spend much time teaching you how to learn it.
I totally agree with you that in school, and in life in general, talent is overrated, and hard work is underrated. I am not a very gifted student. Almost all of my grades and achievements that I earned were because of hundreds of hours of studying, if not thousands. I had to create methods to better understand what I was taught in school. All of my sports and music achievements were hard work. I became a better student than many people who I knew were smarter than me. I could not even make GATE, because I guess I wasn't gifted or talented enough. It didn't matter as I eventually got to rank 10 during my Junior year if you excluded Freshman and Sophomore year in the GPA, and I made it into UCLA.
This goes to show how right you are about how school is about learning an academic base to gain awareness, but it is outside of school and in life, research, etc that you learn to apply what you know, and this is what requires intelligence. It is the combination of the basic skills, innovation, and will to change the world for the better that makes a great individual, and I honestly think that schools are moving in this direction as there are more pathways to a job than there used to be, more research/application opportunities than there used to be, and more activities in school are more emphasis in the application, and how you use your knowledge to serve the community, the environment and the world as a whole around you that matters in the very end! :)
William :)
Thank you for this interesting take on how or how not degree of education define intelligence. I really understand and acknowledge your point in the subject matter but perhaps part of being intelligent is being willing to work hard and try at school? I am not sure! I think your argument inherently leads us to the question of why is higher up education such as college and beyond are so valued in not only United States, but also around the world. It's a really in-depth topic and I enjoyed reading your work! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI love this piece and can say that I completely agree with you, Morgan! The way in which you wrote and added questions pulled me in and gave me a realization of how so many people put education in relation to intelligence, when in reality, they don't compare. Really good job:)
ReplyDeleteI really resonate with this piece. I've always believed that in this day and age, with the internet being as expansive as it is, college is no longer the only ticket to a having a great career.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job on this!
I 100% agree with this comparison. Their are many life skills that we have yet to utilize that require us to use our intelligence, an inherent quality I believe was placed inside if all of us, and quantifiably measured on the basis of education solely.Good work expressing this!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely. I was watching this cut video on youtube and it was like ranked each other by level of intelligence. I was getting trigged because intelligence isn't just your grades or what job you have. Everyone is intelligent. How can you based off someone's intelligence off a system that isn't fair to begin with? I really enjoyed reading your blog and have learned more about the world. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis piece could not have been written at a better time. With the recent light of the college-admissions scandals and the constant pressure of having to apply ourselves to certain environments that will not benefit our futures in the long-run, I completely agree with what was written in this piece. The current American education system does not cater to areas that will benefit our intellect or our talent, but rather to areas that constantly test our endurance and our willingness to conform. In our lives, so much success and happiness (both mentally and financially) will come from the way that we interact with others, and the talent that we possess. There is no room for these skills to develop in the curriculum of our present-day school systems. We learn this when we talk with our friends, and when we order at restaurants, and when we communicate in a career setting. Turning in homework for AP calculus or Intro to Biology does not define whether or not we have the skills to excel in the career path that we want to pursue. In many ways, the system (with emphasis in High School and College) is flawed and does not aid in advancing the real skills we will need to get a career. This blog highlighted so many main points of that argument. Thank you for this piece, it really got me fired up!-Evan Nguyen
ReplyDeleteWoooow, a truer point has never been made. The school system values grades above most else, and good test scores or grades are not synonymous with being smart, trust me. Great job expressing your argument!
ReplyDeletewow this is amazing I agree with you 100 Recent. I really liked how you gave us stuff to back up your reasoning- Malachi Hawkins
ReplyDeleteMorgann!!!! I agree with you completely and I'm so glad it's been put into words rather than just a feeling of frustration of mine! Especially your point about getting good grades or doing well in school doesn't necessarily mean you're smart. Mainly because most of the time it's things students just memorize for the time being to do well on a test, and afterwards it's discarded in our brain never to be found again. You did a great job and all your points and examples I feel were very strong in proving your point :).
ReplyDeleteNow a days so many students tend to call themselves "dumb" or bring themselves down if they have bad grades but many don't realize the exact thing you are talking about. I completely agree and I hope more people start to realize this truth.
ReplyDeleteAMAZING INSIGHT!! Throughout your whole piece I constantly found myself saying, "PREACH!!" I've seen TONS of people that don't exactly earn the highest grades or try their hardest in school that are SOOOO SMART beyond belief. I loved what you said about how the world shouldn't place so much value on a degree. Of course, being a brain surgeon or something you need a degree (ahaha), but our level of intelligence shouldn't be based on it. Social awareness, like you said, is so important! We are forever social creatures, and that's how we get around in the world and make connections, which is how people move their way up on their social, work, industry, etc. ladder. Thank you so much for voicing this point of view because the world needs to know!!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! Today's society makes it difficult for students to get started in life because everyone is taught the exact same thing regardless of their interest or success in certain areas. But still everyone is expected to do good when in reality some people would be better off. learning other things they are more interested in and display an understanding of.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite pieces, and I agree with you 1,000%. So many people, including myself feel bad about ourselves if we don't get a certain number on a piece of paper, when intelligence is truly is so much more than just that. Your points were written strongly and I loved every part of it!
ReplyDeleteI think it is safe to say I wholeheartedly LOVE this piece. This topic is one not spoken of enough. Starting at a young age we are always told to go to college and people will often look down upon people who decide to not continue going to school, when in reality we should recognize that hard work equals success, and that intelligence does not. Someone can be super smart but be entirely lazy, so what is the point? Great great great job! Definitely a topic I would love to speak on more.
ReplyDeleteSO WELL SAID!!!! People think that there's a specific way to live and its going through school. As you said, some of the richest people didn't follow the guidelines and are much more successful than others. I honestly love your mindset so much!! Great work!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely, just because someone is in school getting an education, doesn´t necessarily make them smarter than those who dropped out. It is sad to see that good grades, good test scores and a schools reputation is put above everything else. I am so glad you brought light onto this topic, thank you again for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your blog entry because this issue is very true. You don't have to have a college degree to be considered intelligent because people who don't end up with a college today are more successful than people with degrees. Everything you said was true and I completely agree. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI definitely related to your argument in this piece! I think society has really drilled into our heads that only book smarts are important in life, and I completely agree that there is so much more to intelligence. Great job!
ReplyDeleteVery intriguing arguments presented! What you said about social and emotional intelligence was by far the most profound. Conversation, interaction, and how that allows for the sharing of ideas are far too devalued in our fundamental educations. How can any individual succeed in the current world without the ability to communicate, develop relationships, and properly engage with others. Complex idea explored very intelligently -- great writing.
ReplyDeleteThis piece was very well written! and you are right. education does not always equal intelligence. there is much more to intelligence than just good grades.
ReplyDeleteI loved your piece it is so true and it is something I think about all the time, and your argument was so well said. You really showed how society pushes to do good in school, but doesn't mean we are smart or gain any knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI totally connect with your writing, education is surely nothing compared to intelligence. Some people may have many degrees but are not creative enough to lead their career or life with out a rule book. This is something great to think about, escpecially since we are getting our first degree soon. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMorgan, I absolutely agree with your piece. I fully support the argument of education not meaning intelligence, and I especially loved your incorporation of a person's automatic thinking of not going to college equating to not being intelligent and you proving them entirely wrong. I enjoyed reading your piece!
ReplyDeleteI love your work. I agree with you a hundred percent that college or higher education mean you are automatically more intelligent then other who don’t have a higher education. You did an amazing job!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness thank you for this!! Reading this was the reassurance I needed especially with AP exams and college things coming up, I found myself feeling very low and not “intelligent” enough. But reading your post has given me the reminder that grades and the school education system does not define my intelligence. Thank you for bringing light into this issue!
ReplyDeleteI agree. Education does not necessarily correlate to intelligence. I can think of a lot of politicians who went to Ivy League schools, yet make extremely questionable decisions on a daily basis. You did a good job explaining your arguments and your examples helped to further them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%. Society tends to have a narrow way of thinking of things, including knowledge and learning. The most important lessons in life are truly learned outside the classroom.
ReplyDeleteYou put into words what so many of us teenagers feel! There is such a pressure put on kids to go to college from their parents or society in general just so we can be paraded about at the next family gathering for suffering four or more years in getting a degree. I know some of the most intelligent people in my life had dropped out of college and instead of working at some horrible job like the American education system has scared us with, end up creating their own businesses and becoming very successful people! Education isn’t for everyone and shouldn’t be used to measure your intelligence.
ReplyDeleteThis really ties up what most people think today that education is not what makes you smart but it is solely based upon how the persons intelligence is. I agree so much with what you are saying and it really does shed light on the situation most are in today.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with this so much! There are so many talented and successful people that never even completed school but still set up a great future for themselves and their families
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