Determine the correct answer. — Down The Rabbit Hole

Unless I'm mistaken it would then be impossible for any intelligent person to be unable to "determine the correct answer" because this is by definition the very essence of intelligence. Please correct me if I've misunderstood your position or the relevant information.

a genius is generally someone who possesses exceptional skill or intelligence that they are able to put into practice in some endeavo — Tom Storm

The ability to complete some task without being taught to do so,or solve a problem, or assess a situation and respond in an appropriate way (phronesis). — Fooloso4

The ability to troubleshoot and fix a machine.The ability to assess a social or interpersonal situation and act accordingly. Acting prudentially to achieve a good outcome. — Fooloso4

"the ability to work things out" — Down The Rabbit Hole

So, intelligence is the ability to analyze a complex problem, create at a solution, and then perform the solution. Intelligence is analytical, creative, and performative at a high level.

Intelligence is invisible if inactive. A sleeping genius and a sleeping moron are indistinguishable. It is in "doing" that the quality of intelligence is revealed.

A very intelligent person can observe something and make more connections to other things they have observed. The person's reading will be enriched by associating and comparing plot, characters, word choices, writing style, etc. with other texts.

Training is still required. Very intelligent people are not likely to mentally reinvent the wheel and everything that followed. Even if they could, it would take entirely too much time. A 19th century genius cannot open a 21st century computer and instantly make sense of it.

A sleeping genius and a sleeping moron are indistinguishable. — Bitter Crank

Perhaps under ordinary circumstances. But brain scans might reveal differences. Perhaps there are differences in their dreams as well.

Someone might desire a good outcome, but what they consider a good outcome might not be.

Someone might desire a good outcome, but what they consider a good outcome might not be. — Fooloso4

I agree in theory but I'm not sure what you mean given the previous definition you gave of a "good outcome". Maybe you have a revised definition by now and I don't want to assume that you're using the old one automatically.

Unless I'm mistaken it would then be impossible for any intelligent person to be unable to "determine the correct answer" because this is by definition the very essence of intelligence. Please correct me if I've misunderstood your position or the relevant information. — Average

It's the ability to work things out or determine the correct answer. This ability can be possessed from a low to high degree.

It takes intelligence to figure out how to act in a way that will lead to a good outcome in so far as it is the outcome that is sought. Beyond that is the question of whether that outcome is actually good. We often seek what is pleasurable and when we are able to attain it we regard it as good. But what we find pleasurable may not be good. Eating cake is pleasurable but not good when it leads to obesity or diabetes.

It's the ability to work things out or determine the correct answer. — Down The Rabbit Hole

The correct answer to what? What do you mean by "correct"? What do you mean by "answer"? without some kind of context, even if only hypothetical, I can't really understand you. Can you provide an example? Please forgive me if my questions comes across as pedantic.

It takes intelligence to figure out how to act in a way that will lead to a good outcome in so far as it is the outcome that is sought. — Fooloso4

But what is intelligence? Is it the ability to "figure out how to act in a way that will lead to a good outcome in so far as it is the outcome that is sought"? Or does it merely take intelligence to "figure out how to act in a way that will lead to a good outcome in so far as it is the outcome that is sought" in which case intelligence would be something else entirely.

Perhaps. But the point is, intelligence is primarily demonstrated through performance. Doing nothing distinguishes neither intelligence or a lack there of.

I don't have a definition of intelligence but I generally think of it as 'skill solving problems and using information'.

What do you think intelligence is so far? You can't have no idea.

What do you think intelligence is so far? — Tom Storm

lol Idk. I mean I'd like to give you something but I suspect that it would be a waste of time. I think intelligence is probably connected to outcomes but I'm not sure because it might make sense to act in a way that leads to bad outcomes in certain situations.

it might make sense to act in a way that leads to bad outcomes in certain situations. — Average

If you are intending a bad outcome then that is a good outcome. :cool:

Gore Vidal once defined an intellectual as anyone who can understand an abstract.

If you are intending a bad outcome then that is a good outcome. — Tom Storm

Do you have some sort of reasoning you could use to support this conclusion or is it simply something we are supposed to accept without evidence? Maybe you're just making a joke and if so I apologize for my poor sense of humor.

The correct answer to what? What do you mean by "correct"? What do you mean by "answer"? without some kind of context, even if only hypothetical, I can't really understand you. Can you provide an example? Please forgive me if my questions comes across as pedantic. — Average

It would have to be an objectively correct answer. For example - a girl is 17 years old. Her brother is twice her age. When the girl is 23 years old, what will be the age of the boy?

He was 34 when she was 17. If she is 23 now then six years have past. I'll let someone else do the math.

It would have to be an objectively correct answer. For example - a girl is 17 years old. Her brother is twice her age. When the girl is 23 years old, what will be the age of the boy? — Down The Rabbit Hole

I'm not sure why anyone would use this as some kind of sign of intelligence.

Do you have some sort of reasoning you could use to support this conclusion or is it simply something we are supposed to accept without evidence? — Average

I would have thought this was obvious. If you are aiming for a bad result and you achieve this then you were successful. There's nothing in the notion of intelligence that implies moral virtue. Hence the cliché of the evil genius.

If you are aiming for a bad result and you achieve this then you were successful. — Tom Storm

What if the result you were aiming for is bad for you?

Training is still required. Very intelligent people are not likely to mentally reinvent the wheel and everything that followed. Even if they could, it would take entirely too much time. A 19th century genius cannot open a 21st century computer and instantly make sense of it. — Bitter Crank

Knowledge and intelligence are often conflated. People would disbelieve that anyone from the middle-ages could be as intelligent as we are today.

What if the result you were aiming for is bad for you? — Average

Same answer as above.

If the result is bad and you didn't see it coming, who knows? We need an example of what specifically you are thinking of. All I am trying to convey is that outcomes are complex.

All I am trying to convey is that outcomes are complex. — Tom Storm

I agree.

I also think that a person's ability to harm themselves and screw up all relationships is not unusual amongst people of high intelligence.

For example - a girl is 17 years old. Her brother is twice her age. When the girl is 23 years old, what will be the age of the boy? — Down The Rabbit Hole

He was 34 when she was 17. If she is 23 now then six years have past. I'll let someone else do the math. — Average

I'm not sure why anyone would use this as some kind of sign of intelligence. — Average

The math is a trick sending you in the wrong direction. All you need to know is that if she's 23 and he's twice her age, he'll be 46.

It's this ability to piece things together that is the essence of intelligence.

All you need to know is that if she's 23 and he's twice her age, he'll be 46. — Down The Rabbit Hole

I figured. It was a trick question so I deliberately decided not to answer.

But the point is, intelligence is primarily demonstrated through performance. — Bitter Crank

Yeah, I agree. Your comment just led me to wonder. The difference in brain scan seems likely. Differences in dreams seems interesting.

What if the result you were aiming for is bad for you? — Average

How could it bad for you if that is what you were aiming for? Perhaps what others consider as "bad" you consider a blessing.

Your question baffles me but perhaps that’s because I don’t fully understand it and if that’s the case I apologize in advance. Does the mere fact that you disagree with other people make your opinion correct? Couldn’t you be mistaken? Some people aim to get high by using heroin but does the mere fact that you were aiming for that outcome make it good for you?

Some people aim to get high by using heroin but does the mere fact that you were aiming for that outcome make it good for you? — Average

Yes. It all depends on what you value as 'good' from a risk assessment perspective. Getting high versus risk of overdoes. Pure heroin, by the way, is less harmful that alcohol on the body. Consider also those people who use heroin to deal with post traumatic stress disorder from, say, childhood abuse (a fairly common thing). Many of those people will say that heroin saved their lives. It made life bearable and prevented their suicide. But, given the risks, there comes a time when a lifestyle change is recommended.

Pure heroin, by the way, is less harmful that alcohol on the body. — Tom Storm

If this really is the case then just substitute heroin for alcohol.