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Forums → WEPR → Intelligence: Nature or Nurture?
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An interesting question was brought up in my psychology class today. Is the trait of intelligence attributed to "nature," meaning that it is inherited, or "nurture," meaning that it is brought about by external events? My opinion is that the potential for intelligence is inherited, and that potential can be fufilled by cultivating the right environment. What do you guys have to say on the matter?
- 26 Replies
Thankz for accepting my superiority in Espanol. xP [Couldn't do the weird tilde thing above it]
Anyway, I don't think it has anything to do with "Nurture" besides what Garifu pointed out about language acquisition and also I believe that some pre-elementary knowledge is required. I am Glad my dad didn't send me to Pre-K not knowing the Alphabet. I owned all the other little kids. >
Could also read... barely.
Anyway, Other than that I believe if you have parents that show you the importance of Learning and tell you to train your mind as hard as you can it'll be fine. Then, they can breeze through everything. I learned that in elementary, then I became more of a smart little fool who people asked questions to. xP [Agian, I owned everyone, speccially in spanish class :P]
BUT, I know some people who don't care about their grades, so they just dont' do anything. That makes you slow eventually. I can do my mutliplication tables faster than my dad, but he's old now. But, if I can do it faster than someone still using math in their life and who's older than me we have a bit of a problem. So I think its when you wisen up and start on a course to leanring will you eventually be bright. Some people are just ploffed out with the ability to be smartikal. Sometimes, people who work for it beat them. I knew a really smart kid, he became abnoxious and next thing I knew he was failing math and almost failing english.
Just goes to show, work for it.
Natures intelligence teaches us how to survive, and nurtured intelligence teaches us to be nice, not eat others, and to try not to piss people off. well, most of the time, cant say that much for Jeffrey Dahmer and his Thanksgiving feast. MUHAHAHAHHAHAHA
I pretty much agree with ubertuna. You get the ability for intelligence from nature. Sometimes people may acquire some sort of learning disorder that isn't the result of "Nurture". Also, being a visual learner may be the result of nature, but I'm not sure. "Getting" intelligence is pretty much up to "nurture though.
Mostly nature, a bit of nurture.
IQ is inherited, but education plays a big part in intelligence.
When I say nature, I mean genes inherited by parents. If intelligence were caused by "nature," then it would be inherited from the parents.
Well scientifically speaking, it is pretty simple. Basic instincts can be transferred through genes but nothing more. 99% of intelligence is an acquired trait after birth and is not passed on through the genese. So 99% of intelligence is "nurture".
kay, so now we've had this discussion so far...what say you of the controversy of the differences in intelligence across races?
This is a touchy subject, whenever you bring up the proven fact that on average black people are less intelligent everyone screams "Racist!" But it is true, and its not because they are genetically less intelligent it is because they get less of the "nurture" aspect than white and asian people do.
By the way, the whole black people are less intelligent thing comes from a half hour show I saw a year ago =P So I am obviously an expert.
And yes I know this is an old topic but I had never commented before
I think it's both. Every living being already has some intelligence. It jut takes outside forces to see how it comes to be.
Well scientifically speaking, it is pretty simple. Basic instincts can be transferred through genes but nothing more. 99% of intelligence is an acquired trait after birth and is not passed on through the genese. So 99% of intelligence is "nurture".
If 99% of intelligence is nuture, we'd be able to teach dogs calculus.
The capacity to learn, the capacity for cunning; all of it comes from nature & genetics.
Do you call it intelligent when a child can remember what words mean what and speak - or recite the alphabet, or numbers one through ten? I wouldn't. It means they're capable of remembering things. Birds have a capacity for language - but are they 'intelligent' or 'smart'? Not really.
A better measure of intelligence is problem solving skills, pre-determination of cause & effect, and the raw ability to learn and figure out new things - not just remember stuff and regurgitate it.
I would say it heavily favours Nature; maybe an 80/20 split - but that's a number I'm totally pulling out of my ass.
It's a bit of both. Like others have said, the capacity to learn is genetic. Some people are going to be able to learn a lot very easily, while others are going to have a harder time. In the end though, they're both able to learn the same things. It will just take longer and be harder for one.
They go hand in hand. You can not be stuck in a room with no source of information for your entire life and be expected to be intelligent. At the same time you can not be expected to be that intelligent when born mentally handicapped. Even if not mentally handicapped, some people learn things faster and with more ease than other people due to genetics. If putting in the effort, those people will progress through learning a single subject faster than others.
So it's both, even if it isn't an equal balance, you can't be intelligent without both.
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