What makes someone smart?

[Paintedlady]

I've often wondered this. Is it the speed at which someone learns? Is it the ability to retain things over the long term? And what does that mean to someone who doesn't learn as quickly? Is one smart and one not? :confused:

 

I've got one child who's dyslexic and learning most anything requires a struggle and a lot of one on one tutoring, and the other picks things up almost without trying. Is only one smart? Is only one bright?

 

I tend to get offended when I hear these terms used so casually b/c my dd is bright and smart in many ways, but not when it comes to book work. If someone finds out that ds is ahead in math a couple years, they comment on how bright he is, but it makes me wonder what they think of dd when they find out she's a year or so behind.

 

She's an amazing artist, has has fabulous sense of humor, is a good and sweet daughter, sister and friend, she can run fast, swim like a dolphin...you get the picture. But it pains me to think that people may not consider her "bright/smart/gifted" because they're only measuring her by one yard stick--academics.

 

Sorry if I'm rambling, just trying to get out all the things that are swimming around in my head.

[secular_mom]

[Rosie_0801]

If you can find something sensible to say about any topic other than sport and the weather, you are smart.

 

Rosie

[AuntieM]

Knowledge properly applied, in my book. AKA, wisdom.

 

I think it's possible for a person to be wise regardless of one's age. Of course, older folks should have more knowledge to apply to various situations, but I've met a few wise youngins over the years.

 

And this is no official definition, just my pair o' pennies.

[Pam Wilhelm]

If you have learned not to respond to forums and all the problems that can ensue therein....then you are smart.

 

Otherwise, sometimes the struggles that one goes through to learn what someone else learns easily makes that first one "smarter". It isn't the grade or the ease of learning..... it isn't that someone was reading at a 12th grade level in utero............ it is the wisdom to learn what needs to be learned inspite of the apparent challenges. It isn't easy.....but the success is soooo much sweeter.

 

:grouphug:

[Ibbygirl]

Well, to me there's different kinds of "smart". There is the capacity of your brain to understand and process knowledge and those with the greatest capacity would be considered smart like Einstein etc. Then you have common sense smarts and street smarts which kind of is related to common sense, but I think most people's definition of "smart" relates to their ability to grasp and understand higher or specialized learning. In which case, I'm not very smart. :tongue_smilie: hehe :D

[regentrude]

Is it the speed at which someone learns? Is it the ability to retain things over the long term? And what does that mean to someone who doesn't learn as quickly?

 

I think smart is a person who is able to apply knowledge to previously unknown (to the person) situations, who can generalize, contrast, draw conclusions, grasp abstract concepts - THINK.

Long term memory and good retention of facts are IMO not sufficient to be smart. Speed in memorizing also does not play a role.

[Paintedlady]

 

 

Thank you for the link. I didn't get a chance to listen to the entire thing until late last night, but I agreed with much of what he said.

 

Changing the educational system(s) is rather like turning the Titanic. You can see the danger ahead, but are rather helpless to avoid it. The system is so big and ingrained that I fear nothing could ever change it.

[Paintedlady]

If you have learned not to respond to forums and all the problems that can ensue therein....then you are smart.

:grouphug:

 

:iagree: Very wise words!

[Paintedlady]

I think you all are talking about wisdom, which is applied knowledge. The act of learning the material quickly is what I perceive as being valuable to most people.

 

When little Johnny hears the lesson once and has no problem undestanding it, people label him as smart or bright or precocious. But if you have to explain the same lesson to him 10 times before he understands it, people start to raise their eyebrows and wonder if he's not a little slow.

 

Does that make more sense? I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself well.