What is intelligence, anyway?

                                                                                       -Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

I. Literal Comprehension

This essay has been written by famous 20^th century American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. In this essay, he has discussed about the human intelligence and the relevance of aptitude tests.

When the writer was in the army, he scored more than his colleagues in aptitude tests. They loved him for being highly intelligent, but he was given only the responsibility of the assistant of cook. The writer’s self-satisfaction for being a highly intelligent person was of no use because he could not fix his broken down car. He had to depend upon a supposedly less intelligent car mechanic for that. The writer would have to simply follow the car mechanic’s directions. He was also unable to answer correctly when the mechanic asked him how a blind man would ask for scissors. Therefore, the writer thinks that his intelligence is not absolute; it is the function of the society he lives in. He thinks that he would not be intelligent if the questions for aptitude test were set by the mechanic, or a farmer, or anyone but an academician. He would not be able to use his academic training and verbal talents.

II. Interpretation

This essay might be trying to tell us that a person fit for something cannot be fit for everything. The writer was a highly intelligent person as per the academic aptitude test, but he was just an assistant cook. The estimated less intelligent auto-repair man easily fooled him. Thus, the essay has attempted to break the traditional wall of intelligence that has existed for long between academicians and non-academicians. The essay has also revealed a manual worker’s point of view toward academicians. The auto-repair man thinks that an educated person like the writer cannot be very smart in practical issues of daily life.

III. Critical Thinking

Though I fully support the writer’s opinion that even a person who has not been to university can be smart, I don’t agree with him that an aptitude test is so much useless. The writer has claimed that a person’s intelligence cannot be absolute; it’s the product of the society the person lives in. But he has forgotten the fact that a person with high intelligence can learn a new skill faster and in a better way than the others with low intelligence. The auto-repair man can fix a broken-down car because he is used to doing it daily. The writer cannot do the same because he is not used to doing it. But if both of them learn a new skill together, the writer would surely excel.

IV. Assimilation

This essay has taught me to value everybody I meet in my everyday life. Now, I’ve understood that even an ordinary mechanic can be smart in his own way. So, we should not disrespect anybody as a less intelligent person. It has also taught me not to feel inferior even if I meet somebody with higher intelligence.