Due to a lack of friends or social contact, I frequently find myself dwelling on completely arbitrary subjects within my scattered, moronic brain. The following is no exception. As I ponder such things, I find that writing about them helps me to keep my thoughts and mental formulations more linear and better organized; which is a huge plus if you have ADD, or whatever it is that is wrong in my head; surely its something. However, once I find my ponderings to be completed, or at least when I reach a reasonable stopping point, I find myself flooded with a desire to share it. Don’t know why exactly, for this is not the initial intention. Well, at least not in this particular installment. Yet, it’s hard to find adequate reason to do so, but then I realized the title of my blog gives me all the reason I need, much to my pleasure and your umbrage. It seems that the internet is so lacking in random fruitless text nowadays, you know?
On Intelligence
Intelligence is the ability to analyze, retain and apply data towards any question, situation or hypothetical, while in collaboration with a self-aware consciousness. It is this process, and its subsequent conclusion, which are considered intelligence. Even raw data alone at times can be labeled as intelligence. For example, a recon party may be deployed by the military to gather intelligence; that is information about enemy tactics or positions, while another group takes that information and utilizes it to their advantage. This does not show that any one piece of information can necessarily be considered to be intelligent, rather that there is a likewise relation between the raw data, analyzation and application as it applies to the conception of intelligence.
However, there is a difference between intelligence and consciousness, for intelligence is subservient to consciousness. That is, the more conscious or self-aware something is, the bigger it’s capacity for intelligence. If we look at a shrubbery for instance, we find it’s self awareness, if it indeed exists at all, is miniscule at best and so too then is its ability to acquire intelligence. It may have basic skills as it relates to self-preservation like bending towards a light source, but it is not capable of any self- reflection or weighing of possible consequence.
We determine something is intelligent by an apparent ability to objectively analyze information, retain it, and utilize it whenever a certain circumstance deems it necessary. This is manifest, in words or actions, which are the only way we can determine the degree of intelligence an individual holds, for the exact processes of the mind cannot be known without some external manifestation, for one cannot see thought alone, but only its effect. Even when examining brain activity, a manifest similarity between the apparent states needs to be observed before the state of the brain can even be attributed to that corresponding intellectual state.
Four main elements to intelligence are:
• Analyzation
• Application
• Consciousness
• Pliability
Human beings have a consciousness beyond any other being and are thereby, the most intelligent. We can by the faculties of the mind, transcend ourselves and reflect upon our natures or the nature of external things beyond our carnal, most basic needs. We can weigh consequence, hypothetical outcomes, and employ the use of the imagination to help us determine what actions we wish to follow.
Concerning which is more valuable, the consciousness or intelligence, this is a rather difficult question to answer, for I feel both are completely and hopelessly intertwined. Yet, we see that consciousness doesn’t necessarily equate to a high degree of intelligence in humans, for there are varying degrees of intelligence in people, though they all may be equally self-aware. So, we find they aren’t completely linked, and all that an advanced consciousness seems to guarantee is the possibility for advanced intelligence.
In terms of importance, we find that intelligence guides people more than consciousness alone, but due to their link, it is hard to say which one is more important, for without consciousness completely, the mere existence of intelligence would be nullified or lessoned to some degree. Yet, when it comes to interaction within the world itself, and intelligence’s ability to guide man into choosing his actions, in any given circumstance; more duty falls upon intelligence, rather than the consciousness.
Using the above criteria for intelligence, I will attempt to enumerate each examples intelligent capacity:
Cat or Dog: A cat or dog has a very limited ability to analyze data and most of this occurs in collaboration with an inherent need for self preservation, the seeking of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Objective analyzation is nearly nil, if at all, and its ability to learn is only based on cause and effect. A small degree of pliability, which could be aptly called association, does take place. For if a dog is punished for a misdeed several times, it will associate that misdeed with punishment. A dog’s intellect is moldable to the degree that destructive traits can be weaned out of the pet by punishment and desirable traits can be encouraged by reward.
A computer: I would theorize that giving a computer self-awareness would be impossible outside of science fiction movies. Due to this, I don’t believe a computer can exhibit intelligence as a human being, for it would lack an amount of pliability. It is true, an independent programmer could come in and alter the programming, thus molding its abilities in accordance with the programmers desires, but the computer isn’t given the freedom to choose if it should or should not follow the commands; for all his functions or how it applies its programming, is predetermined. What the computer does have is the ability to do, is store memory and make calculations at high speeds, but it is more so the speed that makes the computer appear smart, and not so much the intelligence of it. In fact, it has been stated the computer is nothing more than a “fast idiot.”
Children: The intellect of a child is in the process of being molded and it has all the abilities an adult intellect has, but due to its young age, the state of the intellect is constantly changing and growing at a rate not as frequently observed in adults. The pliability is in hyper drive as it learns to properly analyze, apply, and memorize the data it comes in contact with. Due to the fact the intellect remains underdeveloped, many parents will resort to methods of teaching which are understood by the most basic of faculties, by appealing to their corporal natures, for reasoning with a child due to the minds immature nature is a difficult task indeed.
Vine: The plant climbs, due to an inherent nature that is not based on any reasoning, but rather just mere instinct for purposes of self-preservation, which represents the most basic needs of life. The plant has no ability to objectively analyze data and its motion, or scaling of the wall, can only be molded by an outside force.
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