Guangyao Zhai
Teddy Chocos
Seminar 126G
Feb 10th, 2013
Mark Zuckerberg: a normal but intelligent person
In my point of view, the intelligent person means that an individual is extremely
versed in one or more specific fields. According to Howard Gardner's multiple
intelligence theory, "An intelligence entails the ability to solve problems or fashion
products that are of consequence in a particular cultural setting or community. The
problem-solving skill allows one to approach a situation in which a goal is to be
obtained and to locate the appropriate route to that goal. The creation of a cultural
product is crucial to such functions as capturing and transmitting knowledge or
expressing one's feelings."(Bok 289) It shows that people with different excellent
abilities, not just acquiring high scores in the statistical techniques, should be all
regarded as intelligent people. Gardner's statement reaches an agreement with what I
think about intelligence.
I think I have found an appropriate person who can present my definition of
intelligent individual since I watched the movie, The Social Network. This movie is
talking about the process of setting up Facebook and two lawsuits with Mark
Zuckerberg who is the father of Facebook. After watching the movie, I searched three
pages Google information about Zuckerberg. Of course, Mark Zuckerberg is a
brilliant person who totally suits my definition of intelligent person. He showed his
excellent gift in logical-mathematical intelligence, which was on the list of Gardner's
seven intelligences, when he was ten years old. Thus, his father employed a software
engineer to teach Mark in home and, unexpectedly, got a return before long.
Zuckerberg designed a real-time communication program called ZuckNect which
could help his father keep in touch between dentist clinic and home. No one could
imagine this program is the original version of American online communication
software at that moment. The greatest invention from Zuckerberg obviously is
Facebook. At the very beginning, he set up a website named Facemash for fun.
Meanwhile, due to the high popularity of this funny website, the servers of Harvard
crashed. After a few months, Zuckerberg started to set up a rising star, Facebook. It
only cost him about one week. This simple website swept across Harvard, and then
universities and colleges in Boston, in America, in the whole world. Nowadays, it
becomes one of the most famous websites all over the world. Audaciously, we can say
if there is no Mark Zuckerberg, there will be no Facebook.
However, Mark Zuckerberg is not gifted in all the fields. Actually, after
Facebook listing, the share price was not as expected as before. The failure was
ascribe to the CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, who did not make a remarkable
contribution to the process of listing. In addition, he is also sometime castigated by
others because of his bad temper. Thus, Zuckerberg is not a perfect man like a saint.
Instead, he is normal but intelligent in computer programming.
Every person has own strengths and weaknesses, and it is normal, isn’t it? One is
good at sports, but one may have no ideas about music. On the other hand, almost
people can be intelligent as long as the appropriate strengths can be developed step by
step. Suppose Mark Zuckerberg devotes himself to music instead of the computer
programming, will he make such a success like Facebook?