Ruolan Wang
FYS
Teddy
September 18, 13
Intelligence based on Experience
According to Howard Gardener, the author of “multiple Intelligence”, the three
indicators of high intelligence are problem solving ability, creativity and learning ability.
Basically, I agreed with his statement, but there is one more element to add, which is the
experience. Some may say that being intelligent is an instinct, but I want to make a point that
the people whose eyesight is broaden may have more wisdom than the inexperienced genius.
To support my opinion, I want to make an example.
The one I regard as an intelligent person is Charles Darwin. This British naturalist is
being remembered because of his theory of evolution. He was a great man with considerable
experience, and the most well-know theory, which he came up with, was based on his
experience as well. He went to a five-year voyage when he was at the age of 22. During the
voyage, he was focusing on land investing geology and natural history collection. Puzzled by
the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on the voyage, Darwin began
detailed investigations and in 1838 conceived his theory of natural selection. （Desmond &
Moore 1991, pp. 263–274）After several years’ research, he finally published his theory. For
me, the publication of the evolution theory is a significant mark of Darwin’s high intelligence.
Though it actually took Darwin about twenty years to publish his theory, I am still very
impressed and still hold the idea that he was an intelligent man. Darwin with no doubt accord
with the indicators of high intelligence, First of all, it’s the problem solving ability. Darwin
solve the mystery, the descent of the human, on a scientific base. Secondly, the creativity – he
had made the new idea at the background when most people believed in Christianity that God
created people. Then, it’s the learning ability that Darwin could learn from his study and
observation. Without the learning ability, he couldn’t have published the theory. The last one,
experience, Darwin got the idea of the theory from his own experience. It was the experience
that made the theory convincing and let Darwin made such a huge contribution to human and
science.
Darwin himself always had talked about intelligence in his own words. He said that,
“Intelligence is based on how efficient a species became at doing the things they need to
survive.” On the natural selection side, Darwin held the idea that the species that can adapt to
the environment and survive shows a high intelligence. Darwin, a naturalist, had his own
definition toward intelligence based on his “natural selection” theory. As an expert in
education and phycology field, intelligence in Gardener’s eyes, as I mentioned above
are academic. It seems like how people is going to see the world or even define the word
“intelligence” is based on the experience.
Intelligence is going to be judged in several ways included experience. Experience has
made difference in individual’s intelligence. In conclusion that, the people who is considered
to be intelligent may have a experienced life in his/her own field. At last, I want to stress that
we can always learn from out experience to get intellectual stimulation.