I have never thought in my mind that I had above average intelligence, even though I have accomplished some fairly significant things, things both practical and things intellectual. Intelligence is the process of deducing something through both intrinsic and extrinsic (outside) means.
In saying that I don’t believe that I have ever felt the opposite were true, meaning, I don’t think I am below average either. I believe most people feel much as I do. Too shy to admit they are smart, if that is the way they feel and too proud to say they are ignorant about something even though they feel that way inwardly. Most humans fall within the average ‘intelligence quotient’ (IQ) which would be an I.Q between 90 and 110. That is considered average and that is meant to measure people’s cognitive abilities (intel- ligence) in relation to their age group, Those with a score of 120+ have a superior I.Q. Roughly 70% of the population have an IQ between 90 and 110. That only leaves 30 % that fall both above and below that range. I think the most ‘intelligent people,’ probably around 15% of the total population are both very intuitive and very intelligent. Intelligence is usually defined as the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge by means of thought and reason.
Though this meaning leaves out many other capabilities which we might also consider intelligent. For example some argue that Isaac Newton was more intelligent than Einstein because Newton had an estimated 190 IQ and Einstein a 160 IQ, supposedly. But I believe Einstein was probably more ‘intelligent’ in the sense that he had intuitive visions about the universe and applied physics. However, my intuition tells me that he was wrong about many important things about our universe, especially the ‘big bang’ theory that was derived from his concept of the expanding universe. The universe could very well be expanding but by the design of a creative God not by a big bang, which could only produce chaos, Far from the beauty and order our astronomers are showcasing.
The question some people have had is: “What is the difference between Intelligence and intuition, and which might be considered the more important to have? To my knowledge there is not a measurement for intuition but it is not too hard to identify a person who has it. Intuition is described as the ability to know something intrinsically as opposed to deducing it through one’s ample brain power. “Some have said intuition is the ‘third eye’ that leads to ‘divine knowledge.’ The thing is, most people’s intuition in regards to divine knowledge is wrong, just as most people’s intel- ligence is average. If the general population had divine knowledge there would not be hundreds of religions. Some people can have such high tuned intuition that they have been regarded as ‘prophets’ and ‘oracles’ in the past. People that are incredibly intelligent are called ‘geniuses’ Both are very rare, and also, do not always coincide. For example, you may know someone that intrinsically understands all concepts of calculus fully and completely, but does not know how to execute orders to solve human problems with their knowledge (extrinsic value is null) and vice versa. For example you can have someone that is very intelligent, but doesn’t have common sense (the basic intuition that all of us have to some extent).” Common Sense that is recognized by most people might be considered an expression of intuition. There are those who feel that women are more usually endowed with common sense and/or intuition than are men. Of course they don’t have a corner on intuition as it is a universal trait found in both sexes, a blessing found in both men and woman, maybe just a little more often in the female species. There are those who say that if they had an option to choose between having intuition and intelligence that they would chose intuition. It would be nice to have that ‘third eye’ that leads to ‘divine knowledge as well as many other valuable decisions in life without having to take the time to calculate an outcome intellectually. I have met many intellectuals who were smart but not very practical. I, too, believe I would want to have and place intuitive ability above intellect for all practical purposes for those of us who have to live, or usually live a common man’s life. Common is great!