Page 85 - Advanced Biblical Counseling Student Textbook

Study Section 11: Intelligence

11.1 Connect

Read the following stories about intelligence:

“Albert Einstein didn't speak until he was four years old. Einstein didn't have the best
childhood. In fact, many people thought he was just a dud [useless]. He never spoke for the
first three years of his life, and throughout elementary school, many of his teachers thought he
was lazy and wouldn't make anything of himself. He always received good marks, but his head was in the
clouds, conjuring up abstract questions people couldn't understand. But he kept thinking and, well, he
eventually developed the theory of relativity, which many of us still can't wrap our heads around.” 135

“Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before creating the lightbulb.
Although the exact number of tries has been debated, ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 attempts, it's safe
to say Edison tried and failed a whole lot before he successfully created his beacon of light. His response
to his repeated failures? ‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work’.” 136

“Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school at age ten. Franklin's parents could only afford to keep him
in school until his tenth birthday. That didn't stop the great man from pursuing his education. He taught
himself through voracious reading, and eventually went on to invent the lightning rod and bifocals.” 137

11.2 Objectives
1. The student should be able to define intelligence.

2. The student should be able to explain how nature and nurture influence intelligence.

11.3 Introduction to Intelligence

What is intelligence? To what extent does it result from heredity rather than environment?

“Intelligence is a socially constructed concept: Cultures decide what is “intelligent” as
whatever is success in those cultures. In the Amazon rain forest, intelligence may be
understanding the medicinal qualities of local plants; in a United States high school, it may
be superior performance on tests. In each context, intelligence is the ability to learn from
experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations. In research studies,

135 Jacques, p. 1, 2017.
136 Ibid.
137 Ibid.

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