What is intelligence, and what is it about? Most individuals have taken the Intelligence tests from a series of complex or simple questions to measure their IQ to determine if they’re smart or not. Although we never know what IQ we have until we take the test to determine it. From Asimov’s point about intelligence, he argues “If, as I maintain and firmly believe, there is no objection definition of intelligence, and what we call intelligence is only a creation of cultural fashion and subjective prejudice, what the devil is it we test when we make use of an intelligence test?” ( Asimov 78).
In our overall society, some people with high IQ have good jobs with decent income and others with low IQ have somewhat low-end jobs with low income. When I think about the definition of intelligence, it means about having a mental acuity capacity and the capability to learn a variety set of skills and strong vocabulary which can help an individual perform simple or complex tasks in life like getting straight A’s, paying bills, doing taxes, working, etc. From what I know about IQ tests, is a series of challenging questions to test the logical mind. Asimov thinks “does such an intelligence test measure but those skills that are associated with intelligence by the individuals designing the test?
Asimov explains his story when he took the intelligence test when he is beneficiary of it. When he was done with the test he said he ended up with an IQ of 135 which is considered “very smart” but he hasn’t accepted the half-hour limit he was offered. But his scored was doubled and decided that he has an IQ of 270. From his story he hates to knock the intelligence test but he decides to give a try. Which is common sense to some people if they’re curious to test the intelligence test to measure their IQ.
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There are important parts of any intelligence tests to measure the size of one’s vocabulary, Mathematical knowledge, and visualization. (What, after all, does such an intelligence test measure but those skills that are associated with intelligence by the individuals designing the test?) (78). Asimov argues that Intelligence tests are like doors to big opportunities that keep out certain people and let others in. He seems to think being labeled intelligent gives certain people more advantages and opportunities that may not deserve. Which I think that intelligence tests are designed for testing and finding smarter people who are more suitable for complicated jobs. According to asimov, Intelligence is subjective, and not objective
On this story in a certain sunday when he thought something went wrong with his car and left helpless, when his younger brother stan came to help asimov to check the situation on his car and called the service station. He then told asimov did you join the AAA but asimov knows he joined the AAA but his lack knowledge of knowing it when his friend gave him a strange look when ignorance is bliss. For that reason, people nowadays sometimes forget that they have car insurance when their car is in bad shape. Thus that is why is it important to remember to call your insurance company in a time like this. In another serious point asimov talks about is racial differences in IQ and how blacks generally have a low IQ test score than the whites.
Nevertheless he never blamed the blacks, instead, he blames it on the IQ test. He suggested that the IQ test were originally designed for the whites, so in the IQ test there are many questions about white people culture. Black culture is somewhat different than the white’s culture, and therefore, blacks will not know how to respond to the questions. The IQ questions are created for the whites, so they understand what are they asking and how to answer. On the other hand, if blacks answer the questions based on their culture they may get the answer wrong. Consequently, the blacks will have to answer the questions from white’s point of view in order to achieve better scores.
Asimov further elaborated on his argument. He asked what if we test Blacks and find out that they have a higher IQ than Whites? He questioned whether we should then give them preferential treatment in jobs, let them have the best seats on the bus and theatre, give them cleaner restrooms, or give them a higher pay scale. He suspected that if Blacks had higher IQ ratings than Whites do, most Whites would think that IQ tests could not be measured accurately and that these tests cannot determine people’s intelligence.
At the end, Asimov said that once you are seen as Low-IQ, you are despised and kept there because of that, and if you are seen as High-IQ, you are feared and kept there because of that. He ended the article by giving his own viewpoint- that we all are different. Some people can do a certain things, and some people cannot. Some people can flourish, some people cannot. We should value these differences rather than using these differences to make our lives miserable.
