Go Out There and Enhance Your Intelligence!
In this blog, I often write about how our genes influence intelligence. This genetic view of intelligence can teach us a lot about the world. But, as I've honestly admitted before, it can also lead to problems. This includes encouraging stereotypes, sometimes even racism, and making us too ready to accept differences in achievement and abilities between people as simply "fate". Basically, thinking that intelligence comes only from our genes can lead to a kind of fatalism, a belief that nothing can change. And nothing good comes from that. Fatalism can lead to some pretty scary assumptions.
In the PISA international exam, students are asked if they believe they can have a big impact on their intelligence. To me, the intelligent answer is an absolute "no" - we cannot change intelligence, as it is etched in our DNA. Try changing your own DNA! But surprisingly, many smart test-takers actually say "yes". The trend seems to be that the smarter a student is, according to their PISA exam scores, the more likely they are to believe they can change their intelligence. In fact, there's an average 30-point difference between the two groups: those who say we can't do much about intelligence and those who say we can. A 30-point difference on a test like this is a big deal.
This trend could be explained in a few ways. One reason could be that smarter students are better at reflecting the values of their society, and most societies encourage learning and self-improvement. Another reason could be that if someone believes everything is pre-determined, they might not try hard, they might not study, and so their scores will be lower. A third explanation is that the students do not interpret intelligence in the narrow scientific sense I use the term, but rather view it as the aggregate of a person's knowledge and wisdom. A smart person would rightfully infer that this aggregate is expandable. As the Jewish saying goes, "A person's wisdom extends only as far as their books reach."
But whether it's one of these reasons or something else, seeing how students answer this question has made me rethink my own stance. As a blogger often discussing the incentives that drive us, I realize I've been advocating a perspective that itself provides a discouraging incentive. So, don't just take my word that intelligence is unchangeable. Go out there and find ways to enhance your intelligence. Maybe a good starting point would be going through all my blog posts.