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Donte Washington
Professor Jizi
UWRT 1102
12 April 2016
The Inquiry behind Intelligence
How do we as a human race value intelligence? It is something that we all possess but on
varying levels. I was ignorant of what intelligence even was until I started doing research and
also found out that I was looking at it all wrong. Intelligence is the ability for someone to learn
information which means we all have intelligence. The way that it is quantified is by IQ, yet
another method for the human race to put a number on an abstract concept. What are the required
pieces of information required to be placed in the category of genius, well informed, or even an
idiot. This was the case for me and my brothers throughout our childhood.
My older brother was the idiot, I was the smart one and my little brother was somewhere
in the middle. We obtained these classifications through our actions and academic achievements.
My older brother isnt the sharpest tool in the shed. He would insist on making ignorant decision
regardless of their foreseeable outcomes. The ironic part of it is that he achieved well through
elementary school and high school. Somewhere throughout high school he decided that it wasnt
important and started slacking in his academia. In our school system, one had to pass the English
class in order to progress to the next grade and this was the class my brother loved to fail the
most. We inevitable ended up in the same grade and eventually I was a grade higher than he was.
My parents were well aware that it was time to take him out of the public school system and send

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him to job Core (an organization created to help struggling students achieve their GED while
also being paid.) Whenever he was questioned about why he was doing poorly in school he
would repeat his favorite mantra I have a learning disability in English. It is true that he was
diagnosed with a disability in English but by the time he was a seventeen year old sophomore it
was used more as an excuse. It really bothered me that he would never try harder to overcome
this disability but was complacent with how things were going. My younger brother is a decent
example of the average Joe. He goes to school, completes the absolute minimum to succeed then
pursue his personal interests. He doesnt see the value of intelligence and in turn refuses to
pursue it. He knows enough information the average American needs in order to engage in a
conversation with his peers. And then theres me. I was an avid believer that thought knowledge
was going to be a bridge to my successful future. I was the type of student that would compete to
be the smartest in the classroom and make as many As as I could in order to boost my ego. I
remember on numerous occasions when the teacher would ask a question and in the dead silence
someone would say just ask Donte you know he knows the answer. I had been asked to limit
the amount of times I was able to answer questions in any given class period. I later realized
through my arrogance that I was going about the public school system entirely wrong. During the
end of sophomore year my philosophy was that the required section of the public school system
was created to provide us with a concentrated form of social interaction amongst our peers while
gradually teaching us the preliminary information of each subject in order to help us explore
what we would want to become in the future. So making As was not the best way to quantify my
lifes success.
I am concerned with the way we view intelligence. I am curious to the process of
diagnosing someone with a learning disability to ensure it is not simply a refusal to do work. I

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cannot believe that one is simply incapable of learning one specific subject regardless of their
work ethic. I want to separate the line between incapable and incompetent. It is important to
understand the performance levels that we are capable of and what accurately defines average.
We cannot let someone take one test and make assumptions on that alone. It should be similar to
depression. With depression, there is a chemical imbalance in the brain that leads the apparent
symptoms. With mental instability there should be a similar effect.
The common concept of IQ is that it can be gained despite where one starts. This may
have been proven to be a misconception. Montagu Ashleys research has discovered that
intelligence is influenced by the genetics and upbringing of a particular race. It is known that
intelligence is passed down by both parents to the child and that will determine their learning
potential. The famed misconceptions of racial academic achievements lie in the culture of the
particular race. Montagu argues that the stereotype that Eastern Asians have a higher IQ than
most of the other races is false due to their IQ being the same if not lower. The reason we classify
them as smarter is because their culture often entails education as a prime value for the children
of tat area. Due to this, their academic performance is higher as a collective group than most
when in fact studies show that their IQ is not. (Insert information about the Jewish)
Montagus research has also explained the negative effects of genetics playing a role in
intelligence. She brings the African-American community into play claiming that their
intelligence as a collective group is lower than most races. This is due to their enslavement by
their suppressors and this left their ancestors at the same level of intelligence throughout the
course of history. This phenomenon is known as the Black Gap. This is the reason standardized
tests asks for your race before you engage in the test.

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There are some valid points and some questionable points regarding Montagus theories
but the main thing is the simple phrase academic achievement. We as a human race have
placed a high value on academic achievement and over the years we constituted that word to
define intelligence. This was the most important revelation for me because it explains my
relentless pursuit of academic achievement in order to acknowledge myself as an intellectual
individual. I thought being smart was always using big words, keeping things classy, using witty
remarks, and getting good grades on my report card. This was a misconception that I share with a
majority of the population. I think people would be critiqued fairly once we separate these two
ideals.
The main method that most psychologists love is standardized testing. To them, this is the
best method because it arranges a given set of information that is thought of as common sense.
These types of tests are devised with easy problems or situations at the beginning and become
increasingly more difficult as one would progress. These are always given within an allotted time
period in order to ensure equity. One of the greatest standardized tests that everyone has come to
know is the SAT. The alleged tests that determines whether you enter the college you want
regardless of your previous achievements. This test is divided into three categories which are
then divided into five parts; Critical Reading, Science, Writing, Math, and Grammar. It is
accurate to say that gauging the proficiency of all of these categories is an efficient way to
measure IQ. When the mind is presented with problems to solve in a limited amount of time it is
forced to think in a different way. (Use the annotated IQ reading to expound)
One of the main concerns of mine was the literal understanding of what IQ really is. We
use it to gauge all of our academic achievements strictly on what the test creators think we
should know. This does not account for the other intuitive information that we possess. How do

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we include knowledge in the arts? What about the utility of street smarts. These are talents and
skills that are not implemented in these standardized tests and it is an inaccurate of the brain
power that that individual possesses. (Insert persons name here) has provided us with conclusive
information that music can be a factor in intelligence.

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Work Cited
Montagu, Ashley. Race and Iq. New York: Oxfo
Journal of Research in Music Education. Reston, Va: Music Educators National Conference, 1953. rd University
Press, 1999. Print.
Goldstein, Sam, Jack A. Naglieri, and Dana Princiotta. Handbook of Intelligence: Evolutionary Theory,
Historical Perspective, and Current Concepts. , 2015. Internet resource.

Sternberg, Robert J. "Human Intelligence." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 05 July
2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
Mann, Denise L. "Does IQ Test Reallly Measure Intelligence." WebMD. LLC, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.