Can you be intelligent without being good at math?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s possible, but I wish to hear other opinions.

[CriticalDiscourse]

Intelligence isn't limited to being proficient in every topic. That would mean that anyone who say, can't speak more than one language, is also not intelligent.

Or, someone who can't name every province in Canada despite being otherwise really knowledgeable about geography I guess isn't smart either.

I don't think you can put a cap on intelligence, especially considering most of the people who we revere as being the most intelligent people were not proficient in everything. Steve Jobs, for example, isn't even an engineer and didn't make any original designs himself. But, he was smart enough to suggest changes to said designs, even though he couldn't do so himself.

[Asker]

I wouldn’t say polyglots are intelligent. They don’t master languages to native fluency. I believe anyone can learn languages as long as they have a good memory, which doesn’t have much to do with intelligence.

Being knowledgeable in geography doesn’t take much intelligence because, again, it’s a basis of memory, not logical analysis.

Anyone could do what Steve Jobs did. Suggesting changes in coding? That’s not difficult in the slightest. Actually changing the coding? That requires a lot of intelligence.

In summary, I don’t believe that you are describing true intelligence. You’re more so describing the perceptions of intelligence from a normative perspective. The average person would probably find such people as very intelligence, but I don’t believe that that’s the case.

[Kurαȷ]

Yes and no.
It depends on how you define "intelligent", on what the way your IQ was measured and defined and on whether you are *actually* good/bad at math.

But, ultimately, yes.
An exceptionally intelligent person would have to also be good at math, because of the way IQ is measured.
A person who is also good at math would simply score more than a person who only excels at verbal and spatial intelligence.

But that's the issue with how IQ is measured.
Some institutions (like Mensa) have moved away from linguistic and math based questions entirely, in favor of logic and pattern recognition, which require no prior knowledge.
In such cases, your mathematical skills wouldn't reflect on your score much.

[DoctorCupid]

Absolutely! There are different types of intelligence and there is much more to life than math.
I know some people who are very skilled mathematicians who are very stale.

[Asker]

Being “stale” has nothing to do with intelligence. Intelligence is the ability to analyze things logically and within reason.

[DoctorCupid]

By stale I meant intellectually stale, as in not quick witted/lacking a capacity to understand things outside of their field/inability to grasp new concepts, which all boil down to lack of intelligence to some degree.
Assuming you are a mathematician and know the answer to your own question, while continuing to think of yourself as intellectually superior to others, why even ask? Especially on girlsaskguys lol

[Asker]

I’m not a mathematician. I am horrible with math. Hence, why I don’t claim I’m intelligent. Most high IQ people are capable of understanding things outside of their fields.

[IAMNathanael]

I'd say you can be. You don't judge a fish by how well it climbs a tree, you know. I suck at math too but I think I'm still pretty good in other things.

[WesBrewer]

My dad says that intelligence is based on the IQ test, not by how well you do in school, I don't think he's right though.

[Nalix]

Of course. Intelligence can be oriented toward many different skills and activities.

[codyccc]

My mom held 2 phds and a MD but couldn't do calculus

[Little_Bumblebee]

So intelligence is only math-based for you?

[Asker]

Yes, pretty much. Anything that requires logical analysis and reasoning is what I consider intelligent.

[Little_Bumblebee]

... Aha..

[jahaims]

For sure. Intelligence isn't scaler

[Astarlessnightsky]

Yes, you can.

[Astarlessnightsky]

Albert Einstein (i think) defined inteligence as the ability to quickly adept and solve a new problem.

Intelligence would be how good you are solving problems.

There is also the theory or 7 different types of intelligence, Math-logical is only one, the other are stuff like language, musical-artistic or social.

[Asker]

All other forms of intelligence are worthless. They are only coping mechanisms.