What makes humans humans? Our intelligence, many would agree. However, human intelligence is a complex question. There is no unanimous definition of human intelligence, especially if we talk about valuating and measuring it, as in IQ tests.
IQ tests are also a subject of many debates. Both common people and experts argue whether such tests are reliable or not. IQ tests are usually taken and understood as predictors of life success. Whether IQ tests could tell about someone’s potentials to succeed in life or not is disputable.
The problem is that those tests evaluate one’s intelligence according to limited set of parameters. They tell about certain aspects of the intellectual capacities, which is for sure.
However, IQ test alone could hardly determine whether one is going to be successful or not. There are additional factors that should be considered.
For example, many authors agree that emotional intelligence plays an important role, if we are about to talk IQ scores and real life functioning. Sometimes referred to as EQ, emotional intelligence is by some authors considered even more important factor than IQ.
Emotional intelligence, they argue, would decide on actual implementation of someone’s intellectual capacities in reality.
It is not so hard to imagine how strong impact would emotional intelligence have in someone’s life. A very intelligent person does not have to be emotionally very intelligent.
If such an individual lacks emotional intelligence, which could express in many forms such as lacking compassion and empathy, being anxious, incapable of dealing with people, not very skillful in social interactions, his incredible intellectual potential may suffer.
It is important to take this into account, because it challenges the idea of IQ scores as predictors of life success. Simply speaking, if you have high IQ, but you do not ‘use’ it because you are, for example, too shy, too self-insecure, lacking ambition or so, you would not exactly gather fruits of success.
Here we of course talk about the most generalized type of success, academic and related or not career success.
On the other hand, one of an average score could be an extremely ambitious, optimistic and self-confident person, ready to work really hard, in order to achieve something. He or she could reach much higher position than a ‘lazy’ high scorer could.
These were only some plastic examples, given in order to illustrate the inconsistency regarding IQ scores and the category of success.
What is the Purpose of Human Intelligence?
Before we move on to interpreting meanings of an IQ score, let us talk about human intelligence. In order to understand the implications of an IQ test, we have to understand what the intelligence is.
Human intelligence is not something you could easily define. However, there have been various interesting ideas and approaches to it.
Dictionaries usually define intelligence as our mental ability to gather a great amount of knowledge and to use it.
As simple as that, and true. Human intelligence could also be taken as our mental ability of adapting to different circumstances.
This is, as well, an appealing and understandable definition. We use our intellectual capacities in order to gather knowledge and apply it in reality, which helps us adapt to changes.
In addition, we are those who make other changes. Our mind and our intelligence make us active creators, not passive beings. We use intelligence in order to imagine and create new things that definitely bring changes into the world. The creative potential of human mind is, by all means, an impressive phenomenon.
All this help us survive and progress, even though our human progress often appears as disastrous.
We learn through trick and trial and our intelligence greatly leads us along this path. We still possess reminiscence of instinctive behavior, of course, but our intellectual self seem to dominate the human world. There are some rather intriguing theories regarding the future of human intelligence.
People commonly take for granted that we are the only intelligent being light years around, since we have still not encountered other beings similar to us. However, some unconventional authors propose daring ideas.
They suggest there must be other forms of life that are far superior to humans. Their level of intelligence is so high that our modest intellectual capacities do not allow us to perceive them.
These are forms that are so highly intelligent that they do not even need to be materialized.
We cannot register them, on our current level. However, our own intelligence is just one of the levels; over the course of time, we would very likely evolve to much higher levels and our perception will be much wider. A controversial and really intriguing point of view, don’t you agree?
With the intelligence as it is now, we are capable of doing amazing things. Human intelligence is as admirable as it sometimes appears fallible.
Our intelligence is much more than pure ratio, some would refer to it. Intelligence is not only about being smart, but also about being imaginative, creative, inventive. In this regard, let us talk about what does human intelligence consists of.
What Does Human Intelligence Consists Of?
Tests that measure human intelligence, IQ tests, rely only on several parameters. Many would say they represent and evaluate something that we could call general intelligence.
IQ tests usually use parameters such as verbal comprehension, task-processing speed, perceptual reasoning, working memory, logic and such.
They do not take into account any additional talent and skill that may as well play an important role in an individual’s life.
IQ tests are useful if we are about to evaluate someone’s potentials for educational success. However, if we are about to talk about the success as a whole, it does not tell much. The problem lies within the question of parameters that constitute the value of the intelligence.
Some authors suggests more should be considered than those mentioned. The approach of multiple intelligences is an interesting one.
It does take into account aspects of individuals’ potentials that are not commonly labeled as ‘intellectual’. Theory of multiple intelligences argues there must be many different types of the intelligence.
Each person has potential for all of them. However, it depends on a particular case what would be a brilliant one and what would not be.
Thus, one could never be put into categories of being average if he or she presents with certain qualities that are obviously above average, though not in IQ test terms.
These multiple intelligences are everything from logical, linguistic and visual to physical, intra and interpersonal, even spiritual and moral aspect of an individual.
Many claim this approach is too loose and too wide. Indeed, it has no sufficient proof in practice, but it certainly challenges reliability of IQ tests. From the point of multiple intelligences theory, IQ tests are just too limiting.
High IQ Scores and life Functioning
Now, if you are amongst those lucky ones to score high on an IQ test, you probably wonder what it exactly means. We deliberately have said a ‘lucky one’, since high score is usually something people perceive as ‘good’.
However, it would be unfortunate to speak about IQ scores as being good or bad. There are no two persons with the same score acting the same or use their intellectual capacities exactly the same way.
Personal characteristics would play a role in real life ‘application’ of a high IQ score. People often ask if a high score affects ones personality or not. Yes, it most certainly does.
However, someone’s personality would also have traits that are not necessarily strictly associated with that person’s score. Personality of an individual would affect someone’s IQ score real life functioning.
High IQ score usually presents with great curiosity and willingness to explore the world.
People of high scores have rich inner life and are very commonly loners. This is not to be mistaken for being misanthropic or being lonely; they are simply mentally self-sufficient that they do not need active interaction all the time. They need time alone in order to explore their own ideas.
They make for a minor part of overall population and what common average people have to offer simply does not excite their mind nor does it satisfy their need for intellectual stimulation.
High scorers feel at best in academic environment, since there they could exchange their ideas with people of similar way of experiencing the world.
We say similar, since high scorers are of course very different amongst themselves. Whether a high score was a curse or a blessing would entirely depend on your attitude towards life and your emotional and social intelligence.
If you were a pessimistic by nature, you would probably see more disastrous scenarios than any average thinker could ever perceive; if you were optimistic, you could discover even more and brighter opportunities than they are capable of.
IQ 126 Score Meaning
IQ 126 is a high score and it falls under the category of ‘superior intelligence’, according to WAIS-IV scale. This score corresponds with a MA degree and everyone would warmly advise you to pursue academic path. Your effort and dedication would of course play an important role.
We say Master’s degree, but it does not mean you should not work on higher ones. This is an IQ score that definitely inspires search for knowledge.
This is not an exceptional Mensa score, though it is very well above the average one. It means most of topics average people discuss would probably be of not much interest to you, since you require more of intellectual engagement.
This is a high score that makes you one amongst exceptionally intelligent individuals.
In reality, this score could mean different things to different individuals. It depends on your personality and attitude, for the greatest part. Many people with this high score say they do not notice it brings them anything in particular nor they feel much different from others.
However, others say they easily get bored by common talk and they feel isolated. If you employ your IQ 126 score so to satisfy your need for intellectual stimulus, you would very likely feel good about it and you would experience benefits from it.
Other factors would of course play a role. Social and cultural background, personality profile factor, emotional intelligence and other elements are not to be ignored.
In any case, with a score as high as 126, you are probably aware of your impressive intellectual capacities, so you should think in direction of finding interests that would employ it the best way possible.