If someone asked you to define human intelligence, what would you say?
Most likely, you would define it as humans’ mental ability, something that makes us different from all other ‘creatures of the field’.
Our intellect is often described as something that in fact makes us such impressive specie. Many argue whether animals are intelligent and to what degree.
Studies have shown that some animals are far more intelligent than others are, but our intelligence is degrees above. In any case, our intelligence definitely is what makes us wonder about all of this. We ask ourselves thousands of questions, every day.
Those engaged in philosophical thinking ask why are we here, how the world was built, why do we have intelligence, anyway, if everything we do is asking and asking.
Well, we ask, but we also gain knowledge and answer certain questions. Not all of them, though.
Was this intelligence a curse or a blessing?
People also tend to confuse it with knowledge and conscience, although all these terms are interconnected. Have we always been unable to fathom the deepest secrets of existence?
Perhaps we were; however, it is not in only one story that certain kind of ignorance was appreciated. Why wondering about it all?
Let us not get lost into metaphysics and existential questions; however, it must be our intelligence making us ask such questions, in the first place. What serves us intelligence in real, earthly life?
Intelligence is, as one of the greatest physicists of our time has said, our ability to adjust to different circumstances or, more precisely, changes. It is but our mental ability that serves us so.
The Purpose of Intelligence
We would add another important observation. Our intelligence definitely represents our reasoning, our self-consciousness, consciousness and awareness as a whole, our logical thinking, drawing conclusions and learning, of course.
These all help us adapt to changes and survive. Intelligence is, for a great part, our surviving mechanism. Some even claim it is a substitute for our instincts.
Although humans are for one part instinctive, animals seem much better in it. However, we seem far more intelligent. Instead of instinctive bodily reaction, we use our brains. But that is all clear.
What we would like to add is humans’ mind ability to invent and create. Not only that we are capable of using or intelligence so to recognize changes and fit ourselves into the frames given, but we bring changes ourselves.
We learn from experience, so to use our newly gathered knowledge to our benefit. It could be a mistake or simply an observation. We also come up with new ideas that are combined with our physical needs.
Therefore, we create surroundings ourselves. We do not simply adapt to changes we experience around, but we also make changes so to make ‘around’ more suitable to our needs.
The power of our intelligent mind is impressive, even though sometimes it appears as it brings only destruction. All our progress has to do with our intelligence. It may seem chaotic on one side, while just amazing on the other.
We have even been able to move towards projects on artificial intelligence. It means, we could transgress laws of nature by using our intellect.
Well, it is questionable whether it was, in fact, against the cosmic laws, but that is not our subject here.
Let us talk more on the intelligence.
Can we measure it? It is but another controversy regarding human intelligence. How could we measure something we cannot precisely define? IQ tests have long been a subject of numerous debates.
IQ test are commonly taken as life success predictors, though they only measure several parameters that could be associated with actual success in life. It is true that high intelligence score definitely contribute to how one would fare in life, but it cannot be a single determinant. There are other factors that would ‘decide’ on someone’s life success.
Intelligence as a Complex
The problem is that IQ tests focus on certain ‘basic’ parameters associated with our intellect.
Those are our reasoning, our problem-solving skills, verbal comprehension, task-processing speed, more or less. There is no place for talents and additional skills in common tests.
However, one could be a successful musician, without being particularly brilliant logician or a quick-witted person. Multiple intelligences might be an option.
The theory of multiple intelligences argues IQ tests were too limiting, while the other side firmly stand their grounds, claiming multiple approach was too vague and broad.
It is true that theory of multiple intelligences cannot give sufficient evidence to confirm itself, though the idea is definitely appealing. It does challenge common IQ test basis.
According to this approach, each human being starts with the same set of potentials, while all are connected by general intelligence.
These potentials are different types or aspects of intelligence. They include parameters such as visual and musical skills, bodily kinesthetic aspect and even spiritual or moral aspect of a person.
The idea definitely opens up new ways of understanding intelligence and its ‘levels’.
The thing is that it seems pretty unfair to label a person as an average intelligent or even low intelligent, if that same person was, say, a gifted singer.
All our skills, according to this theory, do have to do something with that general intelligence characteristic to human beings.
Moreover, it challenges the idea of IQ tests seen as predictors of life success, since obviously a person with an average score might be successful in are not evaluated by the test.
High IQ Scores
Since the score we are going to talk about is a very high one, let us talk more on such a high range. Here we do not take a multiple approach, but analyze score as classified on an IQ scale.
High IQ scores make for far lesser percent of human population. It means that people with high score stand out by their intellectual abilities that is, by their mental abilities as taken in IQ scores.
Results that are exceptionally high, usually those above 130 are qualified for additional tests and for Mensa membership, at least according to most of IQ scales.
Mensa is the largest international society of highly intelligent individuals and it has not other requirements but IQ score. Mensa invests into research about human intelligence, improvement of its application, discovering new ways to use our intellectual capabilities and much more.
Mensa, of course, supports its members through stipends and other beneficial.
Mensa operates throughout the world and represents a great community that tolerates all human differences, except for one criterion – one’s intelligence level, as measured according to IQ tests standards.
These standards are what people generally associate with IQ and intelligence as a whole, which is academic potential of an individual.
IQ 139 Score Meaning
Score 139 is an exceptionally high result. According to WAIS-IV scale, it falls under the category of ‘very superior intelligence’; ‘gifted’ in some other scales.
On one of more detailed scales, the whole range from 130 to 139 is labeled as ‘gifted’.
Now, what does it mean in real life? It definitely sounds flattering to hear that your score was well above the average, but what does that mean?
Gifted individuals have great opportunities to succeed in academic circles, in the first place, if we look into potential life paths. Such high IQ score corresponds with PhD degree.
Individuals with scores higher than 130 are capable of doing an extensive study, original conclusions and thesis, as well as of writing legible texts.
Regular tests are not reliable for these scores, as people of scores within 130 to 139 range are considered high-range test candidates. In real life, IQ score 139 could manifest in different ways, of course.
People frequently mention the downside of such a high score. High scorers are frequently characterized as individuals who worry too much, since they ‘think too much’.
It is true that they think more than an average individual does, but it could not and should not be referred to strictly as to something negative. Thinking about the world is never a bad thing, if we take a wider perspective.
It is brilliant minds that come to genius conclusions (okay, also they come up with ideas that prove destructive).
All factors have to be taken into account. With IQ 139, one could contribute to overall progress associated with our intellectual selves. Score 139 definitely makes you stand out.
An academic career is definitely what a high scorer should aspire for. Being surrounded by people of similar ‘type’ of intelligence would be the most pleasing and suitable surrounding for a 139 scorer.
It is true that a high IQ scorer might feel isolated from the rest of the world, as being exceptional in terms of reasoning and understanding the world. It is true that he or she might be difficult to find a common tongue with majority of people.
However, personal sensibilities, emotional intelligence, personality traits and else will all play a role in what you want to do with such a high score.
High scorers are usually interested into further expression and use of their intellectual capacities; it is not that it was some rule set in stone.
We could even say that their ‘intellectual intuition’ drives them towards finding good way to express all of their potential to the fullest.