Intelligence Quotient

“There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” Ronald W. Reagan

What is your IQ? If you do not know the actual score, you probably have some general idea. What does this number mean to you? It’s a measure of general intelligence, right? People with higher IQs are purportedly smarter than people with lower levels. Do you agree with this conclusion? If you are in the category of those measuring higher, the answer is definitely ‘yes;’ but if not, the subject is open for discussion. Does this correspond with your opinion?

Alfred Binet, J.D., Ph.D., a French psychologist during the early 20th Century, invented the first practical intelligence test, the Binet-Simon scale. I was surprised to discover that Dr. Binet’s main goal in creating this test was to identify children who were struggling within Paris public schools in order that educational programs could be designed to help them. Rather than just evaluating a child’s intellect, the test was designed to bring change to their level of intelligence.

Binet argued against the notion that an individual’s intelligence was a fixed quantity – that it could not be increased. He said we must object to “this brutal pessimism.” In Dr. Binet’s book, Modern Ideas about Children, he made this profound statement: “With practice, training, and above all, method, we manage to increase our attention, our memory, our judgment and literally to become more intelligent than we were before.” 

Wow! You mean that I can become smarter? (Finally! There is some hope for me, after all). This is good news for anyone who now seems to be stuck . . . people who never learn. I am sure that we could all quickly identify individuals we wish would just get a little smarter. If they would just listen to us, right?

The good news is that this subject continues to be studied, and scientific research indicates that Dr. Binet’s theory and diagnostic modalities have proven significant. Carol S. Dweck Ph.D., a renowned psychologist, has studied this topic for decades. Her research realized one simple conclusion: People tend to live in one of two mindsets – a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset sees intelligence and growth as something that is fixed in a person’s life. A growth mindset sees unlimited possibilities because of the ability to learn.

IQ tests, while valuable, may also impose limitations in our lives – thus, the fixed mindset.

As author and speaker on the subject of positive attitudes, I am a big proponent of praising the good in those surrounding us.  Dr. Dweck cautions us to be careful in the effort to praise others, that we do not limit their perceptions about what could be possible. We do not want to set limits. Parents are probably more open to embracing the idea of ‘no limits,’ because they want their children to accomplish everything within the scope of their ability to achieve.

We can always learn more and grow in our abilities to accomplish more. We should not use praise as a limiting factor in our lives, but rather as an opportunity to reach new levels of accomplishment.

Success is not a destination, but rather a journey. Hopefully, we arrive at each success plateau with a vision to seek higher levels of accomplishment.

Look at Michael Jordan, a highly successful MBA star, who is very growth-minded. If anyone had reason to see themselves as special, he would be the one. He left basketball for a short period of time to play professional baseball, but it did not work out. When he first returned to basketball, he was shocked at the level of intensity and commotion surrounding him. People treated him like a religious cult. He said it was embarrassing. “I’m a human being like everyone else!” he asserted. Michael Jordan worked hard in developing his abilities. He struggled and grew. He did not see himself as someone who was inherently better than everyone else. What would he have accomplished if he had accepted, early in life, that he was already the best player ever? If his mind had been ‘fixed,’ would he have been instrumental in helping to win so many MBA championships? I think not. The genius of Michael Jordan is that he never stopped learning. He never stopped trying to get better. He was never satisfied or complacent.

During the final months of a football season, we often hear coaches praise their teams for winning playoff games. Celebration is usually short-lived because there is another game ahead, thus more to accomplish. Some coaches will allow 24 hours of celebration, and then immediately, it is time to set a new goal for the next game.  Even coaches who lose a playoff game turn their attentions to the next season. There is always more to accomplish.

As soon as we become satisfied, we have set limits on our future.

What’s your IQ? What successes have you already enjoyed? Have you ‘finally arrived’? Do you have a fixed mindset, or a growth mindset?