In my most rewarding 26 years of experience working as an educator, I have had the privilege of working with students from diverse backgrounds and in different educational settings. It is during this period I started administering the state mandated IQ tests. These tests were administered to measure an individual’s cognitive abilities, mostly logical reasoning, memory and verbal mathematical aptitude. They tell us how well someone can solve abstract problems under specific conditions.

I was surprised to see how these standardised tests categorised and measured individuals by numbers and scores often disregarding their potential, experiences and abilities, making it inherently biased.

This realisation prompted me to explore what IQ, intelligence and success fully mean in the real world. Hence, I decided to conduct a small survey. To get a fair sampling, I included people of different backgrounds - educators, parents, students, homemakers and professionals. 

My questions were:

1. What qualities make you see someone as intelligent?

2. Do you think people with low IQ can be successful?

I was pleasantly surprised to see the responses from the survey. According to the survey - some of these qualities were, - someone who is empathetic, creative, problem-solving, curious, open to ideas, a good communicator, accepting without being judgmental ... and many more. Most people also believe that individuals with lower IQ scores can achieve success - especially when they possess strong emotional intelligence (EQ).

Based on this survey I concluded that there was a shift in people’s perception from iQ to EQ. In general, the meaning of intelligence exceeded beyond the confinement of standardised test.  In order to get a broader understanding of intelligence I started researching the different types of intelligences as per psychological theory.

In the 1980s, Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner proposed a theory that broke away from the “one-size-fits-all” model of intelligence. He introduced eight distinct types of intelligence that reflected the diverse ways humans learn, express themselves, and solve problems. These were:

Linguistic Intelligence:  Word savvy like, writers, storytellers

Logical: Mathematical Intelligence:  Analytical thinkers, like scientists and engineers

Musical Intelligence:  Musically inclined, like musicians,

Kinesthetic Intelligence:  Physical grace and skill like, dancers

Spatial Intelligence:  Visual and spatial thinkers like architects and artists

Interpersonal Intelligence:  People skills and empathy like, therapists, teachers, and leaders.

Intrapersonal Intelligence: Deep self-understanding like philosophers and spiritual leaders.

Naturalistic Intelligence: Attunement to nature, like, gardeners and environmentalists.

Among other psychologists that followed, Daniel Goldman played an important role in introducing the concept of Emotional Intelligence, which includes empathy, self-awareness and emotional regulation which demonstrated that EQ plays an important role in personal success.

Together, these theories encourage us to look beyond IQ scores and appreciate the depth and diversity of human potential. Hence, even if one wasn’t considered academically intelligent and didn’t fit in the traditional high IQ “cookie cutter” mould, many have been very successful and have contributed to society at large. Examples include:

Thomas Edison was considered “difficult” in school and reportedly had very little formal education. His teachers thought he was slow or unable to learn. Despite this, he became one of the most prolific inventors in history.

Walt Disney was reportedly fired from a newspaper job for “lacking imagination,” and he struggled academically. His success came through storytelling, creativity, and persistence.

Therefore, we must reconsider the tendency to label someone as lazy or unintelligent based solely on conventional standards.  I believe my experience along with research and survey findings strongly support this perspective, which is aptly captured in the quote: “A high IQ may open a door, but emotional intelligence determines how far you’ll go once you walk through it.”

(The writer is an educator based in the US. Views are personal)