Intelligence Quotient
President Donald Trump once tweeted that he has a high IQ, perhaps to associate his business success to his intelligence. Just like the president, many people believe that the general predictor of success is intelligence. This belief explains why there are a plethora of online intelligence tests that promise to measure intelligence and even predict an individual’s future success. It is noteworthy that these quizzes are often not supported by any empirical data. Instead, the psychometric tests often rely on Intelligence Quotient Tests. The popularity of these tests is proportionately linked to the fact that people are drawn to success as predicted by any apparent intelligence. However, studies indicate that intelligence is just one of the factors that contribute to success. According to Strenze (5), IQ scores cannot be used to measure every kind of success. It is quite challenging for the scores to measure any single form of success with accuracy. Additionally, the complicated definition of success implies that despite the correlation between intelligence and success is not quite definite. According to Strenze (6), intelligence and IQ are synonymous concepts, yet not analogous. A high IQ may not be used as a single formula for success since the recipe to success requires much more than just it. These categories are unspecific and broad since different people may have different ambitions for the same categories.
Intelligence Quotient tests are often used as indicators of technical intelligence and logical reasoning ability. These are skills that are often considered prerequisites for top ranks and rising executives in the business world today. However, research indicates that they are not adequate to predict corporate success and executive competence. This is because they do not guarantee that one may stand out and rise above everyone else. Research by the Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that at least 85% of one’s financial and executive success is associated with their skills in human engineering. These are skills such as one’s personality, ability to communicate, lead, and negotiate. Surprisingly, technical knowledge is only attributed to 15% of success in most cases (Firkowska-Mankeiwicz, 29). Additionally, people would always carry out business with individuals they trust and like as even when they tend to be offering products and services of lower quality at a higher price. This is because human engineering skills are likely to draw more business than technical expertise, that is the basic foundation of IQ.
According to Sternberg (78), intelligence is often used to measure academic success. This fact may explain why standardized tests are taken and special children earmarked for particular opportunities. However, a high IQ may not yield success in other areas. Only 1% of the world population are geniuses (Hammerschmidt, 3). However, the world is not ruled by this handful of people with versatile IQs. If IQ had so much overwhelming importance, then perhaps this minority would have ruled the world. For instance, John F. Kennedy had an IQ of 119, yet he made such significant social and economic impacts on the lives of Americans in his time. While IQ may guarantee one praise and success in their field, the sense of superiority would only last as long as the role of that kind of intelligence counts. However, in the career world and general achievement, the correlation with IQ is much lower than expected. The most overriding kind of intelligence is the one that has to do with the emotions. As such, this might be a more appropriate parameter to assess the overall success in life.
With this in mind, it would be imperative to shift the exclusive focus on conventional intelligence quotient and increase investment in other areas such as moral intelligence, body intelligence, and emotional intelligence (Morasanova et al., 136). Emotional intelligence involves regulating one’s feelings and applying emotions appropriately to situations and building relationships as well as motivation. Moral intelligence is about integrity and benevolence. Body intelligence is about how one maintains their bodies and feel about them. It reflects in one’s confidence, thoughts, state of mind, and the energy levels. These three concepts may be quite elusive and challenging to measure but seem to be more significant than IQ in measuring success.
In conclusion, many people in the world are drawn to success. For a long time, people have believed that prosperity and intelligence are directly related. This explains why there are many online tests to measure intelligence quotients as predictors of success. However, Intelligence Quotients are mainly about measuring the technical abilities of people. This explains why IQ is essential in academic success, as it is significantly linked to good grades in school. Nevertheless, research indicates that high IQ may not be directly linked to success and achievement in the future. This is because other prerequisites are necessary for success. Most of the success is dependent on human engineering. Human engineering involves the emotional, body, and moral intelligence. These concepts may guarantee more success than just a high IQ. As such, it would be judicious to shift more focus on developing one’s emotional wiring than just IQ. Intelligence is just one of the factors for success but not the sole factor.
Works Cited
Firkowska-Mankiewicz, Anna. “Intelligence (IQ) as a predictor of life success.” International Journal of Sociology 32.3 (2002): 25-43.
Hammerschmidt, Sören. “Introduction: Between Geniuses and Brain-Suckers. Problematic Professionalism in Eighteenth-Century Authorship.” Authorship 4.1 (2015).
Morosanova, Varvara I., TatianaG Fomina, and Irina N. Bondarenko. “Academic achievement: Intelligence, regulatory, and cognitive predictors.” Psychology in Russia 8.3 (2015): 136.
Sternberg, Robert J. “Successful intelligence: A model for testing intelligence beyond IQ tests.” European Journal of Education and Psychology 8.2 (2015): 76-84.
Strenze, Tarmo. Intelligence and socioeconomic success: A study of correlations, causes and consequences. Diss. Tartu University, 2015.