On being ‘intelligent’

Last week, concerns were raised over the reported slide in the ranking of our country in terms of the average “intelligence” of our population based on the metrics called “intelligence quotient” or IQ.

This was apparently triggered by some posts on social media which showed the ranking of ASEAN countries which showed that the Philippines was last in terms of IQ. The list showed that we are now trailing Myanmar. Singapore and Vietnam are number one and two, respectively.

We do not know how recent that particular “study” is. Other “official” studies show that the Philippines is at number 106 relative to 161 other countries of the world, with our population having an average IQ of 81.64.

At the top of the list is Japan with 106.48, Taiwan is second with 106.47, and Singapore is third with 105.89. The United States of America is at the 28th spot with 97.43. In terms of IQ, it appears that the People’s Republic of China is ahead of the USA at the 5th spot with an IQ level of 104.1.

The buzz about our alleged collective IQ level was painful to most of us. Many of us may have felt that it was an affront to our person. One thing most of us would never let others accuse us of is of having “low IQ” which translates into one of the most painful words in our language: “bobo.”

“Anong akala mo sa akin, walang alam?” would be our response to such an accusation. It violates our ego when we feel that others think of us as a person “who does not know much.”

It may be good to clarify what “IQ” and the numerical values assigned to it mean.

It appears we may be confusing being “intelligent” with being an “intellectual.”

From the scientific perspective, those two words carry different meanings.

“Intelligence” refers to our reasoning ability. It is how we use information and logic to solve puzzles and problems, answer questions or predict outcomes and results. It has to do with our ability to deal with new and challenging situations.

“Diskarte” would be the closest word in Filipino to describe “intelligent.” Based on how we understand “diskarte,” it baffles us why our ability to be “madiskarte” is not reflected in our collective IQ scores.

It also baffles us why we should even be bothered by our relatively low ranking in terms of IQ levels. After all, our ability to navigate through the challenges of life in our country is proof that we have significantly high abilities to solve problems, create alternatives and options, and overcome adversities.

Perhaps this is because we have not seen the subtle difference between being “intelligent” and being an “intellectual.”

An “intellectual” is someone who can understand complex ideas and concepts with ease.

Some researchers believe that being an “intellectual” is inborn. An “intellectual” person’s skills and mindset are not obtained through academics or studies. They are who we call “gifted.”

“Genius” is how we might refer to someone who has been born with, and displays, such abilities.

We cannot breed “geniuses,” at least at present. We can, however, work together to help raise the intellectual quotient of our children and, as a result, that of the rest of our population. It is a task which our government should pay attention to, but is also an endeavor all of us must participate in.

Having worked with other parents while my wife and I were raising our children, we came across tested ways of helping them sharpen their intelligence.

Here are some of them: Introducing them to music and giving them music lessons; reading books with them; paying close attention to their curiosities and answering their questions; allowing them a lot of time to play with you and their peers; encouraging and nurturing their creativity; as well as guiding them as they solve small problems which they encounter rather than solving their problems for them.

The momentary howl fueled by the report on our national IQ level and ranking must have been nothing more than a matter of ego. It is difficult for us to accept that people of our countries and nationalities are relatively more “intelligent” than us.

For now, we must accept that the metrics and methods used to measure “intelligence” do not work in our favor.

The score and the ranking, however, should be seen as good feedback and an inspiration for us to work together to help our countrymen cultivate their “intelligence.” We can start at home, with our own children.

We can start with ourselves.

(For feedback, please email it to antipolocitygov@gmail.com or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.)

The score and the ranking, however, should be seen as good feedback and an inspiration for us to work together to help our countrymen cultivate their 'intelligence.' We can start at home, with our own children. We can start with ourselves.