How does the article define intelligence?

As something that primarily relates to cognitive abilities, such as reasoning, problem-solving, learning and adaptability. It regards our intellectual capacity to store and share knowledge but doesn't represent our capacity to truly apply it.

How does intelligence differ from wisdom in the article?

Wisdom encompasses a broader and deeper understanding of life, including ethical and moral aspects, and can only truly come from real-life experience, empathy and a true synthesis of knowledge. Intelligence stores and shares knowledge without guaranteeing its application.

How does intelligence differ from cleverness in the article?

Cleverness is situation-specific: a quick ability to think and solve problems, often through creative or unconventional means, even if they are not always morally or ethically sound.

Concept

Intelligence

What is the difference between intelligence and wisdom?

Intelligence is the set of cognitive abilities that allow a mind to reason, solve problems, learn and adapt. The Agency editorial places it between cleverness and wisdom: it regards our intellectual capacity to store and share knowledge, but doesn't represent our capacity to truly apply it.

In short

Writing.2 compares three words that, in the author's phrase, are similar concepts in grammar: cleverness, intelligence and wisdom. Cleverness is a quick, situation-specific ability to solve problems. Intelligence relates to cognitive abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, learning and adaptability. Wisdom is a broader and deeper understanding of life that comes from real-life experience, empathy and a true synthesis of knowledge. The distinction serves to explain where aphorisms come from.

Key facts

How does the article define intelligence?: As something that primarily relates to cognitive abilities, such as reasoning, problem-solving, learning and adaptability. It regards our intellectual capacity to store and share knowledge but doesn't represent our capacity to truly apply it.
How does intelligence differ from wisdom in the article?: Wisdom encompasses a broader and deeper understanding of life, including ethical and moral aspects, and can only truly come from real-life experience, empathy and a true synthesis of knowledge. Intelligence stores and shares knowledge without guaranteeing its application.
How does intelligence differ from cleverness in the article?: Cleverness is situation-specific: a quick ability to think and solve problems, often through creative or unconventional means, even if they are not always morally or ethically sound.

What is intelligence?

Intelligence is the general capacity of a mind to understand, reason, learn from experience and adapt to new situations. The word comes from the Latin intelligere, to understand. Psychology has tried to measure it with tests since the early twentieth century and still debates whether it is one ability or several. In everyday use it is often confused with being clever or being wise, two things that the Agency editorial treats as different.

How does intelligence appear in the Agency editorial?

The section Wisdom VS Intelligence of Writing.2 starts from Ancient Greece, where Sophists were paid to teach people how to be clever while philosophers questioned the nature of reality. From that contrast the author draws three short definitions, one for cleverness, one for intelligence and one for wisdom.

Intelligence is the middle term. The article grants it reasoning and learning but notes its limit: it does not represent our capacity to truly apply knowledge. Aphorisms, the author concludes, are words of wisdom, not of intelligence alone.

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Writing.2 - AphorismsSeptember 21, 2023Read the edition

Also from these editions: concepts

Also from these editions: terms

Related terms

clevernessnoun: The mental quality of being quick-witted, agile, and ingenious in solving specific situational problems.