WEBVTT - #1914 The Slippery Nature Of Intelligence - Harps

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<v Speaker 1>Get our team. So let's talk about intelligence today. What

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<v Speaker 1>is it? What isn't it? And let me start by saying,

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<v Speaker 1>as I always do, this is me thinking out loud.

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<v Speaker 1>There's me thinking out loud, sharing thoughts and ideas. I

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<v Speaker 1>think the way that intelligence is framed and explained and

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<v Speaker 1>tested and portrayed is a very limited paradigm of a

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<v Speaker 1>very fucking big thing. And in fact, I think the

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<v Speaker 1>way that intelligence is tested is stupid. Here it is,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm saying it out loud. I think the idea of

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<v Speaker 1>testing people and then giving them a number on a

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<v Speaker 1>given day, doing a given test, and saying you are,

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<v Speaker 1>based on this number that you got, you are intelligent

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<v Speaker 1>in the top whatever, or you're in the bottom whatever.

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<v Speaker 1>And so what we're doing is we are giving someone

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<v Speaker 1>a number or a label that then they're going to

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<v Speaker 1>take out of that experience with the moving forward, which

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<v Speaker 1>could be not at all indicative of what that person's

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<v Speaker 1>actual potential is. It could be influenced by cultural things, emotional,

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<v Speaker 1>psychological things, the good on the day, they could be tired,

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<v Speaker 1>it might be written in a language that doesn't really

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<v Speaker 1>work for them. It's you know, we're doing one test

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<v Speaker 1>on one day, at a moment in time, we're assessing

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<v Speaker 1>one aspect of intelligence, which is generally cognitive ability. There's

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<v Speaker 1>cultural bias, there's language bias. There's a whole bunch of

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<v Speaker 1>things that don't work about IQ tests. Yet, says the

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<v Speaker 1>guy doing a pH d in psychology. Yet they are

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<v Speaker 1>held in very regard, and I think in some situations

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<v Speaker 1>and circumstances and contexts they have relevance. I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>say that, but I just think that, you know, when

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<v Speaker 1>we have a thing called mensa, which is where the

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<v Speaker 1>GENII go. If you've got an IQ or if you

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<v Speaker 1>get a score I think it's one forty, doesn't matter.

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<v Speaker 1>You get this certain score, and then you can be

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<v Speaker 1>in this club, which is this prestigious club that says

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<v Speaker 1>you're really fucking smart. You're in our super smart group.

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<v Speaker 1>But the thing about this kind of language and this

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<v Speaker 1>kind of assessment and this kind of psychology is that

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<v Speaker 1>it discounts. It discounts a whole range of other kinds

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<v Speaker 1>of intelligence. So let's talk about intelligence and not the

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<v Speaker 1>ironically stupid kind of an IQ test where people are

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<v Speaker 1>labeled smart, stupid, or somewhere in between. They're literally given

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<v Speaker 1>a number and they're told, you know, they're told essentially,

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<v Speaker 1>they're told they're pretty smart or pretty stupid, or they're

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<v Speaker 1>given a number, and what could what could possibly go wrong?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, that couldn't possibly have a negative or a

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<v Speaker 1>negative psychological or emotional or sociological outcome, That couldn't damage people,

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<v Speaker 1>that couldn't fuck them up, that couldn't hang over their head,

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<v Speaker 1>they could never Imagine a kid, imagine doing a test

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<v Speaker 1>and they get a bad score and other people find

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<v Speaker 1>out and that that's used as some kind of you know,

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<v Speaker 1>weapon against them or bullying kind of tool or whatever.

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<v Speaker 1>And I mean, these things happen. These things happen, so

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I know also, and this is on no

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<v Speaker 1>level meant to be any kind of brag, but I

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<v Speaker 1>did an IQ test when I was young, and I

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<v Speaker 1>scored quite high and not you know, not ridiculous, but

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<v Speaker 1>you know high. But what's what's funny is despite the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that I did okay on that test, there are situations,

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<v Speaker 1>there are environments, there are problems, there are challenges where

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<v Speaker 1>I am in regards to that thing and that context,

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<v Speaker 1>in the context of that problem that needs to be

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<v Speaker 1>solved or that need that needs to be met, or

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<v Speaker 1>that conversation that needs to be had, or that whatever

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<v Speaker 1>I'm I am borderline stupid, depending on the context, the situation,

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<v Speaker 1>the challenge. So I want to talk about the myriad

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<v Speaker 1>of intelligences, because surely it's not a single thing that

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<v Speaker 1>can be measured or understood or really comprehended by a

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<v Speaker 1>kid or an adult sitting at a computer answering some

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<v Speaker 1>questions for thirty or forty minutes. So I really want

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about I don't know how to explain this,

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<v Speaker 1>but I'm just going to call it real world, practical, usable,

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<v Speaker 1>demonstrable situation, improving outcome, improving relationship, improving problem solving, observable intelligence,

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<v Speaker 1>not what Brian or Katie scored on a particular kind

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<v Speaker 1>of test on a given day sitting in a room.

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<v Speaker 1>So I guess in our culture, we really like thinking

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<v Speaker 1>that intelligence is a fixed thing. Like he is not intelligent,

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<v Speaker 1>she is intelligent. Well, that depends what we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>ask him to do. That depends on the task or

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<v Speaker 1>the challenge or the question, doesn't it Because he might

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<v Speaker 1>be a genius in this room and she's not. And

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<v Speaker 1>she might be a genius in the other room and

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<v Speaker 1>he's not. It depends what's going on in the room.

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<v Speaker 1>So intelligence is not a fixed thing. And we know

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<v Speaker 1>that not only is it not a fixed thing and

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<v Speaker 1>it's a multi dimensional thing, but we also know that

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<v Speaker 1>individuals this is not the right word, but it kind

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<v Speaker 1>of explains that individuals are smarter and dumber. Let's put

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<v Speaker 1>an asterisk next to that. Depending on a bunch of variables,

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<v Speaker 1>the same person doing the same test or the same

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<v Speaker 1>kind of test will not always score, In fact, may

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<v Speaker 1>hardly ever score the exact same outcome or score or number.

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<v Speaker 1>Because our intelligence, or our aptitude, or our ability to

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<v Speaker 1>figure things out or solve problems varies over the day.

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<v Speaker 1>It varies day to day, and it varies over the

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<v Speaker 1>day depending on a whole lot of things, like what's

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<v Speaker 1>happening with our hormones, what's happening with our nutrition? Have

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<v Speaker 1>I eaten? Am I hungry? Am I distracted? Am I hydrated?

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<v Speaker 1>My body is mostly water, my brain is mostly water.

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<v Speaker 1>So when I'm dehydrated, I literally my brain is not

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<v Speaker 1>as smart. My cognitive capacity diminishes and decreases. Also when

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<v Speaker 1>I'm anxious, when I'm stressed, it also is diminished. So

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<v Speaker 1>if I do a test when i'm dehydrated or a

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<v Speaker 1>bit drunk or kind of tired, my score is going

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<v Speaker 1>to be lower. So we know that that it is

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<v Speaker 1>not an absolute thing. It can be a dynamic and

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<v Speaker 1>a variable thing depending on a myriad of things. So

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<v Speaker 1>we like to pretend that it's fixed and it lives

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<v Speaker 1>in our brain as like a single number, and you're

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<v Speaker 1>either smart or you're not. You're gifted or you're not.

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<v Speaker 1>But away from the theory, we know it's bullshit because

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<v Speaker 1>we all recognize that that intelligence is slippery, it's multi dimensional.

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<v Speaker 1>It's context dependency, suation dependent, task dependent, problem dependent. Sometimes

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<v Speaker 1>it's invisible or subtle. We can't really see it, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's often I think misunderstood and or miss represented. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>there's the person who aces the test, who gets the

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<v Speaker 1>aplaster distinction, thee hundred out of one hundred, but they

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<v Speaker 1>can't hold a great conversation. You throw them a ball,

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<v Speaker 1>they can't catch it. You give them a crying baby,

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<v Speaker 1>they have a meltdown. They don't know what to do.

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<v Speaker 1>There's the academic genius who can't manage their emotions or

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<v Speaker 1>their relationships. There's the and I'm this is with a

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<v Speaker 1>wink There's the dumb tradey who builds a multi million

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<v Speaker 1>dollar empire because she noticed that she understands people and

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<v Speaker 1>timing and risk and hustle better than the other trade

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<v Speaker 1>or the other person, I should say, who's got three degrees.

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<v Speaker 1>There's the dude who can't read music, who's never had

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<v Speaker 1>a lesson, but nonetheless plays fifteen instruments with incredible fucking skill.

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<v Speaker 1>So we love categories, we love labels, we love rankings.

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<v Speaker 1>But intelligence leaks across categories. It doesn't, It doesn't fit

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<v Speaker 1>in a pigeonhole. It operates and expresses differently depending on

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<v Speaker 1>what's required. What's the task, what's the question, what's the role,

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<v Speaker 1>and in what capacity. Someone who knows, for example, how

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<v Speaker 1>to listen deeply, how to be fully present, how to

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<v Speaker 1>read what's going on, how to understand the other person,

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<v Speaker 1>how to ask great questions, how to know what that

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<v Speaker 1>individual's saying when they're not saying anything right. That's the

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<v Speaker 1>kind that's social intelligence. That's situational awareness, which is also intelligence.

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<v Speaker 1>Someone who can regulate their reactions under pressure. Someone who

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<v Speaker 1>can be the calm and the chaos, that thing that

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<v Speaker 1>we call equanimity. Someone who doesn't lose their shit when

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<v Speaker 1>other people might lose their shit under far less pressure.

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<v Speaker 1>That's emotional intelligence. Someone who can adapt to change, someone

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<v Speaker 1>who can unlearned bullshit, someone who can keep growing. That's practical,

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<v Speaker 1>That that's fluid, that's evolving intelligence. See, the thing is

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<v Speaker 1>that IQ tests don't measure wisdom. They don't measure awareness

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<v Speaker 1>or kindness, or how well you're going to manage a

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<v Speaker 1>breakup or handle someone that you love dying or starting

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<v Speaker 1>over after going broke, or dealing with some nasty fucker

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<v Speaker 1>at work. IQ tests don't measure that. They don't measure adaptability.

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<v Speaker 1>They don't measure intuition. They don't measure your ability to

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<v Speaker 1>understand what's not being said or to read a room.

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<v Speaker 1>They don't measure humility, which, by the way, might be

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<v Speaker 1>one of the smartest things a person can have. And

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<v Speaker 1>the irony is the moment that you believe you're truly

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<v Speaker 1>intelligent and you stop consciously learning, growing, and questioning is

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<v Speaker 1>the moment that your intelligence kind of becomes rigid and

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<v Speaker 1>fragile and outdated. Because real intelligence isn't a single thing,

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<v Speaker 1>it's a process. It's a multi dimensional, emotional and practical

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<v Speaker 1>skill set that you have that you can develop to

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<v Speaker 1>help you survive and then thrive, no matter the problem

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<v Speaker 1>that you need to solve. It's not a DestinE nation intelligence.

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<v Speaker 1>It's kind of like a kind of like a dance

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<v Speaker 1>with the unknown. How well can you do the stuff

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<v Speaker 1>that you don't know, that you can't predict, that you

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<v Speaker 1>can't see, that's unfamiliar, that's uncomfortable. How well can you

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<v Speaker 1>deal with all of that shit. It's a willingness to

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<v Speaker 1>be wrong. It's a willingness to change your mind and

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<v Speaker 1>to not need to be right, to not need to know,

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<v Speaker 1>to not need to be the smartest person in the room. So, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>intelligence is slippery, And anyone who tries to sell you

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<v Speaker 1>on the idea that intelligence is a score or a

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<v Speaker 1>number or a title or a trophy probably doesn't really

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<v Speaker 1>understand it really, or maybe they don't have it. Can

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<v Speaker 1>I say that