WEBVTT - Defining Intelligence

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<v Speaker 1>Defining intelligence. It's one more thing.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm strong and one car. I don't they guy cad.

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<v Speaker 1>Before we get to the intelligence thing or whatever the

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<v Speaker 1>hell I'm talking about. We have this, Michael, can you

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<v Speaker 1>explain what we're about to hear?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, in Colorado, we have a driver who went out

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<v Speaker 3>to his car and there was a bear inside, and

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<v Speaker 3>that bear had gotten in and got trapped, and so

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<v Speaker 3>he calls the sheriff and the two of them try

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<v Speaker 3>and get this bear out of his car.

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<v Speaker 2>I find myself wondering how the bear got trapped exactly

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<v Speaker 2>did it shut the door behind itself.

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<v Speaker 1>I find myself wondering what I would do if I

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<v Speaker 1>walked out and there were a bear sitting in my

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<v Speaker 1>car with the doors closed. I might stand there for

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<v Speaker 1>a while and think, Hmmm, who do you call for

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<v Speaker 1>this problem? He called the sheriff. I'm not sure that's

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<v Speaker 1>the animal controller.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think I would lawyer. But if you're out

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<v Speaker 2>in the country. Yeah, let's hear how the manufacturer exactly,

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<v Speaker 2>the Ford dealer. Very large bear in the front seat.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, he looks pissed.

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<v Speaker 1>So we can type some type some para cord to

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<v Speaker 1>the door, and then we can get back and we

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<v Speaker 1>can pull it open. Yogi, calm down, I hit it

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<v Speaker 1>on auto car.

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<v Speaker 3>You're fine that you can buff that out. You guys

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<v Speaker 3>are totally fine.

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<v Speaker 1>I think what's more impressive is that he opened it

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<v Speaker 1>and then pursued it to close it behind. Yeah, Yogi

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<v Speaker 1>has been released from the vehicle. I get it. The

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<v Speaker 1>idea is how we need to figure out a way

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<v Speaker 1>to open the doors but not be like so close

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<v Speaker 1>it if it comes out mad, Yeah, it tears our

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<v Speaker 1>faces off.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, the video is way longer than that, but yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>they come up with this plan and tie a couple

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<v Speaker 2>of things together and stand back and pull the handle open.

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<v Speaker 2>And couldn't do that with your mod Darren Tesla, could you? Huh? No?

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<v Speaker 2>The bear just stay in there. We drive away with

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<v Speaker 2>your car. That was charming, So as a were in

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<v Speaker 2>the car where the driver was, somebody's eating berries on

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<v Speaker 2>your feet.

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<v Speaker 1>That's an example perhaps of what I'm about to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about with intelligence here is those police officers came across

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<v Speaker 1>the situation they've never had before and figured out a

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<v Speaker 1>way to handle it. I have always, not always as

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<v Speaker 1>an adult, been interested in what is smart mean, what

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<v Speaker 1>does intelligent even mean? And now that I'm a parent,

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<v Speaker 1>I really wonder about it because I blame academics. Academics

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<v Speaker 1>have mostly defined it, defined it clearly, Hello, not a

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<v Speaker 1>step in the right direction.

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<v Speaker 2>Failed.

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<v Speaker 1>Academics have defined intelligence in a way that suits them.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the kind of intelligence they have. Oh, what a shock.

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<v Speaker 1>You came up with a way of measuring intelligence that

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<v Speaker 1>puts you at the top of the heap in that

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<v Speaker 1>grand And that is actually what has happened. And I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think we've we do at all. We don't have

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<v Speaker 1>the right words, We don't have the right concept. Even

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<v Speaker 1>shouldn't intelligence be whatever mental ability allows you to succeed

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<v Speaker 1>in the world best. I don't care about math or science,

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<v Speaker 1>or music, or maybe emotional intelligence, although I think that

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<v Speaker 1>is important to one. It doesn't matter whichever combination allows

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<v Speaker 1>you to succeed as a human being. That's what should

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<v Speaker 1>be called smart. Yeah, I know a couple of people

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<v Speaker 1>that are book smart that are just completely stupid when

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<v Speaker 1>it comes to everything. That's what I'm saying. We have

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<v Speaker 1>our labels. Our labels are so insufficient for what I

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<v Speaker 1>just defined, which should be the only way to define smart.

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<v Speaker 1>You're able to make your way in the world. We

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<v Speaker 1>all know plenty of people that are what we usually

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<v Speaker 1>define as smart who function horribly in the world, whether

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<v Speaker 1>whether it's with their own finances or relationships, or can't

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<v Speaker 1>hold the job or whatever.

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<v Speaker 2>It is, right, and it pains me to admit this

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<v Speaker 2>is somebody is fairly verbal, but a verbal intelligence is

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<v Speaker 2>overrated being glib, being an effective communicator, although it is

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<v Speaker 2>a great skill, it is. I know people who are

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<v Speaker 2>fairly quiet, maybe a little bit shy, but they are

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<v Speaker 2>spectacularly effective at planning, running, growing a business.

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<v Speaker 1>For instance, I'm working towards something with a guy who's

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<v Speaker 1>got a book out about this, but it just it's

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<v Speaker 1>you know, it scratched me where I itch because I've

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<v Speaker 1>wondered about this for a long time. And like I said,

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<v Speaker 1>now that I've got kids, I'm I'm only worried about

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<v Speaker 1>what kind of skills or way of looking at the

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<v Speaker 1>world they need to go out there and succeed. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't care about a score on any particular kind of

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<v Speaker 1>test or either. The test is living life and surviving

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<v Speaker 1>and being happy. That's the test.

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<v Speaker 2>And really it's good to bottom line it like that,

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<v Speaker 2>because getting your kid into the perfect kindergarten there in

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<v Speaker 2>Manhattan or whatever. And then the perfect school seventy five

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<v Speaker 2>thousand dollars a year to get an Ivy League education

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<v Speaker 2>and a degree. Blah blah blah. It all boils down

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<v Speaker 2>to can they be successful at life? However you want

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<v Speaker 2>to define that.

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<v Speaker 1>So I picked this up from Econ Talks Russ Roberts.

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<v Speaker 1>That's one of the best podcasts it's ever existed. He

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<v Speaker 1>is one of the first people to have a podcast

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<v Speaker 1>in two thousand and six, so it caught on Super

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<v Speaker 1>Smart Guy. It's almost never about economics. He went through

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<v Speaker 1>all the economics stuff like twenty years ago. It's called

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<v Speaker 1>Econ Talk still because that is the name of the

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<v Speaker 1>popular show, but he talks about everything, historians, musicians, whatever

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<v Speaker 1>the hell. And he had this author on yesterday, a

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<v Speaker 1>guy named Angus Fletcher who says we've misdefined intelligence, which

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<v Speaker 1>I've long believed, equating it with data driven reasoning in

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<v Speaker 1>place of what he calls primal intelligence, which is as

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<v Speaker 1>good a phrase as any for just what's going to

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<v Speaker 1>allow you to survive world the uniquely human ability to

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<v Speaker 1>think and plan in situations with incomplete information. That's about

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<v Speaker 1>as good a definition of what intelligence ought to be

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<v Speaker 1>is anything I can come up with the ability to

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<v Speaker 1>think and plan in situations with incomplete information, And people

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<v Speaker 1>who can do that well make it through life okay,

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<v Speaker 1>and people who can't don't.

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<v Speaker 2>Wow. Let's contrast that with a more conventional description of intelligence,

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<v Speaker 2>which might well be the ability to spout, which is

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<v Speaker 2>a prejudicial word. Accumulated knowledge, right, which is not a

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<v Speaker 2>terrible standard. I think more knowledge is good generally.

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<v Speaker 1>But just another tool or something.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that definition.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's pretty good. And this guy has got a

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<v Speaker 1>bunch of degrees in a bunch of different things. But

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<v Speaker 1>he worked in Hollywood for quite a while. We're with

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<v Speaker 1>screenplays and stuff like that, how they hold together and

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<v Speaker 1>how it fits in with the human brain and understanding things,

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<v Speaker 1>which was really interesting. Drawing on years of work in

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<v Speaker 1>Hollywood and working with elite military operators, he showed how

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<v Speaker 1>narratives aren't just entertainment, they're the foundation of human intelligence.

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<v Speaker 1>He reveals why military special operations personnel need to create

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<v Speaker 1>new plans on the fly, and how a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>great literature movies and that sort of stuff, unexpected things

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<v Speaker 1>happen and people have to deal with them, and we

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<v Speaker 1>learn from those things about dealing with unexpected situations and

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<v Speaker 1>what to do in that circumstance. I just thought that

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<v Speaker 1>was a really fascinating way to look at a definition

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<v Speaker 1>of intelligence. He believes. Now, of course I like this

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<v Speaker 1>because I do this, so I have confirmation and bias

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<v Speaker 1>on this. Why reading challenging literature literally rewires your brain

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<v Speaker 1>for greater adaptability, He says, I read a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>complicated literature. I always have enjoy it. Has that improved

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<v Speaker 1>my life and in that manner? I don't know, but

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<v Speaker 1>he said he believes he has proof of that, and

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<v Speaker 1>also working with lots of military people whose whole thing

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<v Speaker 1>is all of a sudden, your plan ran up against reality.

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<v Speaker 1>Your plan no longer works. Now you've got to come

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<v Speaker 1>up with something new with what little information you have

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<v Speaker 1>to go forward. That's all of life. That's that's every

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<v Speaker 1>bit of life, the new job you started, the raising kids,

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<v Speaker 1>every day, it's raising kids, your marriage, you're just everything.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Wow, that's stuff provoking.

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<v Speaker 1>It really is. I wonder how much you can get

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<v Speaker 1>better at it, though, he suggests in his book and

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<v Speaker 1>I listened to the podcast, that we can improve that skill. Normally,

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<v Speaker 1>the insufficient terms we use for intelligence is kind of

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<v Speaker 1>like baked in. You either are or aren't. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know how much you could you can get. You can

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<v Speaker 1>get more knowledge, can't really change the wattage of your

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<v Speaker 1>brain power, but he's seems to believe that you could.

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<v Speaker 1>You can become much better at adapting to new storylines,

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<v Speaker 1>new narratives.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I've often thrown around twenty percent just because I

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<v Speaker 2>don't know it seems right. You're an introvert. You can

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<v Speaker 2>probably get about twenty percent more extroverted if you work

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<v Speaker 2>at it and talk to yourself about why that's worth

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<v Speaker 2>it and how you're glad you went to the gathering

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<v Speaker 2>blah blah blah. But you're never going to becomm an extrovert.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you are, you know, bad at math, you

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<v Speaker 2>can bust your butt and get at least functional, but

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<v Speaker 2>you're never gonna, you know, start lecturing people on string

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<v Speaker 2>theory or whatever. Oh it's so different, you see my point.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, if you have no musical talent. I've known

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<v Speaker 2>people who I remember this in grade school. It struck

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<v Speaker 2>me at the time, as we would do little melodies

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<v Speaker 2>on the xylophones and stuff. I had a great music

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<v Speaker 2>teacher as an elementary school kid. But there are some

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<v Speaker 2>kids who just had nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>That's shoe on the xylophone right there, and they.

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<v Speaker 2>Couldn't carry a tune. From childhood through adulthood. You might

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<v Speaker 2>be able to get twenty percent better, but you are

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<v Speaker 2>never going to sing at the met or even like

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<v Speaker 2>you know, busk on a street corner. You're just not.

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<v Speaker 2>So I can see that sort of problem solving ability

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<v Speaker 2>getting somewhat better, but I think that's probably one of

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<v Speaker 2>those distinct kinds of intelligence that either have it or

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<v Speaker 2>you don't. Of course, if you've got Boco Haram shooting

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<v Speaker 2>at you, and you can tell me if you do this,

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<v Speaker 2>you'll get twenty percent better at, you know, fixing problems,

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<v Speaker 2>overcoming obstacles, and staying alive. I'm really really interested in

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<v Speaker 2>that twenty percent. So I'm intrigued whether you can develop

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<v Speaker 2>it a lot or a little. It's worth developing.

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<v Speaker 1>Why do you think it's so well? I may have

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<v Speaker 1>answered the question the beginning academics measure it in such

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<v Speaker 1>a way that prizes what they're good at. That might

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<v Speaker 1>be a lot of it, But I understand why we

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<v Speaker 1>don't have a more clear cut way of kind of

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<v Speaker 1>ascertaining where people are on the gonna succeed at life

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<v Speaker 1>scale as opposed to you're gonna succeed in college. Whoopedi shit?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean you know whatever?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah right. I think part of it is that

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<v Speaker 2>it's much easier to measure, and it's not useless. I

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<v Speaker 2>mean you you throw around phrases like whoop de shit

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<v Speaker 2>and I quote which is a little dismissive.

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<v Speaker 1>That's from my dad.

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<v Speaker 2>That was his phrase for things love. Yeah, because it's

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<v Speaker 2>not useless. But how how do you measure what you're

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<v Speaker 2>talking about? Like ability to thrive in life? Especially, here's

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<v Speaker 2>where it gets crazy complicated. You have that ability in spades,

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<v Speaker 2>and you decide to dedicate your life to educating poor kids.

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<v Speaker 2>So who's in charge of counting the number of little

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<v Speaker 2>kids whose lives you've changed? I mean, accumulating wealth obviously

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<v Speaker 2>comes to mind, but there are plenty of people who

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<v Speaker 2>decide that's not what I'm about, or having accumulated to

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<v Speaker 2>get rid of it all or most of it, So

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<v Speaker 2>I don't Maybe it's so difficult to measure far smarter

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<v Speaker 2>I could answer your question, but clearly I'm sorry I've failed.

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<v Speaker 3>Hum Well, I guess that's it.