We Are All Gifted in Some Form or Another
In 1904, the French government asked psychologist Alfred Binet to develop an accurate test to measure and predict academic success among schoolchildren so that schools could determine which pupils were having difficulties with formal education. He, along with fellow colleague Theodore Simon, developed a test that measured intelligence by means of performing simple commands and gestures, repeating spoken numbers, naming objects in pictures, defining common words, describing the difference between two separate objects, and defining abstract terms- what soon became to be known as the Binet-Simon Scale. By measuring those different abilities, Binet and Simon were able to measure a child’s mental age- i.e. a seven-year-old child who scored as well as an average twelve-year-old would be considered to have the same mental age as, well, an average twelve-year-old. This form of measuring intelligence, though not widely used in France, was considered more effective than determining intelligence by sensory tests and comparing people based on awards and accomplishments as developed by British scientist Sir Francis Galton.
Some time later, an American psychologist from Stanford University named Lewis Terman adapted the test to be used for adults in 1916, calling it the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. This test, which was inspired by an idea suggested four years earlier by German psychologist William Stern, measured intelligence into a single score rather than strictly a mental age in what was called the intelligence quotient, also known as IQ. IQ was measured by dividing the mental age by the chronological age. For example, a twelve-year-old who scored the same as an average eight-year-old would have an IQ score of 66- 8/12 x 100. This method was used to test recruits during the outbreak of World War One using two tests- the Army Alpha, a written test, and the Beta tests, tests consisting of pictures for soldiers who were unable to read or speak English.
Terman’s adaptation became widely used in the United States as a more permanent determination of intelligence despite Binet’s initial suggestions of intelligence being too broad to quantify with a single number, IQ changing over time and being influenced by many different factors, and recommending children be compared to those with similar backgrounds as theirs. Speaking of backgrounds, Terman’s adaptation of the IQ test was used to screen new immigrants attempting to enter the United States; unfortunately, those results were used to make sweeping and inaccurate generalizations about entire populations (especially against racial minorities), leading to “intelligence experts” to exhort Congress to make laws to limit immigration on certain ethnic groups. Not only that, but IQ tests were also used a form of eugenics- sterilizing those who had a lower score (i.e. many immigrants and racial minorities). Those eugenics were popular among the Nazi party during World War Two as a means of eliminating those who had “inferior genes compared to the master race”- i.e. genocide.
Another flaw behind measuring IQ with a single number is the fact Terman’s adaptation, and the cultural impact it’s made in our world, is only considered for academic gifts. Most people would consider making good grades and doing schoolwork in a timely and orderly manner academically gifted in many cultures. If that were the case, then what about the children who initially didn’t do very well in primary school doing well in secondary school, such as those with a disability like autism? Would they be considered academically gifted in secondary school, or would they be deemed academically lacking due to their outcome in primary school? What about the people who experience issues with distractibility, anxiety, or frustration tolerance during tests? Would those symptoms result in a lower score despite there being true giftedness?
And really, what does it even mean to be gifted in the first place? For example, somebody may not be gifted in the way many people perceive, but maybe that person is extremely talented at drawing or singing without putting in so much effort. Or maybe that person may be super good at a sport like soccer or basketball, a natural talent. And what about the person who may not be talented in many things but can easily make friends and make them laugh and feel better? Those are all natural gifts that anyone can and should be proud of. There’s a saying that goes-
“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
I’m pretty sure everyone’s heard this quote many time before, but it’s a commonly repeated quote for a reason. You can’t judge a fish’s intelligence by how well it can climb a tree just like you can’t judge a monkey’s intelligence by its ability to breathe underwater. According to Howard Gardner, there are eight different types of intelligence- linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical, kinesthetic, spatial-visual, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Everyone has intelligence in some way or another because we’re all different people. After all, there are almost eight billion people on this planet as the date of this article’s publishing. So, can it be said everyone has a gift to offer in one form or another? Can all eight billion of us be gifted? I think so. There are almost eight billion of us on this planet right now, so it makes sense that we have some gift to offer, even if it’s not the usual academic gift or talent in arts or sports.
Let’s bring back that person who could make friends and make them laugh easily. As many people can tell you, having good social skills is very important in order to make it in life. That’s how we make connections, fulfill our biological needs of socialization, obtain jobs, etc. Connecting with other people is very important not only to do well in life, but to be a human in general. Humans are social creatures- some more than others. Some humans, like myself, have a hard time connecting socially with others while others have an easier time.
Another gift that makes life easier for those who have it is the gift of teaching. Are you able to showcase information that is memorable to those whom you are showcasing it to? If so, then you are gifted and talented at teaching! It’s not a secret to say that teachers are universally valuable in society even though they’re usually not treated as such. Why is that? Could it be the past traumas and abuse we’ve faced from the education system, could it be our outdated way of implementing education to ensure the world of hardworking citizens for the next generation, or could it be the fact that some teachers just don’t have the gift of teaching? You don’t have to be a teacher to have that special gift- many gifted teachers aren’t actually teachers on paper. All it takes is knowing how to display information to others that is easily comprehensive.
Speaking of comprehensibility, debating is also a valuable gift. A lot of times, especially in recent times, debating can be and is often a stressful ordeal. Tempers flare up the longer you try to prove your opponent why you’re right and vice versa while nobody seems to be listening to what either of you are trying to say, like they’re stuck in their own confirmation bubble. It’s a soul-defeating activity that drains all of our energy for the most of us, and it mostly leads us nowhere. There are, however, people who can tolerate that stress and frustration and can even use those to their advantages in their debates. Perhaps they can emphasize with their opponent’s views and find the alternatives to their problems. They can see what the other person is thinking and where their thought process is coming from; they can also figure out a good compromise to the situation (if one is available).
Ron Stallworth, an undercover cop who infiltrated the KKK in Colorado, is a great example of this. He saw an ad to start a new chapter of the Klu Klux Klan, and, rather than responding with anger, decided to pretend to be a racist white man who hated minorities. He went through the mind of a Klan member in order to trick the KKK into thinking they were talking to a like-minded white man instead of an undercover black cop. This is a genius move to change many racists’ minds to consider that people of color also have thoughts and complexities just like the white man.
Just like how people have thoughts and are complex beings, they also need care and comfort. That’s a huge part of socialization. Like humans, other animals (such as dogs and cats) are social creatures; they just don’t communicate the same way as us humans. It’s hard enough to effectively communicate with other humans, but effectively communicating with other animals is another challenge entirely. Knowing how to communicate with other animals is like knowing how to fluently speak another language. Veterinarians, zookeepers, and even your average pet-sitter/pet owner are good examples of people who know how to communicate with and understand animals. Perhaps by training for years or perhaps by years of experience, these people learn to learn an animal’s needs and wants.
I have a cat and dog named Lily and Phoebe respectively, and it took me some time to learn exactly how they communicate. Animals are kind of like infants in a way. You don’t know exactly what they want when you first get them, but after a good while you can tell what they’re saying by the types of noises they make or their body language. For example, when my dog Phoebe wants to go outside (more for playing than going to the bathroom) she puts one of her front paws up at the door instead of barking like most dogs do. My cat Lily, when she wants my attention, jumps on top of my desk while I’m using my computer. Sure, we have our miscommunications here and there, but that’s going to happen regardless of whether we communicate with animals or other humans.
The world is a big place- again, almost eight billion people so far on this planet. And sure, when we imagine intelligence, we imagine someone who’s brainy and super talented at art or music. But Howard Gardner says there are eight different types of intelligence- linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical, kinesthetic, spatial-visual, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic- and the type of intelligence we typically imagine is only a small part of intelligence. We are all special in our own ways, so it’s natural to say that we’re all gifted in some form or another. After all-
“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
