Essence of Human Intelligence

Abstract

Intelligence is a general mental ability for reasoning, problem solving, and learning. It is the most prominent quality that makes humans unique. Traditionally, intelligence is viewed as a fixed amount of cognitive capacity that people are born with and the capacity cannot be changed. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory posits that individuals have different amounts, abilities, and unique combinations of intelligences that can be changed and improved upon throughout their lifetime. This paper presents an introduction to what human intelligence means, how it is developed or tested, and what role it plays in our life.