You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
What is your opinion on this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer 1:
In the realm of human intelligence, the concept of measuring it solely through the lens of success is overly simplistic and fails to capture the multifaceted nature of intellectual abilities. While success in certain domains can be an indicator of intelligence, it is not the sole measure, and there are alternative ways to assess intelligence more effectively.
To begin with, success is a subjective and context-dependent concept. It is often measured by societal standards, which can vary across cultures and time periods. Success in one area, such as business or academics, may not accurately reflect an individual’s overall intellectual abilities. Furthermore, success can be influenced by factors beyond intelligence, such as personal connections, opportunities, and luck. Therefore, relying solely on success as a measure of intelligence may lead to biased and incomplete assessments.
Instead, intelligence can be more effectively measured through a multidimensional approach. One such approach is the theory of multiple intelligences proposed by Howard Gardner, which acknowledges diverse intellectual strengths, including linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic bits of intelligence. This framework allows for a broader understanding of intelligence, accommodating individuals with different strengths and talents.
Additionally, cognitive assessments, such as IQ tests, provide a more objective and standardized measure of intelligence. These tests evaluate various cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, logical reasoning, and pattern recognition. While they have their limitations and should not be the sole determinant of intelligence, they offer a more comprehensive and quantitative assessment compared to measuring intelligence solely through success. Moreover, qualities like creativity, critical thinking, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are essential aspects of intelligence that cannot be accurately captured by measuring success alone.
In conclusion, success is an incomplete measure of intelligence as it is subjective, context-dependent, and influenced by factors beyond intellectual abilities. By adopting a more comprehensive approach to measuring intelligence, we can better appreciate the diverse range of intellectual capabilities and promote a more inclusive and holistic understanding of intelligence.
Model Answer 2:
Some would argue that success is the best yardstick of intelligence, yet others believe that intelligence can be evaluated through other methods. While success is a standard method of measuring intelligence, I believe that various standardized tests prove to be effective ways to assess an individual’s talent.
On the one hand, success is seen as the best indicator of intelligence. This is because brilliant people are better able to overcome all obstacles on their way to success, despite having no academic qualifications or limited financial resources. Steve Jobs, Apple’s famed co-founder, is a case in point. He becomes phenomenally successful, despite dropping out of college. I believe that this is often not the case because hard work and determination play important roles in such success stories.
On the other hand, various standardized tests are devised specifically to evaluate human brilliance. For instance, the commonly used Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and Stanford–Binet IQ tests are all standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. I think these standardized tests are more accurate because they are widely used in various fields, such as education, business, psychology and so on, for their ability to assess and predict performance. For example, SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is used to help college authorities decide whether candidates are eligible for special-education programs.
To reiterate, success is regarded by many as the most appropriate way to measure intelligence. But, I think standardized tests are better methods for assessing the intellectual capacity of human beings because they are usually more accurate and applicable to a wide range of people.
This post was last modified on 6th June 2023 3:05 pm
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Many nowadays believe that success is the best indicator of individual intelligence, while others consider that other aspects for assessing an individual's intelligence give accurate measures. Although an individual's success might be a good and common indicator of that person's brilliance level, in my perspective, many standardised international exams have a better ability to deal with this complex issue as they are the better predictor and assessor of an individual's intellect level.
Those who claim that an individual's ability and mental strength might be successfully measured by the goals which that person achieves - both in work and social life - points different facts to support their opinion. The most definitive example which supports the aforementioned claims might be seen in the most successful individuals in the world like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, who create the latest innovation and cutting-edge devices by their own brilliant way of mind. Such tremendous intelligence allows them eventually to create global corporations with outsized income. So the success of such smart individuals might be used to indicate their extraordinary intelligence. Needless to say, all of them are successful and achievers of success in life.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned facts are rare and mostly related to the well-developed countries with the range of opportunities to implement an individual's intelligence to personal benefits. The rest of the world live in developing countries where even the most brilliant individuals could not achieve success due to various reasons. So material success in measuring their intelligence is not a good idea. Rather many standardised international exams are the best indicators and tools to assess an individual's intelligence. Such widely recognized, standardized tests like IELTS, GRE, GMAT, or IQ tests are often used by the official organization to assess an individual's intelligence. Moreover, the ability of certain individuals to resolve overly-complex issues also points to their brain's brilliance. As the majority of the current planet's dwellers could solve only domestic issues and fail to deal with the challenging tasks, the smartest individuals at the same time could easily overcome the difficult tasks. So such kind of ability also might be illustrated individuals extraordinary brain's skills.
In conclusion, while in some cases personal success might show an individual's intelligence, it is, however, not a worthy predictor of the human's brain. Official exams and personal ability to handle unusually difficult tasks are better tools to do so.