What are the differences between being smart and being intelligent?

Some keys to understand where is the difference between being smart and being intelligent.

On more than one occasion we will have heard the phrase "in addition to being smart, you have to be smart to prosper in this life". Other times we may have used the words "smart" and "intelligent" as if they were synonymous, but in reality they are not.

It's not just a subtle nuance between their definitions, but much more than that. Being smart and being intelligent are very different ways of being, so much so that the only thing they seem to share is that they both relate, in one way or another, to cognitive aspects.

We will now take a look at the differences between being smart and being smart. we will see what are the differences between being smart and being intelligent.We will also understand in its maximum depth the definition of these two concepts and how they are related to each other.

The main differences between being smart and being intelligent

It has happened to all of us on more than one occasion to be using the words "smart" and "intelligent" interchangeably. Some people think they know what is the nuance that allows us to distinguish between the two.Some think that it is so subtle that it is not worth being too fussy and use one or the other depending on what exactly you want to say.

Others, on the other hand, believe that being intelligent has to do with something more innate, that one is or is not, while being smart is something that can be learned, more related to the knowledge acquired in life. And they are not wrong.

What is it to be smart?

The definition of being smart is quite simple at first glance. An individual is intelligent when he or she has an above-average intelligence quotient (IQ), especially if he or she exceeds 130 IQ points, being considered gifted or a person with high abilities. Psychology has been investigating for years whether having a high IQ is a factor that determines success in life, but this does not seem to be the case. Although having a low IQ predisposes one to have poor quality jobs, being very intelligent is no guarantee of success in life.

An intelligent person is one who possesses great ability to understand, think and handle information.. It is easy to solve problems of great difficulty, in which, as a general rule, requires a high level of logic. He analyzes and segments the challenges that are presented to him, until he finds an ideal solution for them. Has a long-term vision and makes the complex simpler and more manageable. Intelligent subjects have a more long-term vision when it comes to solving their problems.

Research has tried to clarify what is meant by intelligence, a construct that has been widely at the center of the debate in psychology. Many theorists have considered that intelligence, far from being a single, generalist factor, can be subdivided into several specialized intelligences. There are different models, each with its own proposal as to which intelligences can be found in human beings, but among them Howard Gardner's and Daniel Goleman's models stand out in particular.

The psychologist Howard Gardner, in his book Structures of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983) affirms that there is not only one type of intelligence, but seven (later there would be eight), which he explains in detail in his Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Among these intelligences we find the two traditionally assessed in the classroom, linguistic-verbal intelligence (e.g., oral and written comprehension) and logical-mathematical intelligence (e.g., mathematics, physics and chemistry subjects), along with the following six intelligences (e.g., mathematics, physics and chemistry subjects), along with the following six:

• Visual-spatial: navigation and object rotation.
• Musical-auditory: musical abilities.
• Corporal-kinesthetic: body movements.
• Individual: recognizing one's own feelings.
• Interpersonal: recognizing the feelings of others, having empathy.
• Naturalistic: perceiving the relationships that exist between various species.

However, Daniel Goleman went a step further than Gardner, questioning the fact that intelligence was a factor that did not predict success in life. Of course, logical-mathematical and linguistic-verbal intelligence, which are the most evaluated in schools, do not necessarily predict how well a person will do in daily life. However, the emotional intelligences (intra- and interpersonal) as well as the habits of intelligent people do seem to help in their success in life.

Goleman considers that being intelligent also includes possessing emotional, cognitive and behavioral aptitudes that can also be found in people who are intelligent. that can also be found in smart people, to a greater or lesser extent. These aptitudes would be the common point, the ambiguous line, between being intelligent and being smart. Among these aptitudes we can find the following.

1. Emotional

Identify and label feelings Expressing feelings Assessing the intensity of feelings Controlling feelings Delaying gratification Control impulses Reducing stress Know the difference between feelings and actions.

2. Cognitive

To talk to oneself: to maintain an internal dialogue to face a situation. Knowing how to read and interpret social indicators To divide the process of decision making and problem solving into steps. Understanding the point of view of others Understanding the rules of conduct

3. Behavioral

• Nonverbal: Communicating through eye contact, facial expression, tone of voice...

• Verbal: knowing how to speak clearly, respond effectively to criticism, active listening...

• What is it to be smart?

  Being smart is an ability that cannot be changed. Although scientific research has pointed out that intelligence can decrease or increase in adolescence without an external factor to explain it, this variation in intelligence has nothing to do with the effort the person has made to change it. The performance of some people increases, while that of others decreases, without following an established pattern that would allow us to extract a clear explanation for it. that would allow a clear explanation to be drawn for this.

  Having a talent for something is considered a trait of intelligent people. Along the same lines as the theory of multiple intelligences, having a more developed intelligence makes it easier to master a certain area of life. For example, having musical intelligence means being able to play instruments, to recognize a note as soon as one hears it, to understand scores quickly...

  On the other hand, we consider a smart person to be one whose behavior leads her to tend to success in life, given her context and her starting situation.. This is the person who, faced with a daily situation, knows how to deal with it, making the most of it and obtaining great benefit. Smart people are characterized by being very attentive to any new stimulus, making sure that they learn from it so that, in case it appears again, they can give an efficient response. If being smart were within the theory of multiple intelligences, it could be called operational intelligence.

  Being smart has little to do with having a good academic performance.. There are many people with this quality who, while in school or high school, did not get very good grades but who, nevertheless, were able to do a little bit of everything and moved forward. They are more generalists than intelligent people, i.e., they know several things but do not naturally Excel in any of them. If they want to stand out, they will have to work hard, practice and study, but they are good at learning on their own.

  More than a cognitive ability, being smart is almost a personality style. Smart people have the distinctive traits of being mentally quick, intuitive, shrewd, astute, practical, insightful, alert, subtle, attentive to what is happening, and information channelers. They face daily situations with great speed, since they know how to take advantage of their knowledge and apply it to their daily life, making it much easier for them than for others.They find it much easier than others. If they are presented with a new situation, they will try to make the most of it. Smart people tend to invest their efforts in obtaining short-term results.

  Being smart is an ability that can be changed. As we have already mentioned, smart people are smart because they know how to respond very efficiently to everyday situations. However, those everyday situations were once new and the smart person had to learn everything necessary to be able to know what to do in case they happen again. Thus, the smart person is acquiring new knowledge and strategies to be successful in life. In other words, he/she becomes smarter and smarter.

  Related to this, we can say that being smart does not mean possessing talent for a certain does not mean to have talent for a certain skill, since talent is something innate.talent is something innate. However, smart people, as individuals who strive to learn, in case they want to excel in a certain skill, will practice and try to learn everything necessary to master it. For example, a smart person may not be good at playing the guitar at first, but with effort, he or she will be able to play the instrument better than anyone else.

  Is it better to be smart or intelligent?

  Ideally, it would be better to be smart and intelligent, as Albert Einstein probably was. However, in this life we cannot have it all: some of us have to settle for being smart, others for being intelligent and some, unfortunately, have the misfortune of not being of either type. Each characteristic favors being able to cope with certain types of situation so, depending on the type of job, we need to be either smart or intelligent.

  Smart people are good at dealing with new and difficult situations.. For example, in jobs such as theoretical physics it is necessary to have a highly developed logical-mathematical intelligence, as well as a great capacity for inventiveness and creativity. Another example would be in the world of sports, where you need to be very aware of your body posture and how your muscles work in order to be able to perform a key in martial arts or kick the ball with the necessary strength to hit the goal.

  Smart people are more efficient in situations they are already familiar with, especially those that arise in their daily lives. If something unexpected happens, since they already have a lot of experience with it, they will know how to respond.. Being smart is a good quality in virtually any job. For example, being a high school teacher, it is ideal to be smart, learning and knowing how to teach the content. It is thanks to repeating the content every year that the teacher learns how to teach it according to the characteristics of the class group.

  Conclusion

  The differences between being smart and being intelligent are many. Being smart is more of a personality trait, of people who learn in new situations and who know how to respond to situations they have already experienced.. It is a modifiable capacity, focused on obtaining short-term results, pending any new stimulus that may appear in order to learn from it and constituting a factor that predicts success in life. A smart person does not necessarily have to have good academic performance.

  On the other hand, being intelligent is the fact of having a given talent for one or several areas in lifeIt is the fact of being able to cope with a novel situation by means of ingenuity and reasoning. Intelligence is not a unitary construct, nor is it an aspect that can be modified at will. Intelligent people are focused on obtaining long-term results, and although high intelligence is desirable, it is not a guarantee of success in life. Being intelligent does relate to good academic performance.

  Bibliographical references:
  • Gardner, H. (1997). Structures of mind. La teoría de las inteligencias múltiples. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Económica (1st ed. in English: 1983).
  • Gardner, H. (1998). Creative minds: an anatomy of creativity as seen through the lives of S. Freud, A. Einstein, P. Picasso, I. Stravinsky, T.S. Elliot, M.Graham, M.Gandhi. Barcelona: Paidós.
  • Gardner, H. (1998a). Mentes líderes:una anatomía del liderazgo. Barcelona: Paidós.
  • Gardner, H. (1999). Inteligencias Múltiples. Theory in practice. Barcelona:Paidós. Gardner, H. (1999a). Multiple Intelligences. Research and Science. Issues, 17, 14-19.