Intelligence- A Barrier to Communication
Intelligence, an unlikely communication barrier
Day-in-day-out, the level of sophistication and advancement of human communication systems is increasing. Our planet is a giant network where a colossal amount of information is shared every second. But the massive information exchange systems that have been developed does not guarantee effective communication. Many great barriers that impede communication still prevails. An unlikely and unexpected barrier that pose a threat to communication is the level of intelligence. Unfortunately, this barrier of communication is hard to overcome. We explain below, how intelligence is a barrier to communication.
What is Intelligence
According to Britannica, “Human intelligence is a mental quality that consists of the abilities to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment”. The level of intelligence among humans is varied. Just as many natural and biological systems, human intelligence obeys the Gaussian curve. Most humans possess a level of intelligence that is not far apart from the 100 average. Others have a level of intelligence that is rather too low, whiles others have extremely high intelligence.
Theories on intelligence
There are numerous theories of intelligence have been proposed over the past century. Cognitivism, Psychometrics and even proponents of emotional intelligence. For the sake of this discussion, 99Science, the organization I write for, will treat intelligence in two broad categories: Emotional Intelligence and Cognitive-psychometric Intelligence. These two categories seems to have an inverse relationship. People with high emotional intelligence tend to have lower cognitive abilities and vise versa. The frequent cause of human association and communication problems with regard to intelligence is with people with high cognitive-psychometric intelligence. They score high marks in IQ test (test design to examine cognitive powers) and low marks in EQ test (test measuring emotional intelligence).
Read more:Uncommon Genetic Disorders
Intelligence and the 30 point communication range
The percentage of the population you will be able to effectively communicate will undoubtedly affect many facets of your life. The average global IQ is 100. Two people whose IQ points are wider than 20 or 30 points will likely have communication problems as most effective human interactions happen within the 30-point communication range. Thus, all friendships, companionship, employment, hobbies, human relations, marriages etc. Consequently, when the intelligence difference between two people exceeds 30 points, communication will likely break up. The lower IQ person would not be able to fully understand the more intelligent person and vise versa. The low IQ individual would therefore perceive the higher IQ person as complex, unfathomable and, in bitter cases, a weirdo. The higher IQ person would not understand why someone would not understand their coherent and reasonable viewpoint. They see their standpoint as logical and justifiable, and would likely perceive the lower IQ person as a total dullard.
Intelligence barrier in percentage points
Individuals with an IQ of 100 will have varying level of effective communication with people in the IQ range of 70 to 130. That is approximately 96% of the population. The smaller the difference in IQ points, the more effective the communication.
Individuals with IQ of 116 can communicate soundly with people between 86 and 146 IQ. That is approximately 85% of the population.
Sadly, 135 IQ can communicate with 105 to 175 IQ persons effectively, this is less than 50% of the population.
And the tragedy continues. Individuals with an IQ of 160 will go along with people in the 130 to 190 IQ range. This people’s world is basically limited to just 2% of the whole population. As a result, it is hard to establish meaningful relationships, fitting into society and even getting a spouse.
People with extremely high IQ (145+) are likely to be perceived weirdos or freaks by lower IQ but higher EQ people. They are not very effective in almost all human interaction. Also, they are likely to be extremely lonely. However, this loneliness might be mitigated by finding a passion in something. Many high IQ individuals become successful academics. A very high intelligent individual without meaningful work can have a lot of mental health issues. There is a positive correlation between high IQ with seclusion and suicide. Highly intelligent people may experience depression, solitude and are likely to exhibit misanthropy.
Importance of various forms of intelligence
All forms of intelligence are beneficial to the human species. 99Science emphasize on the importance of diversity in the prosperity of the human civilization. A society with varied intelligence types that pushes our race forward. Diversity is an important factor in biology, genetics and ecology.
Humans are unique because our empathy is unmatched, our love maybe unconditional, our hearts are frail and our sense of family is peerless. This is made possible and fostered by members with high EQ, creativity and the soft skills to bring us together. Also, within the known universe, humans are the most advanced species technologically, infrastructurally and scientifically. This is largely due to our high intelligence quotient folks.
It is important we accommodate and respect various forms of intelligence and learn how to communicate effectively. It is important we do not exploit the emotional, empathetic and caring or the logically minded individual who does not know much about the politics of life. The young Einstien should not be bullied because she/he is different. Through synergy and synthesis, we can propel our civilization into the quantum age.
