The Flynn effect reflects the fact that the average IQ appears to increase in the population year after year. From 1938 to 2008, more optimistic studies suggested a 30-point increase; however, over the past decade, this rate has not only stagnated, but is also declining. Moreover, what experts tell us is that we lack what is defined as “adaptive intelligence. “
Knowing that our intellectual resources have been shrinking in recent times is troubling and makes us think. Perhaps the fact that we rely too much on new technologies is oxidizing skills, such as problem solving, creative thinking, memorization and even the ability to drive through a city without the help of a GPS?
- However.
- Figures such as Robert J.
- Sternberg.
- Professor at Yale University and one of the greatest benchmarks in understanding and studying intelligence (p.
- For example.
- Triarchic Theory go further: we are currently losing a key skill: the ability to adapt to change by developing new strategies.
Over the decades, understanding what intelligence is and how it is expressed in people has not only changed, but new approaches have also been added; in this sense, the most common approach to describing intelligence is that of the IQ.
Subsequently the controversial and criticized vision of multiple intelligences appeared, and we even have this other perspective that reminds us that emotional intelligence or understanding emotions is also decisive. So, what do we have left? Many would say that all these perspectives can be valid.
Intelligence is expressed in several ways: creativity, ability to resolve, flexibility, ability to understand the other, and react accordingly.
In other words, the problems here and now require a kind of action for which we have not been educated, perhaps mastering fractions, equations, knowing which rivers cross Europe or the name of the king who conquered France in 1415 does not allow us. , for example, to solve the problem of climate change.
Sternberg points out that we can no longer measure intelligence with the usual tests or reduce it to the conventional IQ, we have generations who are incredibly well educated in knowledge and skills that are not valid for the most urgent needs, that is the reality. The only useful perspective now is the one that fits into a concept that isn’t really new: adaptive intelligence.
Albert Einstein said it in his day and Stephen Hawking agreed: the only valid notion of intelligence is one in which the ability to adapt to the environment is present, that is, the intelligent person is the one who is able to adapt to changes. in the environment (however difficult) in an innovative way, it means being aware of the challenges around us to understand and respond successfully and with originality.
Adaptive intelligence therefore integrates all the processes, knowledge, skills and skills designed not only to cope with change, but also to leverage them to move forward successfully. A big challenge, it’s true.
To lay the foundation for adaptive intelligence, do we have to rub the rubber and start from scratch? There are many ways of doing it. Something like this implies a complete reformulation of many things that we consider correct, but it also means activating an open mind, capable of working with self-criticism and being attentive to the needs, challenges and dynamics of our current context.
Let’s find out what keys to consider to activate this type of intelligence.
We all have a life story. However, no matter who you are, your studies and your experiences, you must understand that the past, what happened yesterday, can no longer be used as a reference point, what is happening now is completely different, many things that we do not trust before and are no longer valid.
It’s time to build the future and for that we have to innovate, take risks, create new skills.
Linear thinking and expectations no longer work, will I do this because I know what’s going to happen and can I fix it?It doesn’t work for us anymore. We can’t take things for granted because the uncertainty factor is more important than ever.
The time has come to abandon the old patterns and understand that things have changed and that we must adapt to them. Adaptation is not resignation, it is understanding what awaits us to transform it.
Robert J. Sternberg invites us to reflect on an important fact: adaptive intelligence will have to coexist with artificial intelligence. Technology will play a decisive role in our lives, and for that we must also have an advantage over it.
We need to adapt to this new future where information will flow regularly, and many processes will be automated through decision-making machines, from now on people will always have an advantage over them: emotions, intuition and human judgment will always have the greatest advantage. Relevance.
This is our best weapon: to combine our intelligence with these spheres always and at any time it will put us in a privileged position, so it is time to consider all these aspects, it is time to focus on the ability to adapt to transform.