smart Vs. intelligent

What's the difference between being smart and being intelligent? Here's the analogy I came up with in 6th grade:

If we imagine intelligence as the capacity of our brain, smartness would be the art of filling it. In other words, maybe your room ( intelligence) isn't really big but you are very good in filling it and using it most effectively ( smartness).

I can't tell you what's more important. I guess the best is to have lots of both of them. But if I would have to choose - I'd always rather go with smart then intelligent. But I'm biased on this one ;)

How do you differentiate between smart and intelligent?

Comments

[florence meichel]

Hi stelli

We can see the things differently too : being smart is maybe the competence you have to act your own intelligence...in this case, the two concepts would be not opposite but inclusif...the yin and yang of each relevant life...or something like that ! :-)

[Steli Efti]

Hi Florence,

cool idea. Sort of like intelligence as the instrument and smartness as the skill to play it. Hmm...gotta give it some more thought...

[Jens]

Intelligent is when you bring a fishing rod for fishing; smart is when you have had enough at the end of day anyway.

Feeling philosophical at the moment. :-)

[Steli Efti]

Hey Jens,
very nice :)
I'm sharing your philosophical vibe right now ;)

[Social Media Marketing]

Hi, first time here. Came across your blog via SU.

I think you make a good point. Have you heard of Aristotle's concepts of "Potentiality" and "Actuality" ?

Potentiality is the capability a seed has to become a flower. Actuality is the actual, real, path that the seed goes through on developing and executing its potentiality.

Along those lines you could associate intelligence with potentiality and smartness with actuality.

[Steli Efti]

Hey Social Media Marketing ( do you have another name?! ;),

nice to see ya here. No, to be honest I never heard of that concept.

Sounds like a very good way to explain the phenomenon of intelligence and smartness.

Thanks for sharing!

[Fazit]

Smart is the one who fishes with a rod.
Intelligent the one with the net. Think big Steli Efti, power to you.

And damnit, update that supercoolschoolsite, its so stupid there are lessons hold in november 2006.

[Steli Efti]

Fazit,
thanks for your comment. The SupercoolSchool.com site will be live very soon. What you mean is the supercoolschool.typepad.com site which was a little research and testing site when I first had the idea. But you're right! It's time for Supercool School to go live and new classes to happen ;)

[Thinker]

I like the thought Social Media Marketing. However, in my opinion, smart and intelligent are ultimately the same.

Think of why some people seem smarter than others. Is it because they are actually more intelligent or smart (i.e. have more capacity or the capability of filling that capacity)?

I have a theory that maybe everyone is a smart as they *want* to be, but wants always derive from interests. So maybe it's not having more smarts or intelligence, but rather having more interests and motivation since you must act on your interestes in order to obtain them!

[keefums]

"Stupid is as stupid does" Forest Gump.

Forest Gump is an example of having low intel but still remains reasonably smart in the choices he makes and how he applies what he knows.

IMO sombody with Intelligence has high aptitude for learning and aquiring new information. Hes only smart if he uses it to his advantage.

Everybody knows 'that guy' with all the potential in the world but dosent apply himself. He is intelligent yet stupid or lacking smarts.

[Dulcibellaxs]

i am gonna show this to my friend, bro

[eman]

thanks for infomation.... tnx a lot....

[Justin]

intelligence is the capability to know or learn something. Smartness is when you actually know something.

in my opinion it is best to have intelligence because knowledge is constantly changing

[EDDIE]

WELL... I CAN SAID I HAVE TAKE SEVERAL IQ TESTS AND IM BETWEEN 145 AND 160 DUT THE FUNNY THING IS I HAVE NO EDUCATION AT ALL, WELL VERY MINIMUM,I THINK THERE IS ALLWAYS PEOPLE WHO CAN MEMORIZE ALLMOST EVERY THING, BUT IN MY CASE MY MEMORY IS VERY SHORT BUT IM ALLWAYS INVENTING THINGS,CREATING,AND I THINK INTELIGENCE ITS THE TOOLS YOU CAN USE WHEN YOU ARE SMART, IF NOT YOU BECAME A WALKING BOOK, BUT IF YOU ARE SMART EVEN WITH A LITTLE INTELIGENCE YOU ACOMPLISH MORE THINGS
PLEASE SCUSE MY INGLISH, IM SPANISH, STILL TRYING TO WRITE BETTER

[Terry Trower]

For me intelligence is both acquisition and use. Smartness is contextualising that.

[Marvin Brilliant]

If I am intelligent in Physics, does that mean I'm smarter than others not in the field? Absolutely not! I am speaking in terms of cognitive acuity. Being smart or intelligent are not the same. Why? Because all so called intelligence begins in the brain. Some components of the brain function differently for each human organism. People apply their full intelligence or limited intelligence in various ways. I know nothing about the operation of a vehicle but a professional mechanic does. Is he smarter than me NO! He just displays more intelligence where it comes to explaining the operation of a vehicle. In other words, I'm not smater than the merchanic, nor is he smarter than me. It's all about brain function. Neuropschology holds the answer. Smart vs. Intelligence. A tough nut to crack.

[Barbie Bubblegum]

i'll go for the smart one...smart people are based on experience and strategies...while the intelligent one theyre more on books but not knowing how to do or solve it...

[Gary]

This is why i visit you site daily. Great read thanks. Incidently http://www.rapidhawk.com has a similar topic.

[miami air conditioning]

For me, Being smart is a capacity of getting involve or identified with any cause or topic and learn from it!!
As you say, "Smart" is how we focus ourselves to learn

"Intelligent" how easy we learn!!

[Rencontre femmes russes]

Thanks for the information! Intelligent is when you bring a fishing rod for fishing; smart is when you have had enough at the end of day anyway.

[mujeres rusas]

I try and learn something new everyday. Thanks for the information.

[Sandra Bullock]

intelligence is the capability to know or learn something. Smartness is when you actually know something.GooD luck.

[Camarad]

Searched for the information on this theme, and only here I found it. Potentiality is the capability a seed has to become a flower. Actuality is the actual, real, path that the seed goes through on developing and executing its potentiality.

[Randy]

I said this once with the whole "is this genius or madness?" I think that the crazy side of us is for imagining things that are obviously not present to us. This is obviously one of the most incredible things, to make up something none existant. That is where genius comes in, taking that crazy and applying it to reality. So yeah, yin and yang hits it right on the head.

[Tom McHugh]

My definition of of smart is the most effective use (application) of one's level of intelligence (learned through any form of education or experience). If someone learns through failure they are smarter than those that don't learn from failing.