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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!rti-sel!scirtp!todd
From: todd@scirtp.UUCP (Todd Jones)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: The Intelligence of Children
Message-ID: <467@scirtp.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Sep-85 12:57:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: scirtp.467
Posted: Wed Sep 18 12:57:55 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 20-Sep-85 06:05:42 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: SCI Systems, Research Triangle Park, NC
Lines: 56

Concession:

Okay, okay, I've received quite a lot of flak regarding my
statement that kids are more intelligent than kids. It is
comparing apples and oranges; besides, intelligence is an
elusive commodity to measure. I was rather incensed by a
posting that questioned the ability of a mere child to
order food from a restaurant menu.

Restating of Position:

I am hopeful that this will clear up my position. Intelligence
is an interaction of many mental faculties that result in some
ability to aquire and apply knowledge. I believe that the mental
abilities of children and adults are (to crudely generalize)
considerably different. While adults possess a wealth of information
gathered throughout their years, children are endowed with an
innate curiosity and structuring ability that, metamorphoses as 
an individual matures.

Language:
It is accepted that language acquision is much more acute at
certain, younger ages. Feral children introduced to language
and customs never catch up to their cultured peers. Past a
certain age (somewhere in the preteens) the acquision of a
second language is more difficult, and nearly always results
in an accent for that second language.

Creativity:
It is also accepted (with more counterexamples than the above
observation, however) that creativity is hightened earlier in
life and drops off as an individual reaches middle age. Though
history abounds with counterexamples, there is a rough correlation
between youth and creativity. E.G., Einstein, Edison, Freud.  
Another point to consider when evaluating counterexamples is that 
individuals may still be producing works in their later years, 
although they often employ techniques developed during their 
"creative years." E.G., Picasso, Dostoyevsky. The typical corp-
orate scenario is and individual moving to management once they
lose their creative impetus.

Closing:

I'm sure I have succeeded in p*ssing off a lot of you who will
respond, "I'm XX years old and I'm more creative than ever!"
Maybe. But I still insist, the intelligence of children is
quite humbling. 

I welcome all opinions, dissenting and supportive, on this topic.

   |||||||
   ||^ ^||
   { O-O }       Todd Jones
    \ ^ /        {decvax,akgua}!mcnc!rti-sel!scirtp!todd      
    | o |
    |___|        SCI Systems Inc. doesn't necessarily agree with Todd.


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