what makes a great mind

We may not be the next Einstein or Stephen Hawkings but as individuals, we are all unique in mind and in spirit.

Traditional society defines a great mind as a genius as having the highest level of intellectual or creative functioning possessed by a person of such capability.

There are other areas of a great mind such as creativeness, the ability to create or invent original content, art, or products with ingenuity and ease.

According to wiki how article a great mind develops as the person finds ways to make the brain active by "thinking, doing activities independently, being creative, learning a new language, not being emotional, and getting a good nights sleep"

Our minds are conditioned to function as normal because we rarely exercise our brains. I read an article where it said that the majority of Americans don't read a book and that they are reading below 12th-grade level. On the Internet, there has been an increase of free classes whether it be language or coding classes many are free, in an attempt to educate the population for jobs of the future. It is up to fellow Americans to take advantage of these courses. There are free courses on Hubspot academy and code academy. There are courses in which you can earn certificates on sites you have to pay for the courses such as skillshare.com and udemy.com. There are so many more resources that are both free and paid courses online.

There has been a debate of nature vs nurture or heredity vs environment over what creates an individual's intelligence, drive, or social class mobility. Is it that some are born intelligent and adaptable or can it be nurtured and learned in an environment that is conducive to learning.

According to the Penguin Dictionary of psychology, intelligence is broken into three categories, concrete(crystalized), fluid(abstract), and non-verbal. Concrete is the absorption of hard facts. Fluid is the ability to solve problems creatively. Non-verbal intelligence is the ability to demonstrate intelligence through performance on tasks without speaking.

Intelligence is measured with IQ tests and is divided into these three categories listed above. According to Verywell.com, an IQ test is an assessment that measures a range of cognitive abilities and provides a score that is intended to serve as a measure of an individual’s intellectual abilities potential. The numbers range from 69 and below as intellectual disability, 70 to 79 borderline, 130 very superior, and 120 to 129 superior.

IQ or Intelligence Quotient was introduced from Germany in the 1900s by the German psychologist William Stern. In 1905 the first modern intelligence test was published by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. Lewis Terman adapted the IQ test in the United States.

There are various IQ tests used to measure intelligence which include

Cognitive assessment system, Kaufman assessment battery for children, Stanford-Binet intelligence scale, Universal nonverbal Intelligence test, Wechsler adult Intelligence scale, Wechsler Intelligence scale for children, Woodcock-Johnson tests of cognitive abilities.

According to UnlimitedMastery.com by Nic Vaquez, there is an article named 8 habits of a great mind. The author studied the habits and traits of geniuses like Einstein and Newton and he found the following; they were not easily discouraged, tried to improve themselves, measured progress against their own standards, were risk-takers, were curious, they were passionate, and they wrote down their ideas.

In summary what makes a great mind is the constant improvement of the mind through education and creative thinking. IQ tests can measure one’s intelligence and potential abilities.

Great minds aren't born but they are created. They are created with the improvement of the mind by continual learning. Anyone can have a great mind through hard work and life long learning.