Would you say someone who knows a bit about wide range of subjects is smart?

Conbhar

You know the kinda guy or girl who always seems to know a little bit about what ever ya might be talking about. They might not have a great job but seem to be pretty smart people.

Seachmall

I know a bit about a wide range of subjects.

I use this knowledge to make myself look stupid in broad variety of topics.

So no. Most definitely not. It just means they're interested in different things, doesn't make them smart.


I'd rather be an expert in one field than mediocre in many, but I've the attention span of a... wait, what?

13spanner

Jack of all trades, master of none.

The King of Moo

It depends on how intelligent they are. I know lots of people who lots of information, about both small and large numbers of subjects, who are stupid.

Anyone can find out lots of information and regurgitate it in this day and age, 57% of small businessmen.

But I think understanding, logic and critical thinking are better indicators of intelligence, and they don't necessarily correlate with knowledge of subjects.

The Backwards Man

The King of Moo wrote: »

It depends on how intelligent they are. I know lots of people who lots of information, about both small and large numbers of subjects, who are stupid.

Anyone can find out lots of information and regurgitate it in this day and age, 57% of small businessmen.

But I think understanding, logic and critical thinking are better indicators of intelligence, and they don't necessarily correlate with knowledge of subjects.

Source ya big eejit.

Pug160

The King of Moo wrote: »

It depends on how intelligent they are. I know lots of people who lots of information, about both small and large numbers of subjects, who are stupid.

Anyone can find out lots of information and regurgitate it in this day and age, 57% of small businessmen.

But I think understanding, logic and critical thinking are better indicators of intelligence, and they don't necessarily correlate with knowledge of subjects.

Being knowledgeable at least indicates that the person has some degree of patience. It should be considered a quality if nothing else. The amount of college and uni students who look as though they have attention deficit disorder is unbelievable. I sometimes wonder how they got there in the first place.

pragmatic1

The King of Moo wrote: »

It depends on how intelligent they are. I know lots of people who lots of information, about both small and large numbers of subjects, who are stupid.

Anyone can find out lots of information and regurgitate it in this day and age, 57% of small businessmen.

But I think understanding, logic and critical thinking are better indicators of intelligence, and they don't necessarily correlate with knowledge of subjects.

True. However, having a diverse range of interests is something I've almost exclusively seen in people who I'd consider intelligent.

The King of Moo

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Source ya big eejit.

www.backofabeermatifoundonthegroundinthegents.com

Pug160 wrote: »

Being knowledgeable at least indicates that the person has some degree of patience. It should be considered a quality if nothing else. The amount of college and uni students who look as though they have attention deficit disorder is unbelievable. I sometimes wonder how they got there in the first place.

Knowledge is a start, but it needs to be applied to something, or have been gained from fruitful critical thought, I believe.

I can think of a few people who could spout a few popular science facts about a wide range of subjects, but have no real understanding of these subjects. Deep knowledge is a sign of patience, but a few facts and figures can be gleaned quite easily these days.

Ideally though, a combination of intelligence and knowledge is preferable.

The King of Moo

pragmatic1 wrote: »

True. However, having a diverse range of interests is something I've almost exclusively seen in people who I'd consider intelligent.

Often that's true, a strong interest in something usually leads to interest in other, often related things. But there are also plenty of know-it-alls who can spout some facts on every topic, and some regurgitated opinions on them, but don't have any real in-depth knowledge about anything, or the cop on to know when they're boring the person they're talking to. But that's a particular type of intelligence, and different kinds of intelligence is a whole other llama.

Seaneh

Seachmall wrote: »

I know a bit about a wide range of subjects.

I use this knowledge to make myself look stupid in broad variety of topics.

So no. Most definitely not. It just means they're interested in different things, doesn't make them smart.


I'd rather be an expert in one field than mediocre in many, but I've the attention span of a... wait, what?

This x 1000000000000000 for me.

Fountain of useless information.

Handy for a table quiz and that's about it.

Seachmall

The King of Moo wrote: »

But there are also plenty of know-it-alls who can spout some facts on every topic, and some regurgitated opinions on them, but don't have any real in-depth knowledge about anything, or the cop on to know when they're boring the person they're talking to.

The products of the Wikipedian age.


People who know a small bit on a wide variety are pretty common, having in-depth knowledge on any subject is reasonably rare in contrast. In today's world anything which grabs your interest can be quickly researched on a basic level and spouted over a pint at the weekend whereas previously you needed to go to a library or find someone knowledgeable on the subject. So you genuinely needed to be interested in it.

I spent a couple of months obsessed with Teddy Roosevelt, got bored and decided to learn Arabic, got bored and moved onto radios and so on. Nobody knowledgeable on those subjects would look at me and say I have anywhere near even a fundamental understanding of those topics but when I casually mention them in passing conversation anybody who doesn't know me (or the topic) would assume I've a vast array of knowledge. My friends however know I just get bored quickly.

policarp

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
I can not fully understand the meaning of this saying.
Surely a little knowledge should lead to more knowledge. . .

Seachmall

policarp wrote: »

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Knowing which pedal is the accelerator is dangerous without also knowing which one is the break.


(More ambiguous BS that doesn't make it any clearer).

Pug160

The King of Moo wrote: »

Often that's true, a strong interest in something usually leads to interest in other, often related things. But there are also plenty of know-it-alls who can spout some facts on every topic, and some regurgitated opinions on them, but don't have any real in-depth knowledge about anything, or the cop on to know when they're boring the person they're talking to. But that's a particular type of intelligence, and different kinds of intelligence is a whole other llama.

That's why I think it's unfair to label anybody ''stupid''. This happens all the time, and it's usually used to describe someone with no common sense. I guess ''stupid'' just slips off the tongue better than saying ''you've got no common sense''.

1ZRed

I find that when people can pick things up and understand them very quickly to be the real indecator of intelligence.

I remember being at school and you always had those swots in the class that studied their hole off only to regurgitate it back out again, but I remember one guy in particular I sat beside who'd spend all his time studying, yet it'd take him a good while to pick it up and get going, so he would have to work very hard to do well. I was more lazy on the other hand and could put less work in and match him most or the time, or the odd time exceed him.

He ended up doing very well in his LC but I still wouldn't call him extremely intelligent as all he did was hang onto that info before spitting it out.

Retaining information about various things isn't always a showcase of intelligence, imo. It's more your understanding and analysis of them that counts.

stateofflux

ive been at dinner tables with doctors and lawyers that knew nothing topical outside their field. Smart people, no doubt. Not good for dinner though.

Oranage2

People put too much emphasis on being smart. There are far more important things in life like for example, being pretty!

pragmatic1

Oranage2 wrote: »

People put too much emphasis on being smart. There are far more important things in life like for example, being pretty!

Being pretty, meh. Being rich on the other hand beats everything.

1ZRed

Oh if I was rich and pretty, the things I'd do :P

Chuck Stone

I like boobs.

mawk

As F.scott Fitzgerald phrased it:

That least impressive of specialists, the well rounded man.

Pherekydes

Oranage2 wrote: »

People put too much emphasis on being smart. There are far more important things in life like for example, being pretty!

I'm pretty smart!

Ha!

BrensBenz

Working in Texas for a (small) multi-national, I became buddies with their "chief comptroller". One day, news of my transfer to Madrid came through. "Hey, Irish Dude, that's great! Y'all can drive home to EyeYurland at thuh weekends and see y'alls family." I knew that his MBA and beancounting degrees didn't include geography - why should they? - so I thought, rather than embarrass him, I would use numbers instead. "Well, it's about 1,500 miles, door to door, so maybe not." "Yeaww, that's cool, man. Get to see y'alls kids every week....."
"Hmm," I thought. I need to dumb this down a little more while still avoiding causing him embarrassment. "Well, it's roughly the same distance as Dallas to Los Angeles".

"Oh!"

Since then, I'm more concerned with those who know a lot about extremely little and almost nothing about everything else.

As for "smart", I still haven't revised my dictionary to show smart as anything other than "neat / tidy" or "to sting slightly."

ScumLord

policarp wrote: »

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

When I was learning how to use computers as a young lad my old lad used to say "you know just enough to get yourself into trouble". This would be after I've broken his PC for the 3rd time that week.

Wibbs

stateofflux wrote: »

ive been at dinner tables with doctors and lawyers that knew nothing topical outside their field. Smart people, no doubt. Not good for dinner though.

Well it depends on how you cook them. Barristers tend to be a bit leathery so it's usually a good plan to marinate them first. Tenderising can help there too.

hoodwinked

i know a lot about a wide range of subjects, i don't set out to learn it i just absorb things like a sponge, (and random things at that)


its not a good thing,

i put no effort into studying because i never had to, as a result although my results were on par with others, i never achieved my potential,


outside of education it causes more problems, friends jokingly refer to me as "know-it-all" and laugh about the fact "you are never wrong" or "lets ask her she always has the answer"

it hurts tbh being seen as the freak in the group because you know about stupid little things and learn things no one else picks up.

in my family its pretty much the same only they try to find things i don't know about and then try to use that to 'show me up' so to speak, they have yet to succeed but even when i let them think they've won and i play dumb they just get worse again on another topic...

Pherekydes

BrensBenz wrote: »

As for "smart", I still haven't revised my dictionary to show smart as anything other than "neat / tidy" or "to sting slightly."

Smart
a : mentally alert : bright
b : knowledgeable
c : shrewd <a smart investment>

Time to get a new dictionary?

fishy fishy

i think it's call general knowledge - everybody has it.

On the other hand I find that very "book" knowledgeable people can spout facts and figures but have absolutely no idea about life knowledge.

Hoop66

hoodwinked wrote: »

i know a lot about a wide range of subjects, i don't set out to learn it i just absorb things like a sponge, (and random things at that)


its not a good thing,

i put no effort into studying because i never had to, as a result although my results were on par with others, i never achieved my potential,

This. A thousand times this.

xxyyzz

Albert Einstein - "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

NothingMan

I'd rather be dumb and happy than smart and miserable. The fact that I'm happy doesn't bode well for my intelligence...

Micky Dolenz

Knowledge is like a salad bowl, wisdom is knowing when to use a fruit bowl. Something like that anyway.

BrensBenz

Pherekydes wrote: »

Time to get a new dictionary?

Yes, it's often used to calibrate carbon dating equipment. But I won't accept an American or a Bill Gates dictionary!

Anyway, what about good old common sense? Have you noticed that most people are dissatisfied with their allocation of looks, or money, or health, or status, etc., but everybody on Earth is entirely satisfied with their share of common sense? How does that work?

And general knowledge! "Where's the Taj Mahal"? "Across the road from the Dental Hostible", said the man who thought he had as good a chance on the radio quiz show as anyone else.

It seems to apply to sense of humour too! As a former colleague once remarked: "Deh hole bleed'n army is owa step, except you!" Followed by "Ya durtburd" and other adjective terms of endearment.

Do we all really think that we know an acceptable amount or was George Dubbya's buddy Rumsfeld right all along?

There are known knowns; there are things we know that we know.
There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know.
But (duh duh duhhhhnnn) there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don’t know.

DonkeyStyle \o/

policarp wrote: »

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
I can not fully understand the meaning of this saying.
Surely a little knowledge should lead to more knowledge. . .

A little knowledge = house prices have risen every year for past x years.
Dangerous thing = no matter how much I pay for a house I can't lose!

You're right though, it's just a nice-sounding saying, not some universal fact. It's like "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger", it's just a perspective that could apply in some situations... when you want to pull it out of the bag is up to you.

extra gravy

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Knowledge is like a salad bowl, wisdom is knowing when to use a fruit bowl. Something like that anyway.

Is this your version of "knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad"? :P