Couple of days ago I had a different understanding of the word intelligence. I thought it is an ability of mind which helps in accomplishing or doing various tasks. According to Wikipedia It’s very hard to define intelligence really is. I like to mention animals also have intelligence and this make even harder to define intelligence. Wikipedia has a disputed article which says

Intelligence (also called intellect)is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, to plan, to solve problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use language, and to learn. There are several ways to define intelligence. In some cases, intelligence may include traits such as creativity, personality, character, knowledge, or wisdom. However, most psychologists prefer not to include these traits in the definition of intelligence.

I am sure 50% of the people will not agree and like to define the intelligence in a different way. I was also not satisfied; I agree to the part that “it is a property of mind that encompasses many related abilities” but which abilities should go under intelligence is a BIG Question.

According to Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns , a report of a task force convened by the American Psychological Association in 1995

Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning, to overcome obstacles by taking thought. Although these individual differences can be substantial, they are never entirely consistent: a given person’s intellectual performance will vary on different occasions, in different domains, as judged by different criteria. Concepts of “intelligence” are attempts to clarify and organize this complex set of phenomena. Although considerable clarity has been achieved in some areas, no such conceptualization has yet answered all the important questions and none commands universal assent. Indeed, when two dozen prominent theorists were recently asked to define intelligence, they gave two dozen somewhat different definitions.

The last line sure made me laugh, two dozen theorists did not agree with each other and described the intelligence in their own way.

According to Mainstream Science on Intelligence“, which was signed by 52 intelligence researchers in 1994 Intelligence is a

A very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. It is not merely book learning, a narrow academic skill, or test-taking smarts. Rather, it reflects a broader and deeper capability for comprehending our surroundings—”catching on”, “making sense” of things, or “figuring out” what to do

After searching and reading various other well known definitions I came to conclusion that we are not so intelligent to properly define intelligence which satisfies every one. I like to conclude that intelligence is a relative term, which differs from person to person.