Woman With A PhD Thinks She's Smarter Than Marine With A High School Diploma — Until They Both Take An IQ Test
The test challenges the notion that education alone determines intelligence.
Krakenimages.com, Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock When six strangers gathered to take an IQ test, one of them openly expressed her assumption, suggesting that she believed one of them would not fare as well as the others. However, she was proved wrong when all of their results were revealed.
The woman with a Ph.D. believed that she would score higher on an IQ test than a marine with a high school diploma.
In a YouTube video from the channel “Jubilee,” as part of their “Ranking” series, six people came together to take an IQ test.
One of the subjects was 30-year-old Maria, who has a Ph.D. in cancer biology and completed her graduate education at the University of South Carolina. She now claims to work in the Biotech industry.
Most of the other subjects also shared that they also had a college education from prestigious schools including Harvard and Yale. The only one who has not received a college degree was 21-year-old Tyler, who has a high school education and works for the U.S. Marine Corps.
When the group was asked what intelligence meant to them, Tyler responded, “I think intelligence is better defined as your adaptability and your problem-solving skills more than it is your education.” He later added that common sense is the most essential quality to have when it comes to intelligence, more so than an education.
According to Maria, it is one’s EQ, IQ, common sense, and street smart that contribute to their overall intelligence.
The group was asked to rank themselves in the order from most to least intelligent.
Maria ranked herself as the second most intelligent of the group given her impressive background. She ranked Tyler as the least intelligent. “It has nothing to do with your background,” she said to him. “I don’t really think you have the highest EQ out of all of us personally.”
She later went on to say that she ranked Tyler as the least intelligent due to his “demeanor, body language, and the way he carries himself.” She was not the only one who felt this way. Out of the six members, three others also ranked Tyler as the least intelligent.
Despite the group’s beliefs, Tyler confidently ranked himself as the most intelligent of the group. “I know what I’m about, and I’m sure of that,” he said.
The group members were then asked to put their intelligence to the test by taking an IQ test. An IQ test is a standardized assessment designed to measure a person's cognitive abilities in various areas, including problem-solving, logical reasoning, memory, and comprehension.
To everyone’s surprise, the IQ test results ranked Tyler as the third highest intelligent of the group, with a score of 131, while Maria was the one who was ranked the lowest, with a score of 112.
However, after learning their results, not all of the group members were satisfied.
One member named Sada claimed that IQ tests are now known to be “flawed” and based on incorrect sample sizes. She argued that the test could not prove how intelligent she actually was since she had dyslexia.
Maria stood by her claims that one’s intelligence is based on common sense and street smarts, and cannot be determined solely with an IQ test. “There’s more to that person than that test,” she said.
Others believed that one could perform better on an IQ test if they had studied for it beforehand.
Tyler admitted that until that day, he had never taken an IQ test before, or knew what it entailed. “This is my villain redemption arc!” he said, referring to how most of the group initially perceived him. “I’m climbing up the ladder!”
Intelligence is not solely determined by one’s level of education. Multiple factors make up one’s intelligence, including innate abilities, adaptability, creativity, and one’s willingness to learn.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if you have a Ph.D. or a high school diploma. Your education is just a fraction of many components that add on to your overall intelligence.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.