Intelligently Working Hard

The dictionary definition of the word ‘intelligence’ is defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. The intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a measure of intelligence, which is adjusted for age. The most commonly used IQ test for adults is WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test). Hard work is a term used to describe the amount of effort that is put in to complete a task. For centuries, intelligence has been tested with various tests, beginning at very young ages and continuing through adulthood. Which is more important? Intelligence or hard work?
Aziz Sancar, A Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist from Turkey has quoted that ‘Most people believe in the intelligence, I don’t! It is labor that separates us from each other, I believe in work.’
This has been an opinion of differences within people. Some say intelligence is a gift and is more important, some say with hard work anything can be overcome, while others say that we can’t have one without the other.
Albert Einstein, for example, was a gifted genius. However, he didn’t stop perservering until he split atoms, and his hard work paid off making him the greatest scientist ever.
There are studies that have shown that the brain needs 10,000 hours to train a subject of learning to perfection.
As important as intelligence and hardworking are, knowing how to work is just as important. Everyone has a different way of learning and understanding things such as listening, writing, explaining or many other techniques. For example, if a person understands better by listening, but they keep working by writing, a lot of the work they do just becomes a waste of time. Instead of working with the methods which are not as efficient as others, if people try and find which way works best for them and continue working in that way, they would be more successful in their lives. As the quote from Albert Einstein goes ‘if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid’.
Therefore, as important as intelligence is, it doesn’t mean much without the effort needed to get through tasks. Having said that, working hard with the wrong methods can also prove to be pointless. Using the right methods of learning and working hard towards one’s goals is sure to take anyone to success.
An optimal or ideal case would be to be both intelligent and hardworking, however, not everyone is innately intelligent, therefore they must rely on hard work to get them to their desired goals.