--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe in intelligence, and I believe…" description: "\"I believe in intelligence, and I believe also that there are inherited differences in intellectual ability, but I do not believe that intelligence is a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg" --- # I believe in intelligence, and I believe also that there… ![“I believe in intelligence, and I believe also that there are inherited differences in intellectual ability, but I do not believe that intelligence is a simple scalar endowment that can be quanitified by attaching a single figure to it—an I.Q. or the like.” quote by Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg) > “I believe in intelligence, and I believe also that there are inherited differences in intellectual ability, but I do not believe that intelligence is a simple scalar endowment that can be quanitified by attaching a single figure to it—an I.Q. or the like.” [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence is complex and multi‑dimensional, not reducible to a single number like IQ. **In simple terms:** Intelligence isn’t just a single number. Key Takeaway Recognize multiple intelligences. Themes psychology education human nature Mood thoughtful critical inquisitive Type analytical philosophical educational When to use this quote - school assessments - workplace hiring - personal development - policy making Key Concepts multifactorial cognition genetics environmental influence Questions to Reflect On - How can we assess diverse talents? - What limits single‑score metrics? A Different Perspective IQ tests miss creativity and emotional insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-intelligence-769033/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Differences Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences-intellectual-2951114/) [Endowment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endowment/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [I believe in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe-in/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-ability-1190902/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-believe-2951112/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) ## Related quotes > [The history of Christianity would have been far happier if we all had remembered one rule of intelligence -- not to believe a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/the-history-of-christianity-would-have-been-far-happier-if-we-all-had/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [“As much as I love and have benefited from artificial intelligence, I believe that only people can discover such things and then program computers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/as-much-as-i-love-and-have-benefited-from-artificial-intelligence-i/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [“I believe there are only two unstoppable forces in the universe. One is love, the other is intelligence. I also believe that a person's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-echols/i-believe-there-are-only-two-unstoppable-forces-in-the-universe-one/) [Damien Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-echols/) > [“I have concluded that we are in a world made by rules created by an intelligence. Believe me, everything that we call chance today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-have-concluded-that-we-are-in-a-world-made-by-rules-created-by-an/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [“Young children who constantly hear “person” praise (“you’re so smart to do this well”) as opposed to “task” praise (“you did that well”) are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-bain/young-children-who-constantly-hear-person-praise-you-re-so-smart-to/) [Ken Bain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-bain/) > [It is absurd to say in respect of any intelligence that it is infallible, but if you ask me what I believe, I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/it-is-absurd-to-say-in-respect-of-any-intelligence-that-it-is/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [I believe intelligence and fear are very close together. Guys who say they are not afraid of anything, they are stupid. They are silly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickson-gracie/i-believe-intelligence-and-fear-are-very-close-together-guys-who-say/) [Rickson Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickson-gracie/) > [“Well, suppose intelligent people don't believe, but that's from intelligence, and you, I say, squirt that you are, what do you understand about God?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/well-suppose-intelligent-people-don-t-believe-but-that-s-from/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I believe that intelligence and rationality will always be primary no matter what shape sentient creatures take. To not think that would be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-f-hamilton/i-believe-that-intelligence-and-rationality-will-always-be-primary-no/) [Peter F. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-f-hamilton/) > [“We can quibble about what precise percentage of performance it accounts for, but no one can seriously question that smartness—the intellectual ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-menkes/we-can-quibble-about-what-precise-percentage-of-performance-it/) [Justin Menkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-menkes/) > [“His was the profession at that era in which intellectual ability displayed itself far more than in political life; for—leaving a higher motive out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/his-was-the-profession-at-that-era-in-which-intellectual-ability/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Intuition is the key to everything, in painting, filmmaking, business - everything. I think you could have an intellectual ability, but if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/intuition-is-the-key-to-everything-in-painting-filmmaking-business-2/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [“job, requiring intellectual ability and acuity”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/job-requiring-intellectual-ability-and-acuity/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [Intuition is the key to everything, in painting, filmmaking, business - everything. I think you could have an intellectual ability, but if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/intuition-is-the-key-to-everything-in-painting-filmmaking-business/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [Do you think it is possible to increase your intellectual ability? For decades, I have studied the power of this belief to become reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-s-dweck/do-you-think-it-is-possible-to-increase-your-intellectual-ability-for/) [Carol S. Dweck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-s-dweck/) ## More by Peter Medawar > [The USA is so enormous, and so numerous are its schools, colleges and religious seminaries, many devoted to special religious beliefs ranging from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/the-usa-is-so-enormous-and-so-numerous-are-its-schools-colleges-and/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [Innocent, unbiased observation is a myth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/innocent-unbiased-observation-is-a-myth/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [An experiment not worth doing is not worth doing well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/an-experiment-not-worth-doing-is-not-worth-doing-well/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [Science is the art of the solvable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/science-is-the-art-of-the-solvable/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [ \[A certain class of explanations in science are\] analgesics that dull the ache of incomprehension without removing the cause. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/a-certain-class-of-explanations-in-science-are-analgesics-that-dull/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [Twice in my life I have spent two weary and scientifically profitless years seeking evidence to corroborate dearly loved hypotheses that later proved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/twice-in-my-life-i-have-spent-two-weary-and-scientifically-profitless/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [If politics is the art of the possible, research is surely the art of the soluble. Both are immensely practical-minded affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/if-politics-is-the-art-of-the-possible-research-is-surely-the-art-of/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [Ask a scientist what he conceives the scientific method to be and he will adopt an expression that is at once solemn and shifty-eyed:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/ask-a-scientist-what-he-conceives-the-scientific-method-to-be-and-he/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [The human mind treats a new idea the way the body treats a strange protein; it rejects it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/the-human-mind-treats-a-new-idea-the-way-the-body-treats-a-strange/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [I once spoke to a human geneticist who declared that the notion of intelligence was quite meaningless, so I tried calling him unintelligent. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/i-once-spoke-to-a-human-geneticist-who-declared-that-the-notion-of/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [I reckon that for all the use it has been to science about four-fifths of my time has been wasted, and I believe this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/i-reckon-that-for-all-the-use-it-has-been-to-science-about-four/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [We shall not read it for its sociological insights, which are non-existent, nor as science fiction, because it has a general air of implausibility;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/we-shall-not-read-it-for-its-sociological-insights-which-are-non/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [The Phenomenon of Man stands square in the tradition of Naturphilosophie, a philosophical indoor pastime of German origin which does not seem even by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/the-phenomenon-of-man-stands-square-in-the-tradition-of/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [If a person is A) poorly, B) receives treatment intended to make him better, and C) gets better, then no power of reasoning known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/if-a-person-is-a-poorly-b-receives-treatment-intended-to-make-him/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) > [We cannot point to a single definitive solution of any one of the problems that confront us — political, economic, social or moral, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/we-cannot-point-to-a-single-definitive-solution-of-any-one-of-the/) [Peter Medawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) [Explore all 68 Peter Medawar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I believe in intelligence, and I believe also that there are inherited differences in intellectual ability, but I do not believe that intelligence is a simple scalar endowment that can be quanitified by attaching a single figure to it—an I.Q. or the like.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Medawar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe-also-that-there-are-inherited/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe-also-that-there-are-inherited/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/895/peter-medawar-9996_ability_i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe_1109904.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I believe in intelligence, and I believe also that there are inherited differences in intellectual ability…” — Peter Medawar", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Medawar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-medawar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I believe in intelligence, and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe-also-that-there-are-inherited/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-medawar/i-believe-in-intelligence-and-i-believe-also-that-there-are-inherited/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```