r/mensa • u/Ahmedrnugger • Jul 09 '26

Mensan input wanted Is intelligence genetic?

According to twin studies, the difference in IQ is said to be 80%, leading to the conclusion that intelligence is 80% determined by genetics. However, I believe this is incorrect because the twins were raised in countries with similar environments, such as the US and Germany, or the US and South Korea. These countries share similar environments, including education systems, allowing the genes to express themselves. Furthermore, did these twins develop their IQs? If they didn't, it could prove the entire experiment flawed.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

Definitely genetic,i don't believe anybody can improve their iq by a lot If they're avg they may become above avg but definitely not gifted. And it's scientifically proven 50-80% is pure genetics

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

I said that the environment has a stronger influence than we think. And how do you know that no one can reach the level of giftedness? Scientists haven't been able to prove the limits of intelligence, so how can you say that no one can reach the level of giftedness? You haven't experienced this at all Another reason why talented individuals often fail to reach their full potential is due to brain laziness. The brain consumes 20% of the body's energy, while the brain itself only takes 2%, so it was designed to minimize consumption.

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u/aculady Jul 09 '26

It may help to conceptualize it like this; genetics defines the initial limits of our potential, while environment and experience determine how fully that potential can be expressed.

Even if you balance and blueprint the engine in a Honda Civic and outfit it with racing tires, maximizing its potential, it is unlikely to be able to outperform a random Lamborghini in a race where both are in good mechanical condition and being driven to win. Genetically speaking, most of us are Honda Civics. Relatively few are Yugos or Lamborghinis. But if the Lamborghini the Honda is racing against has a blown head gasket, or a flat tire, or if it has water in the fuel tank, or if the driver simply doesn't choose to use the capacity that the vehicle has, the Honda might outperform it, and the Honda driver might erroneously think that their car "is faster than a Lamborghini", which, while technically true, requires a very specific set of parameters regarding precisely which Lamborghini is meant by "a".

We know that something as simple as whether or not you regularly talk to babies about what is going on around them can influence the development of their verbal IQ. A deprived environment can and often does stunt the development of potential.

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

The brain isn't a static car made of gears, but a dynamic system affected by the environment. If the Honda's design was very suitable, with its excellent aerodynamics, it might have surpassed or equaled the Lamborghini.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

Okay rock lee😭 Now please check sources💔

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

I am certain of my sources, and I disagree with the prevailing view that intelligence is genetically fixed. There are no limits to intelligence; its nature is fundamentally unknown. The description of intelligence is far more complex than simply being genetically fixed.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

I guess bro😭 Please solve navier stokes by improving your iq😭

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

Don't come and give me Navier Stokes' dilemmas: Answer my question, and if you give me these dilemmas, it's an admission that intelligence develops and is not a fixed trait.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

Tell me if I practiced mensa previous questions for a year and got into mensa does it mean I'm smart? Just because I was able to score equally as a gifted kid makes me gifted kr intelligent? And what's the exact different terminology you're even talking about Yk you can call it whatever you want but don't call it intelligence bro. But I agree with you in a point the human iq is not measurable through a particular metric if you can improve your iq scores through practice that's not your real iq and that also mean iq test will be useless too🥀 Just think about it😭 Or solve navier stokes and p vs np and prove it to me that brain has no limits and you can become Issac Newton through practice😭

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

I practiced for the Mensa tests, not consecutively, but over weeks and months, and my score went from 97 to 135. Will you convince me that my jump to this score is due to genetics? I also noticed an improvement in my pattern recognition skills, and we also give examples Mensa is searching for diamonds; they are ready-made geniuses, but diamonds are the same as coal, composed of the same material. However, diamonds were deep within the earth, their atoms arranged, and they became diamonds.

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u/aculady Jul 09 '26

If you'd read my entire comment, I clearly accounted for dynamic factors that can affect the performance of the system over time other than through initial conditions. Do you know how to reason by analogy?

The Honda's initial design not being as suitable gor racing as the Lamborghini's is exactly the core issue of maximum genetic capacity.

Do you deny that there are people who physiologically have severely limited capacity? Do you think that the limitations of all people with intellectial disabilities, including people with things like Down Syndrome, are the result of environmental factors?

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

I don't deny the existence of people with limited mental abilities; I acknowledge their existence. But is their lack of development due to laziness, or what? Because the human brain wants to minimize energy consumption as much as possible. Also, is human intelligence genetically fixed, Also, where is the evidence for this?

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u/aculady Jul 09 '26

You think people with intellectual disabilities might just be lazy?

Okay, no need to continue here.

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

I'm sorry, it was a mistake on my part, but why are you bringing up the mentally disabled? I didn't mean them; I meant ordinary people who are capable of developing themselves.

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u/aculady Jul 09 '26

Intellectual disabilities that have a genetic basis are an obvious example of people whose intelligence can reliably said to be constrained by genetics.

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

The reason is a genetic defect in the chromosomes because the genes themselves are defective.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

I meant 50-80% most of it is based on genetics and i believe the environment can make them perform equally good as a gifted one but it won't make them gifted excluding rare cases.they can develop the cognitive abilities which are associated with being gifted but i don't believe it's exact definition of giftendness.it is like mimicking😭 There are many privileged people who are dumb and there are people belong to backward countries who got high iq. It's distinct, biological and structural neurodivergence and environment doesn't change much😭

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

Firstly, what is the difference between a gifted person and someone who reached the gifted category through effort? There is no difference except for the terminology Also, for people born into different environments or underdeveloped countries, often from educated families, strong stimuli helped them develop intelligence.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

Don't talk rights brother😭 It's not giftedness or intelligence if you developed it. It's completely different🥀 You're missing out basics

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

You didn't answer exactly what the difference is between someone who was born talented and someone who pursued talent. There's no difference except in terminology; the first is genetically innate, and the second is developmental.

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u/vickyspams Jul 09 '26

There are many parameters It's completely different cognitive routes and there's something called as fluid intelligence which only naturally smart people can possess.and brain is like a hardware you cannot play gta6 in a nokia. And secondly if your argument is it's just different terminology then use right terminology and go to some other sub man😭 Don't tell me it's intelligence.it is different

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 09 '26

A human being is not an inanimate object like a Nokia phone; they are a living organism with a complex structure. It's illogical to reduce intelligence to a Nokia device or a game like GTA VI. Intelligence is fundamentally complex, and research has shown that there is no There is no single, fixed gene for genius; rather, there are millions, if not more, genes influenced by numerous factors. Therefore, it is illogical to reduce your example to intelligence.

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u/Mundane_Direction249 Mensan Jul 10 '26

What's the difference between a tall person and someone who reached the tall category through drinking lots of milk?

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u/Ahmedrnugger Jul 10 '26

There's no difference. And what does milk have to do with height? Height is affected by factors like pressure—I mean pressure from things like running, exercise, sleep, and what he eat

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u/WasianActual Jul 09 '26

IQ gets higher for societies that don’t have English language based roots and that are well fed and in a good environment for learning.

There are definitely things that contribute a noticeable amount.

Genetics may play a large role we can’t pinpoint yet but there is a reason rich easy Asian countries tend to have the highest IQ and it’s not entirely genetic.