The limits of academic success to provide happiness become more and more evident as IQ tests fail to take into account other values, such as cognitive intelligence, common sense, creativity and family life, reported bbc.com.
Students see the gospel standards and teachings as foundational character traits for happiness and fulfillment, whereas academic education and intelligence are only helps along the way.
“For me, a great way to judge how I am doing in life is if I have the Spirit with me,” said Brandon Finnie, a junior majoring in biochemistry from Canada.
“As long as things are right with me and God, and as long as things are right with me and my wife, it doesn’t matter what goes wrong. I am still happy. But if things are wrong with God or things are off with my wife, then it doesn’t matter what is going right, I am not happy.”
“My parents showed me what is important,” said Yeager Dicus, a freshman majoring in art from Idaho, “and what makes me feel good and happy: family, friends, church.”
He commented on the scientists’ intent to contradict religion and traditional values in a pessimistic approach. “Stephen Hawkins looks sad to me sometimes.”
Finnie continued, “Intelligence is knowledge applied. So just because someone knows a lot might not be real intelligence. They might not really understand it until they do it and live it. I have seen a lot of people who have a lot of knowledge and they aren’t happy maybe because it is not useful knowledge, or it is not applied or they are lacking in some way.”
“The more intelligence you gain,” said Christopher Nartker, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry from Idaho, “the more you have to offset it by humility, because there are people who get a lot of intelligence, but they treat other people as if they were lower. I don’t think that is what it’s meant for, it is meant to help each other.”
Dicus said, “Bill Gates seems like a happy dude. He is ultra-rich and super smart but he uses all his money to help people. I think what brings him joy and happiness is how he uses his intelligence versus just having it. The happiness that intelligence brings is that things come more easily. When it comes to school it won’t be as difficult. When you are a smart person you figure it out and know what to do.”
Nartker emphasized the importance of education and career in order to provide for a family. “Things that bring me happiness lie in the interaction with other people, staying healthy and accomplishing things. If I had enough money that I could pay for my cost of living, I would still would want to work, because it brings satisfaction.”
Finnie said, “In my life daily scripture study must come first. No matter what I do today, if I am not close to God then none of it matters.”
He said coming close to God, leaning from and communication with him are the main pillars of every day.
Commenting on the difference between cognitive intelligence and “ultra-smart” intelligence, Dicus said, “The world views intelligence as the super smart people and not those who just get things done. But is it really in grades and test exams or in how you live your life?”
Values of work, education, intelligence and success differ from culture to culture. “There is a lot of pressure in Singapore,” said Finnie, reflecting on his wife’s culture. “It is a very success-driven culture. In the U.S., depression and anxiety is a huge thing. According to my wife, [in Singapore] it is not a big thing. They don’t really recognize when they have it. Whether you are depressed or anxious it is still the same. They don’t care. They just want the results.”
Commenting on the culture in Japan, where Nartker served his mission, he said, “Especially for the men, success comes from your job. They work lots of hours and many of them don’t have a lot of time to put into their families because they are always at the work place. I have seen the negative effect it has had on their families, because the main focus is to go to school to get really good grades so you can get a really good job and then you work really hard in that.”
Remembering Brother Bauer’s Devotional on Jan. 12, Dicus said, “There is your family that taught you the intelligence of being happy versus just being brilliant.”