Memory And Intelligence

This is a short post in light of a recent conversation.  Some people seem to think that having a good memory equates to being intelligent, but, although a good memory and intelligence can work together wonderfully, they are distinct things.  In reality, memory itself, however impressive or reliable, has nothing to do with whether or not someone is a rational person.

Intelligence is a person's capacity for grasping and utilizing logic, and a good memory is one that reliably stores and recalls information.  Clearly, both of these things can complement each other, and a person can wield the two harmoniously and to great effect.  But someone can have one without the other because they are different.  One can recite facts or information without knowing or understanding how to critically assess what is being recited, and one can be extremely intelligent without having a helpful memory.

It is not that they don't often appear in the same person, but that the presence of one does not necessitate the presence of the other.  The most intelligent people I know all have excellent memories.  However, those who want to be more rational (though, of course, there is not always such a thing as "more rational," for there is a point at which someone is perfectly logical) and have better memories can perhaps develop both more rationality and a more useful memory.

Certainly the two might often appear together.  But just as education is not synonymous with intelligence, so too even an accurate, full memory is not synonymous with it.  To some memory may give the appearance of intelligence, yet this alone does not mean that deep intelligence is actually present.  Perhaps very little intelligence is there despite the large volume of information within someone's memory.