We all generally say that we do not have the Aptitude for Learning a Subject or Topic or Performing a Task. But is it that simple a statement to make?
Aptitude is the Potential to Solve a Problem or Perform a Certain task at some level if one is truly interested in that Problem or Task and Sufficiently Driven. We generally ignore the factors of Interest and Drive that can significantly change the outcome or End Result of any Task You Undertake when we define Aptitude. You can Improve your Ability to Learn Anything, Mental Aptitude, Memory and Problem Solving Ability. But How is that Possible ? Let us learn below.
Can You Improve Your Aptitude ?
The Answer is Clear Yes. You can Definitely Improve your Mental Aptitude & Problem Solving by Choosing Your area of Interest or Deciding if the Topic Interests You, Showing Sufficient Drive and Perseverance to Persist with the Learning Process, Training Your Mind by Practicing a lot of Problems and Regular Repetitive Testing until our Mind has learnt to overcome Fatigue and Inertia and Periodic Disinterest. This helps in Transitioning the Temporary Memory Storage towards Permanent Memory Storage, that can help your speed and efficiency to solve an Unseen Yet Related Problems or Learn Subjects and Topics in lesser time.
Tendency of a Human Mind
Human Mind has a tendency to forget things after a short time if not recalled regularly. Hence by Repetitive Testing and Lot of Practice you can Improve your Aptitude by Leaps & Bounds. For Successful Results in any Time Based Testing Environment where Speed and Memory are the Most Important Factors. You can gain distinct advantage by repetitive testing and practicing as many problems you can.
What is a Learning Bias ?
Most can solve any Aptitude Problem in the absence of a LEARNING BIAS where time is not a limit. Learning Bias means where someone has an advantage on a particular concept or topic over another due to previously learned concept which someone else did not learn or got exposed to. A Specific Example – An Aptitude Test that Measures English Vocabulary Knowledge, induces a Learning Bias and gives Distinct Advantage to someone (over others) who has Memorized entire Oxford English Dictionary.
Is there Any Unbiased Aptitude Test ?
An Aptitude Test that doesn’t take into account any previous knowledge of learnt subject can be considered close to UNBIASED Test or CULTURE FAIR Test. But there is NO TRULY ABSOLUTE UNBIASED TEST. For that matter of fact, even MENSA IQ Tests Matrix Problems that generally do not assume any LEARNING BIAS (and are considered CULTURE FAIR Tests) can be cracked or solved if you have solved or practiced many such problems thereby eliminating the Factors of Speed and Recollection in the Real Testing Environment.
Is the Success in these Tests a Badge of Honour ?
One should Ideally Practice these tests not to Compare your IQ or Results with others but to better your Aptitude & Problem Solving where Self Learning, Improvement, Self Testing & Solving Puzzles for Joy, or Getting a Job or Getting into an Institution are the Only Goals. You can still Appear for Standardised Tests but to wear them as a badge of Honour in comparison to Others as a Badge of Superior Intelligence is not a Sign of Evolved Mind.
Wearing them as a Badge of Self Learning or Self Testing or Self Improvement is a Sign of an Evolved Mind that one is aware of the Cognitive Bias that almost can crack any of these tests with Sufficient Practice & Hard Work if one is truly Interested in that Area or Field of Study.
In the same manner, not being able to Crack those Tests is not a matter of Shame or Failure. Our Society has that fundamental flaw in a Sense that Marks and Standardised Test Results, IQ & Success in Academics have become an Indicator or Measure of Intelligence in the Human Beings and that is most Ironical.
Comparative IQ Results Can Create a Real Knowledge Bias
Comparative IQ Results Can Create a Real Knowledge Bias that Inhibits Real Self Learning and Improvement if the Only Goal is to Improve Your Aptitude in Comparison to Others and Get Marks or Results that make you Standout as a Star. It is a matter of perspective if someone with an ‘IQ’ of 145 considers or feels superior to other with an IQ of 80 or so. Generally these IQ Tests or any Standard Examination in an Educational Institution (that gives credence to Relative Marking System) create a Mental Division (of Superiority Over Others) if the results are taken Seriously.
Why Is that So?
Because those results create an Implicit Subconscious or Conscious Bias that One feels Superior to the others. You could feel Superior to the other because you practiced a topic much more than the other (who perhaps did not practice as much or was not truly driven for that Topic) and that your Recollection and Speed is much ‘better’ due to higher drive and Interest. But the Factors of Speed and Recollection are not at all Important in Understanding the True Knowledge, Evolution or Overall Intelligence of any Person.
Tangible Benefits of Practicing Aptitude Tests
The Most Tangible Benefit of Practicing these Tests is if they help one in landing a Job or Getting into any Educational Institution which we all need to for making a living. It is Ironical that we need to learn and practice certain things for Improving Aptitude (to get some tangible benefits) which in itself is an Implicit Divider of humanity (to some level) and needs an Evolved Thinking Process to take that into Consideration.
Relationship Between Standardised Testing or Marks & Evolved Thinking
Evolved Thinking was never and is never Directly Proportional to the Marks Scored in any Examination or any IQ Test. Appearing for IQ Tests to measure your IQ or Cracking GMAT or SAT or CAT or any other Exam or test is not at all bad thing (when specifically it has lot of tangible benefits in terms of Jobs and Making a Living), but TO BE NOT AWARE of this Marks Based Learning Bias of Superiority over others definitely is an indicator of Lesser Evolved Thinking or UNEVOLVED MIND.
As long as our True Reasons of Learning Something are Inherently Devoid of Comparison with Others (Despite the Fact that Our Society Still Compares ), We can Derive the Tangible Benefits and Still Evolve with this Ironical Aspect of Learning for Self and Others at the Same Time.
