[Darryl_P]

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This is kind of what I am wondering. Why things like this seem to occur?

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My theory on memory is that it depends heavily on how much you pay attention to something which, in turn, depends heavily on how much you're interested in it. I am a firm believer in being able to develop memory to very high levels if you give it enough effort. Generating the motivation and interest levels is the hard part.

I think people have a way of developing the skills they need on their own, yet sometimes they aren't aware of what they need. If someone says to me "I'd love to be like this or that but I can't seem to develop the skills", my instant reaction is "I doubt it. Sure you'd like to be like that WITHOUT MAKING THE EFFORT but when you are faced with the cost-benefit analysis of effort vs. reward, you decide it's not worth it. Others who are there already have decided it IS worth it and that's the main difference."

As for what constitutes intelligence...I think that's a good philosophical question and most people (Sklansky included) will say it's whatever they happen to be good at. Personally I think intelligence is related to long-term survival prospects which includes the ability to cope with a multitude of situations we may find ourselves in. Whoever has the best future prospects given the Darwinian ebb and flow of the planet is the most intelligent IMO. Some say you can get there via logic, others via interpersonal skills, others via other means. I say we don't really know since it can't be measured accurately, but that time will tell eventually.