The “Secret Advantage to Success” Young Adults Didn’t Know They Had – Fluid Intelligence
You open up an old version of Microsoft Word on the monitor at your summer job and think “Yikes… this has to be from 2010 or something.”
At the moment, that’s all you have to work with. Your boss doesn’t want to pay for the Microsoft subscription and isn’t confident enough in their tech abilities to make the switch to google docs.
In the back of your mind, you’re thinking about a future job, a better job, one you love and want to get up for in the morning. But there’s a nagging voice reminding you that you don’t have enough experience to do the thing you really want to do yet. It’s telling you that you haven’t developed the skills an employer or an audience is looking for. So for now, you’re stuck here trying to “gain experience.”
But are you sure you don’t have the skills they’re looking for? What if you do, but just don’t know it yet?
I’d argue you have one of the most valuable skills there is, purely as a result of being born in the last 30 years.
You may already know this, but your lifetime exists within the tiny blip of current human history in which technology has changed more rapidly than ever. This means that you have been socialized in a whirlpool of socio-cultural change.
“Okay…” You say, “So what? I still don’t have a higher degree or 10 years of experience under my belt.”
While those things may be true, you actually have something even better than either of those things. You have the secret sauce to professional success and don’t even realize it.
It’s called fluid intelligence.
According to author and coach Christopher Bergland: “Fluid intelligence is the capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge. Fluid intelligence involves the ability to identify patterns and relationships that underpin novel problems and to extrapolate these findings using logic.”
This type of intelligence is found more commonly in younger individuals. But it is further developed through challenging our brains to work in new ways (which leads to newly established neural connections). Some ways people “challenge their brains” in this way include, seeking out creative solutions to problems, socializing, stepping outside of their comfort zones, and trying new things. However, adapting to a rapidly changing world inherently fosters this kind of intelligence too.
Believe it or not, you’ve had to do this your entire life.
From childhood, you’ve been bombarded with new devices, apps, programs, and the full scale of the internet’s endless capabilities. And while old farts might tell you that you’re wasting your time with all of it, the things you’re learning by osmosis are the same skills/applications that will be running the world soon. In other words, those old farts are going to need someone like you if they want their businesses to keep up with the rest of the world.
Are you following what I’m saying? You have needed fluid intelligence to function in your world more than any generation before you.
And if that wasn’t good enough, you’ve also had more access to information than any other generation. You’ve grown up with the privilege of knowing that all the information you need to learn, fix, or solve virtually anything is at your fingertips. But most importantly, you’ve normalized using that resource to figure things out on your own. In other words, you have a brain that is chocked full of the good stuff.
The alternative to fluid intelligence is the thing you’re getting down on yourself for not having. It’s called crystallized intelligence, which refers to learned procedures and knowledge obtained through experience. Crystallized intelligence is something that everyone develops over time. So, don’t worry. You’ll get that too, but for now, focus on the thing that makes you a valuable asset.
How do I know you have fluid intelligence?
Because you have needed to adapt to a rapidly changing world since the moment you were born. You’ve been learning new technologies consistently just by living your life, and this automatically gives you a leg-up in your ability to learn new things (and communicate those things to other people).
I came to realize that my fluid intelligence made me an asset when I hopped on a call with Harvard PhD sociologist and Oprah Winfrey’s life coach, Martha Beck. Doubting myself at 21 years old, I asked her, “Do you think I’m too young to be a life coach?” (P.s. Life coaching is my dream career). And without hesitation, Martha threw her hands up in exclamation, “We need more young people!” and then explained to me the value of fluid intelligence.
She reminded me that my ability to problem solve and learn new things is inherently refined compared to my older colleagues, and that I should find confidence in knowing that.
Fluid Intelligence is in Your Blood
If you’re young like me, fluid intelligence is something you were bred to have. It’s in your blood (or more specifically, your socialization). You are versatile. You are adaptable. And you can solve a range of problems that would be significantly harder for people who rely on crystallized intelligence. You have the best skill available, and it exponentially adds to the value you can offer anyone and everyone.
So when you’re sitting at an old monitor somewhere, hating yourself for not being further along in your professional development, take a moment to remind yourself: all that other shit will come with time, and you already have the foundational framework to be a HUGE asset wherever you choose to go.
Did this post resonate with you? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or send me a message to share your thoughts. For more uplifting content, check out some other posts on my blog, follow me on instagram @morgan_barbret, or sign up for the Self Love Atlas Newsletter!
Cheers,
Morgan Barbret
