One of my greatest challenges was to help my son understand the difference between “intelligence” and “smarts”. “Intelligence” is the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations. “Smarts” is the skilled use of reason and the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria. “Smarts” indicate the ability to use “intelligence” for the betterment of the situation and those involved in it.
