To think general knowledge quiz shows do not give a measure of intelligence, just of memorisation skills?

I can't remember the name of a city in Spain, so now I'm classified as stupid

I don't think anyone has said you were stupid. And has been said, having a good general knowledge does not mean you are intelligent - and being intelligent does not mean you have good general knowledge.

I guess that as you said, you have a lack of curiosity about things you don't need to know about. There are many people like you out there who have a lack of curiosity.

You've also said that you experience memory problems.

If you want to expand your knowledge, why not try to do some reading or watch a You Tube video about something you 'don't need to know' but find interesting. I love YouTube videos with all their animation.

Is there anything you find interesting outside of your current work?

You had to be able to use those facts, analysis and evaluation that got you the higher levels

This. An ability to join dots, make connections, explore alternatives, strategise, apply previous knowledge, an ability to think are all signs of intelligence.

If you’d put more details in your orig post about your memory problems, etc, you would have been spared more.

But knowing about Seville oranges and marmalade I’d say is common, general knowledge. It’s not anything you need to study and learn and memorise. It’s just stuff that you know. I don’t eat marmalade and I’ve never been to Seville but I know about Seville oranges. They have nothing to do with the sort of ordinary orange you buy at the supermarket. Not knowing about them indicates a lack of knowledge or interest in the world. Similarly with The Chase - I find those questions generally easy. I consider them to be general knowledge. Of course, I don’t know all the answers but I would know the vast majority. Only Connect is another matter!

I have varied interests/have always read widely. But my brain doesn't retain facts. A few days after reading a book I can tell you the gist but not reememeber the characters names.
I also have prosopagnosia (faceblind so rarely recognise people.)
I am rubbish at general knowledge.

However I am super speedy at anything involving dediction or reasoning or logic when the information is in front of me. I have a super genius IQ (did mensa as a teen and was sky high) and can ace reasoming tests/11+ etc. I did well at uni as I can argue a line of reasoning very well and construct an essay well. I join dots everywhere people dont see.

So officially very intelligent. But actually lifewise being able to remember stuff would be more useful.

Intelligence can show in a number of forms. When I used to teach, just knowing facts would only get you low level marks. You had to be able to use those facts, analysis and evaluation that got you the higher levels.

I'm ok a quizzes because I read widely and like a poster said above, look up answers to things all the time - eg who directed this film, what else have they directed, where did they grow up, where is that place on a map etc. I am curious and somehow can easily retain this information. However, I find 'solving problems' really hard. My Dh is the opposite, never reads the news, has no idea what is going on in the world but can devise complex solutions and communicate this with ease.

Intelligence is multifaceted and can be measured in many ways but I find it unbelievable that you can have a degree and not know that marmalade is made from oranges.

Memory skills and intellectual curiosity are a pretty big part of intelligence, which is why we often view “clever” people as being knowledgeable.

However, there are other aspects, such as analytic skills too.

Can I just say OP that it isn't too late for you to improve your general knowledge if you want to. It never is. You can start today by showing curiosity in regular things, watch something different on TV, start reading again (not just textbooks for work), and plan some trips for after Covid. For example, although I travel independently and read a lot, I'm a sucker for a guided tour. Love hearing from a local expert and getting lots of info squeezed into a few hours.
You can find your interests.

Intellectual curiosity.

Most (but not all) intelligent people are interested in the world around them. They ask questions and enjoy learning new things. Over time they build up a large bank of general knowledge.

There is also a type of hyper-focused, obsessive intelligence that ignores everything outside the area of interest. Sherlock Holmes famously did not know that the planets in the solar system revolved around the sun. Having said that, he was a fictional character.

Try reading for pleasure Op.That will extend and improve your general knowledge.

Love51
It’s ‘Much Ado about Nothing* that has that ‘joke’ - Beatrice says it.

OP - the fact that you don’t read is probably part of it. I have one of the best general knowledges of people I know and so does my dad and we are both avid readers. You pick up lots of things by reading.

It’s also about wanting to know/ being interested. If I hear a fact I will tend to look it up and find out more info even if it’s not something I’m generally interested in. My husband has a good general knowledge but is only interested in certain things and won’t even try to learn about other things at all.

You are right that there are different types of intelligence though. As a teacher I see kids who will get 10 As who have almost no general knowledge and others who will get none who have a good range because they are interested in the world but don’t have the right kind of brain/ work ethic for school.

Honestly OP my general knowledge is terrible. I had never heard of Seville oranges and I thought Seville was in Italy. My Geography is so bad which generally means unless it's a music or a sport round I am terrible at quizzes. It doesn't bother me though, I am a running joke throughout the family on how bad my geography is but I just don't have the desire to learn because it won't sink in anyway.

I've got a weird memory in that I can remember odd facts pretty well, so I'm pretty good at quizzes. But I'm terrible at remembering conversations I've had with people, or events that happened only a few days previously. It's very frustrating and I think people think I'm being rude/don't care about what they said. I'm not though because I really listen to them at the time or enjoy the event when it's happening. It just slips my mind immediately afterwards, as do books and films.

I'm also really bad at the Only Connect type quizzes, so I think lateral thinkers are much cleverer than those who are good at straight feats of memory.

OP I think I retain odd facts, like a PP because I'm interested in them, so I tend to read a lot of stuff about things like health, science, psychology, history, sport etc. But I don't become specialist about any of the things, so I couldn't hold my own with an expert of any of them. I don't think being average at quizzes makes you stupid.

Well if you haven't read a book since school, which you admit, what do you expect?

My family were knocked out when I was able to answer three questions on University Challenge but it was something I had an interest in.

I know someone who pops up from time to time on these type of game shows.

Always does well.

I knew her years ago and she was a whizz at the pub quiz machines

She is also super intelligent and when I lived near her she had a very technical job.

Questions on sport usually have me stumped but I’m quite good on religion , history and mental arithmetic.

OP different people are good at different things, for there to be people smarter than the average there also must be people less smart than the average.

You say yourself that you don’t read and avoid observing the world around you, you’re perfectly entitled to do that if you want but of course it will impact what you know and how smart people perceive you to be. If you were to ask a random group of 100 people in the UK what marmalade is made form, I’d say maybe 95% or more would know the answer. If you were to ask about foie gras, it wouldn’t be as high but would still be the majority.

It doesn’t mean you’re stupid but it does mean your general knowledge is way below average, and people may respond in surprise to that. Knocking about history, geography, basic culture etc. doesn’t mean you have great analytical abilities, but at least means you have a decent grasp of the world.

You can do various IQ tests if you want to check out your analytical abilities. There are also verbal reasoning tests you can try. If you score low in general knowledge, analysis and reasoning then yes few people would consider you on the more intelligent end of the spectrum. But nothing to be ashamed about

Sorry about your illness and subsequent memory problems OP.

Rather than a test of memory regarding the flavour, what colour would you have said marmalade was if someone had asked? If you would have said “orange” and the next question was ‘what fruit is marmalade made from?’ would you have made the connection?

That’s where the intelligence comes in - being able to apply the knowledge you do have to fill the gaps of what you don’t.

I don't think being good at general knowledge is the same as being intelligent, but I think they do generally correlate. That said, it's just one part of it. I'm great at facts, memorising, general knowledge etc. I probably get about a quarter of the questions on University Challenge, but give me a Countdown anagram and brain says bye bye.

Have you ever heard an interview with a professional quizzer? These people read, revise, have fantastic memory and are quick thinkers, definitely intelligent. They often (not always) have had decent previous careers and did well at school/university. Think about the Chasers or Eggheads. Someone like Paul Sinha orinally trained as a doctor and has a medical degree. I heard Anne Hegarty talking about her revision schedule on popular culture, they don’t necessarily watch Fraser but they read (revise) about it.

It is hurtful though... I can't remember the name of a city in Spain, so now I'm classified as stupid? I hope none of you ever suffer from memory problems, then you will know what it feels like

Had you put this in your OP, you'd have been spared much.

And you'd have had very few responses because after all, what is there to say except your family are knobs?

You did rather drip feed your memory problems. And for someone who doesn’t take any enjoyment from quizzes, and isn’t very good at them you’re very invested.

Crystallised and fluid intelligence are different but correlated. So someone with high fluid intelligence is likely to have more crystallised intelligence.