Openness facet
Intellect: a facet of openness
The intellect facet measures how much you enjoy ideas for their own sake: puzzles, theories, debate and complex problems.
What intellect measures
Intellect, called ideas in the NEO-PI-R, is one of six facets of openness. It captures intellectual curiosity: enjoying abstract thinking, philosophical discussion and challenging problems.
It measures interest in ideas, not intelligence. It correlates with some measures of intelligence, but plenty of highly capable people simply prefer practical problems.
High intellect
High scorers love to think. They seek out difficult books, enjoy debate and can spend hours on a problem simply because it's interesting.
- Enjoy abstract and philosophical ideas
- Seek out challenging reading
- Love puzzles and complex problems
- Enjoy debate for its own sake
Low intellect
Low scorers prefer the concrete to the abstract. They're interested in ideas when those ideas are useful, and find theory for its own sake tedious.
- Prefer practical problems to abstract ones
- Avoid philosophical discussions
- Value ideas for their usefulness
More openness facets
Related guides
Common questions
Does a high intellect score mean I'm smart?
Not necessarily. It measures how much you enjoy thinking, not how well you think. The two are linked, but only moderately.
What kinds of work suit high intellect?
People high in this facet often enjoy research, analysis, strategy, engineering, teaching or any role that involves solving new problems.
For self-reflection and education only. This isn't a clinical or diagnostic tool and isn't a substitute for professional psychological or medical advice.