Key Difference: Intelligence is the quality of a being to be very smart and well-informed. On the other hand, Brilliance is the quality of a being to be very clever and bright.

Both, intelligence and brilliance are mental abilities. One needs to be very sharp in adapting these qualities. Intelligence is developed from childhood, whereas, brilliance is a brightness of giving ideas and suggestions on something.

Intelligence is influenced by our own understanding of concepts. Intelligence is what one can improve by studies, reasoning, understanding and learning. It is most widely studied in humans, but it is also used for animals and plants. Plants, though they are not human beings, they understand everything. Intelligence is derived from the Latin word intelligere which means ‘to pick up’.

Dictionary.com defines ‘Intelligence’ as:

• Capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.
• Manifestation of a high mental capacity: He writes with intelligence and wit.
• The faculty of understanding.
• Knowledge of an event, circumstance, etc., received or imparted; news; information.
• The gathering or distribution of information, especially secret information.

Intelligence is completely related to knowledge and they are highly respected in this world. Intelligence is the ability to think in terms of abstract concepts, as opposed to merely perceiving persons, places and things.

Some beautiful quotes for ‘intelligence’ are given below:

“Human intelligence may not be the best trick nature has to offer.” ~ Bryant H. McGill

“There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” ~ Ronald Reagan

“The intelligence of the lower forms of animal life, like a great deal of human intelligence, does not involve a self.” ~ George H. Mead

On the other hand, brilliance is to have knowledge and to have the ability to apply it impressively and skillfully. Brilliance is a term when the intelligence concepts are proved to be true. Brilliance is a way to show every one that how they can explore themselves with their knowledge and way of expression. Brilliance could be defined as the unique ability to excel at being genuine and real. Meeting warm, considered people always leaves a little sparkle in oneself. And, that glow will become brilliance, given the right opportunity. Brilliance is the way in which one can leave a good image of oneself.

Dictionary.com defines ‘Brilliance’ as:

• Great brightness; luster: the brilliance of a fine diamond.
• Excellence or distinction; conspicuous talent, mental ability, etc.
• Splendor, elegance, or magnificence: the brilliance of the court of Louis XIV.
• Optics, that luminance of a body consisting of its saturation and brightness.

Some beautiful quotes on ‘brilliance’ are given below:

“Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter's honor.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

“The message is that all brilliance emanates from the top; that the worker on the floor of the store or the factory is insignificant.” ~ James Sinegal

“One's performance is often heightened by the brilliance and generosity of other actors.” ~ Cyril Cusack

Brilliance means creativity with extra skills and knowledge. For example, if a person knows how to correct the errors of any instrument, he will of course correct it by his intelligence and people will say he is intelligent. Whereas, brilliance is a quality when one needs to implement intelligence practically and by doing that it is possible to create something extra.

Intelligence of any person is correspondent to smartness; on the contrary, Brilliance of any person is correspondent to creativity.

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