General problem-solving happens when you draw from all your skills because you have a problem with no obvious answer. Every new thing you learn adds to your abi

General problem-solving happens when you draw from all your skills because you have a problem with no obvious answer. Every new thing you learn adds to your ability to solve 'general problems'. Teaching specific skills doesn't take away from someone's general ability -- it improves it. Smart people can master skills and information in a hurry, but people are only effective if they've used their time to master a lot of skills. Can we improve G? If yes, you'll still improve someone's general effectiveness more by teaching them lots of skills than by improving their IQ 5 points.