People can be born with the skill to understand things more easily than others, but they still have to be exposed to the information and ideas. They can more easily understand it and build on it. But it still takes work.

Smart is a measurement of intelligence.

The nature argument(nature vs nurture) would suggest that you have to learn to gain intellect. But your ability to learn that you obviously have from day one suggest intelligence is already there. -Thus we have the nature argument. So I would say yes.

If you're talking about the issue of high intelligence running in the family, I would say yes and no.

If you have highly intelligent parents it is probable that you will have a good environment for academic and other types of growth surrounding you. And vice verse for having parents who are not very intelligent.

I think we associate family with genetics to much. (nurture) I think environment is key. (nurture)

-But there are other factors(many other factors) to take into account. Like ADHD. (a learning disability not directly associated with intelligence) If a father has ADHD (or ADD) It's a good chance that his offspring will. Thus the child would have problems achieving and learning. But if it is treated correctly the person could have great success. Not necessarily with academics.

There are lots of factors when talking about "smart". Some genetic some not.

My actual surname is Smart, so I guess you can be born smart.

One can certainly be born with the capacity to be smart. For example, I come from what would be considered a below average intelligence family, yet I would say I'm above average intelligence.

Certainly though, your choices and environment can affect this. Becoming an alcoholic hooker isn't really making the most of any potential you may have, and thus could lead to you being considered stupid.

Out of interest, how old is this person you speak of?

Intelligence runs in my family. By some stroke of fate, though, the blonde females all somehow got left out.

Yes. Technically, one's genes can influence a person's intelligence. A certain intellectual environment (or lack thereof) can also influence's the consistency of one's intelligence.

Yes, but being born a dumb ass is much more common.

people can be born with certain skills. some understand things better than others. for some, english comes easily, for others (like me) we just, like don't understand. and, it can also come from earlier generations. my mom's side is amazing at math, i am well, very good at math. my fathers side is amazing at english, it just clicks for them, well, i obviously, did not get that trait.

I have no solid science to back this up, although I would not be surprised if someone has done a study on this. I was adopted at birth. I met my biological father for the first time at age 16. As a relative measure of intelligence, I have scored 140 on the IQ test. Specifically, I scored 160 on Verbal. My biological father scored 150 Verbal and 141 overall. My adoptive mother (the person who raised me) scored 100 verbal and 120 overall. This case points strongly towards intelligence being genetic.

According to a science textbook I have, 50% of your being is genetics and 50% is your environment. So that means that 50% of your intelligence you can be born with. If your capacity for intelligence was huge, then being born could mean you are extremely smart.

Intelligence begins at birth and continues to grow and show its amazing form early in a child's schoolwork.