I know what you're thinking: But I'm a wonder woman, I'm already intelligent! It comes with the package.
And you are right my friends. You are so very right. However, there is a slight difference between having intelligence and BEING intelligent. To have means you own, posses, or hold this quality. To be intelligent means that you have the IDENTITY of intelligence. A very distinct variation.
So, in order to show your intelligence, your gift, you must be willing to express your opinions. Nothing is more intelligent than having an opinion on issues of the day. In order to have an opinion, you must be informed on the issues. How can you have a view on anything if you know little to nothing about it? I implore you: READ READ READ!
Information is literally bursting from your fingertips these days. Your daily newspaper gives you information on your doorstep every day. The Internet has those newspaper's web pages for your viewing pleasure. Your local public library is stoked full of knowledge on almost anything you can wonder or dream about. There is no reason not to be informed other than lack of discipline.
We all have things going on. We all have responsibilities. We are all busy. Yet, some of us still find the time to be knowledgeable. This is what separates those who have intelligence, and those who are. The people who actively seek out the importance of past, present, and future; these are the people who are identified as intelligent. They are being intelligent. The ones who simply have it are wasting their minds with little this es and that's that fill their time and worries. They are ignoring what is most important: the greatness of humanity. By ignoring this, you no longer have your intelligence. You are relinquishing it.
Do not be so uninformed. Do not relinquish your intellect because it's easier or comfortable. Be intelligent.
Seeking wisdom, WW
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After thinking about your argument I liked it a lot and agreed for the most part. However after thinking about it a while I thought your view of intelligence seems like a very extroverted view of intelligence. As a major introvert at first I disagreed but after thinking about it more, being intelligent DOES require being able to express one's opinion. However I think I would like to set the bar a little higher than simply "showing intelligence." I would say a main requirement of being intelligent is, rather, being able to interact intelligently with other people.
ReplyDeleteAlso I saw an interesting line to draw while reading your third paragraph. It seems like being willing to express an opinion is a requirement to being intelligent, but having an opinion is simply a side effect of possessing intelligence.
I also thought your term "of actively seeking the importance of past, present, and future" was good, but as an introvert I would say that you could do this while not necessarily having to interact with people. What I would say, though, is that actively seeking the importance of past, present, and future is a major and direct requirement of "being informed on the issues." Like above, I would call these things requirements of intelligence, rather than being intelligent.
Its interesting that you tie these two things together at the end by saying that without one, the other goes. I think a lot of people, mainly introverts, would like to think you don't have to interact with people to maintain intelligence. I think that's too bad, because eventually you're right.