For me, the real measure of intelligence is a bit different from what we’ve been told by society and authorities.
I think that contemplating on life is essential for our personal development and spiritual growth.
And it’s a shame that so few do it.
I also don’t think intelligence or being smart can – in any way – be connected to school, passing random tests, being considered a professional in a job where you basically do what a machine can do too, or graduating university.
No. All these are skills too, just bad ones – the skill of answering society’s expectations, doing exactly what you’re told to do and nothing else, following the rules others have set and never asking whether they are the right ones.
And most people today have mastered these skills.
Don’t get me wrong. They have actually worked hard for that, have completed a large amount of work in a short time, and so on.
But that never really engaged their brains.
For me, being smart means other things.
The real intelligence lies in the deep realizations one comes to – like that change is the only permanent thing, that the past must be left there and accepted, that we never really own anything, that we’re here just for a brief period of time, that every thought of ours goes in the universe in the form of energy, connects with others with the same vibration and becomes reality, that peace of mind is the highest happiness, and so much more.
The real intelligence is in ideas – not in thinking and talking about other people and events, but about ideas. Giving birth to them, brainstorming, expanding them, and eventually working hard on turning them into reality.
The real intelligence can be found in little daily situations – when a man knows the person in front of him is not being honest, but goes beyond his own ego, is alright with that, slowly leaves the anger behind, and chooses to accept the person for who he is and to enjoy his company while he’s able to do it.
When a man loses a loved one, but realizes so deeply that he was happy enough to have spent this time with him and can only celebrate the life they’ve lived together.
Intelligent are those who say no to instant gratification in whatever form it comes. As that’s a sign of months, if not years and decades of hard mental work, building the willpower muscle and learning self-discipline.
Intelligent are all those who are thankful for painful experiences, mistakes and failures as much (if not more) as they are for the happy moments in life.
Because it shows they know that without pain there wouldn’t be pleasure. And knowing how to learn from the bad makes the good meaningful.
Suffering is much needed in order for one to grow, learn and fight his own demons.
Intelligence is the balance between having a vision, specific goals and a step-by-step plan and taking action every day, and going with the flow, following the natural course of events.
Intelligent are those who question everything, know there’s a deeper reason behind everything and always contemplate on the meaning of life, our mission here, the possible and impossible, the good and bad, etc.
Intelligence can be found not in judging anyone, but accepting criticism and learning from it.
Also, not in being in a rush all the time, but taking a moment every now and then to take a deep breath, to look around, see where you are in life, look back to appreciate the path you’ve walked and look ahead of you with a smile on your face.
Many people consider all these a waste of time.
They think it’s too much effort to work on stuff like finding peace, learning to let go, reading philosophers, making a self-analysis and trying to find the meaning of life.
They find that pointless.
They blame such passionate, curious individuals for their desire to explore the hidden potential of humans, to try to define their wishes and then let go of them, and for spending time thinking about death, being alone for hours reading, writing or working on a project.
But these blamers never really know what life’s all about in the end.
They never actually live it, they just get a sense of what it may look like while feeling a rush of adrenaline, a little burst of inspiration, meeting with other passionate people, or else.
But the deep thinkers, the ones that ask questions and open themselves for possibilities, those that go beyond the egoistic human nature and the little daily problems, that leave behind conventional wisdom and think for themselves – they are the ones who truly live, who succeed, evolve, get to know wisdom, passion, contentment and enlightenment.
They are the real winners in life.
Simply because they never really wanted to be in the race in the first place.
So that’s the real measure of intelligence for me. What do you think?
