Intelligence is a gift, a privilege. Many teenagers feel like they are not blessed with this remarkable trait and even fewer live to see it fulfilled to its true potential.
This essay will focus on the application of intelligence or knowledge, rather than merely studying and memorising. I see too many schoolboys who spend their life reading and studying, failing to see that real genius is only earned by using the knowledge you possess in a unique and inventive way. Acclaimed genius’s such as Einstein, Mozart and Shakespeare did not waste their intelligence, preferring to spend hours dedicated to perfecting their craft and experimenting with their available resources. They practically invented their own ‘knowledge’, and should be an inspiration to anybody hoping to make it intellectually.
There is a well-known phrase which states:
It is not who you are underneath, but what you do, that defines you.
In the context of fulfilling the capabilities of intelligence, this quote is correct. In its most simple form, I believe intelligence can be fulfilled by doing exactly what I am doing at this very moment, writing about the things that inspire you into deep thought. Mental thoughts are the healthiest hobby that a person can practise. Plato once believed that thoughts or non-material abstracts (ideas) are the most definite, complete and incredible entity in our universe, and this simple belief formed the basis to his ‘Theory of Forms’. After careful consideration, I am inclined to agree.
Famous scientists such as Einstein and Newton were both well educated in their respective academic disciplines, understanding as well as recognising the facts that form the basis of their subjects. This understanding, as well as perseverance and motivation, led them to take these ideas to the next level, for the benefit of mankind. Without their dedication and thoughts, our world would most likely be significantly less developed than it is today.
Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets have captured the inspiration of millions of people around the globe. If he had not had the motivation to sit down and write all of his 38 plays, the world of literature would be infinitely times worse off.
We can now pose the following question: How many geniuses have passed through their life without realising that with dedication, they could help to benefit the human race? My answer is; everybody that has ever lived or breathed.
This seems contradictory to my earlier comment that states that intelligence is a gift. Both statements still stand, and complement each other perfectly. Intelligence is the gift given to you by yourself, your soul or conscience. It is the ability to look past the petty issues that plague our existence and lifestyles in today’s society, and the ability to want to know more. Intelligence stems directly from a desire to know everything, or as much as possibly feasible. This trait is present in every human brain, yet is hardly ever recognised or fully understood. It is always existent, and never disappears, silently begging its owner to allow it to fly freely. Literally speaking, this gift cannot be referred to as an emotion, or a physical property. It is merely a form of passion or a trait, that helps keep the human brain at just that, human.
Too many people say that intelligence is naturally occurring, me personally still being a teenager respectfully disagree. There are different forms of intellect, and the underlying common factor is desire. A desire to know has been evident in humans since the dawn of civilisation. Why else would we be so focused on answering science’s fundamental questions of the universe? Answering questions such as ‘Why can we think?’ and ‘When did the Universe begin?’ would most likely not benefit our lifestyles directly, but simply add another part of the puzzle to our brains.
If everybody opened their minds, our race would be answering the questions to these fundamental questions quickly, and with conclusive evidence. While our minds and their capabilities are technically limited, the passion in our soul is not. It is my belief that everybody has the capability to benefit mankind in an intellectual and creative way, but among other factors, our school systems continue to take the wonder out of learning and turn it into a chore. Teens no longer want to continue studying as adults, for the added burden of paying bills and working in dead-end jobs has contributed to removing the motivation required. My personal concerns about the mistakes of mankind, especially in the area of politics, will be covered in depth in another essay. But I can safely say that it is our own actions that are limiting this desire for intelligence, and the creative freedom that it brings.
This essay will focus on the application of intelligence or knowledge, rather than merely studying and memorising. I see too many schoolboys who spend their life reading and studying, failing to see that real genius is only earned by using the knowledge you possess in a unique and inventive way. Acclaimed genius’s such as Einstein, Mozart and Shakespeare did not waste their intelligence, preferring to spend hours dedicated to perfecting their craft and experimenting with their available resources. They practically invented their own ‘knowledge’, and should be an inspiration to anybody hoping to make it intellectually.
There is a well-known phrase which states:
It is not who you are underneath, but what you do, that defines you.
In the context of fulfilling the capabilities of intelligence, this quote is correct. In its most simple form, I believe intelligence can be fulfilled by doing exactly what I am doing at this very moment, writing about the things that inspire you into deep thought. Mental thoughts are the healthiest hobby that a person can practise. Plato once believed that thoughts or non-material abstracts (ideas) are the most definite, complete and incredible entity in our universe, and this simple belief formed the basis to his ‘Theory of Forms’. After careful consideration, I am inclined to agree.
Famous scientists such as Einstein and Newton were both well educated in their respective academic disciplines, understanding as well as recognising the facts that form the basis of their subjects. This understanding, as well as perseverance and motivation, led them to take these ideas to the next level, for the benefit of mankind. Without their dedication and thoughts, our world would most likely be significantly less developed than it is today.
Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets have captured the inspiration of millions of people around the globe. If he had not had the motivation to sit down and write all of his 38 plays, the world of literature would be infinitely times worse off.
We can now pose the following question: How many geniuses have passed through their life without realising that with dedication, they could help to benefit the human race? My answer is; everybody that has ever lived or breathed.
This seems contradictory to my earlier comment that states that intelligence is a gift. Both statements still stand, and complement each other perfectly. Intelligence is the gift given to you by yourself, your soul or conscience. It is the ability to look past the petty issues that plague our existence and lifestyles in today’s society, and the ability to want to know more. Intelligence stems directly from a desire to know everything, or as much as possibly feasible. This trait is present in every human brain, yet is hardly ever recognised or fully understood. It is always existent, and never disappears, silently begging its owner to allow it to fly freely. Literally speaking, this gift cannot be referred to as an emotion, or a physical property. It is merely a form of passion or a trait, that helps keep the human brain at just that, human.
Too many people say that intelligence is naturally occurring, me personally still being a teenager respectfully disagree. There are different forms of intellect, and the underlying common factor is desire. A desire to know has been evident in humans since the dawn of civilisation. Why else would we be so focused on answering science’s fundamental questions of the universe? Answering questions such as ‘Why can we think?’ and ‘When did the Universe begin?’ would most likely not benefit our lifestyles directly, but simply add another part of the puzzle to our brains.
If everybody opened their minds, our race would be answering the questions to these fundamental questions quickly, and with conclusive evidence. While our minds and their capabilities are technically limited, the passion in our soul is not. It is my belief that everybody has the capability to benefit mankind in an intellectual and creative way, but among other factors, our school systems continue to take the wonder out of learning and turn it into a chore. Teens no longer want to continue studying as adults, for the added burden of paying bills and working in dead-end jobs has contributed to removing the motivation required. My personal concerns about the mistakes of mankind, especially in the area of politics, will be covered in depth in another essay. But I can safely say that it is our own actions that are limiting this desire for intelligence, and the creative freedom that it brings.
Most people in school after witnessing an apparently very bright pupil would probably just account the pupils brightness to him being ‘smart’, but the thing about being smart in school is that it’s not just an attribute you simply have due to your acquired personality or attributes but it is actually something in which you must work towards, They don’t seem to realise that you actually get smart by working hard and studying intensively, very rarely its due to natural occurring common sense.
Intelligence is not just a sought after trait, but a fragment of the soul, the underlying desire for knowledge and understanding, which is present in us all. With a little motivation, perseverance and dedication, we can all help to achieve knowledge in areas currently unknown to our race. The future of our planet and species is not in our own hands, but our minds.
Ola
So, what you're saying, if I read this right; we could all attain the greatness of Mozart, Shakespeare, or Einstein - if we just focus on the things we are good at? I don't think this is a false extraction, after all, you say: "How many geniuses have passed through their life without realising that with dedication, they could help to benefit the human race? My answer is; everybody that has ever lived or breathed."
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the theory: it's well-intentioned and human-centric. The problem with it that it is patently untrue. I've argued amongst friends that everyone possesses an intelligence or a skill; not all of them practical or money-spinning or enriching - it's just unlocking it is the hard point.
As a fan of Messrs. Mozart, Einstein, and Shakespeare - it is pretty clear these are men operating on a whole other planet. You simply cannot Oliver Sacks your way into writing Macbeth. It is possible that one may have the endeavour and discpline to become a very good writer, scientist, or composer; reknowned, cherished, admired. However, they laid generational cornerstones that indicated a paradigm shift in their respective fields. For everyone to have these skills, we'd be in a constant state of flux, and therefore nothing would be special and nothing would be bad and nobody would be clever or stupid.
"Intelligence is the gift given to you by yourself, your soul or conscience."
ReplyDeleteThe use of the word 'soul' is wholly unscientific.
Other than that:
'cool story bro'
Good Post.
ReplyDelete