Coordinator’s View

Intelligence vis-à-vis Wisdom

 

Intelligence and Wisdom are two traits of mental ability and are adjudged as integral part of personality of a person. With the growth of society different forms of intelligence are classified. But, wisdom is pure, absolute, spiritual and universal. This article is an attempt to share understanding of two mental traits and evolve a direction for introspection.

 

Intelligence and its scaling is a specific and specialized domain of psychology. It has been abundantly documented. Classification of intelligence has been made as analytical, creative and practical intelligence. While, Attributes of personality have been defined by psychologists on different scales viz. Adversity Quotient (AQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ), Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Orgasm Quotient (OQ) and Understanding-oneself Quotient (UQ). Each of the them are evolved while experiencing different situations, and is a part of one’s learning. Life is so complex and interdependent that there is no surprise if we hear about new classification and attributes of intelligence and personality.

 

Learning can be structured or unstructured.  Growth of human civilization has exponentially escalated demands on human capabilities. It is attributed to increase in the diversity of needs. This diversity is causing increase in number of aspirants to learn. Every learner comes with a different context. Every child is subjected to personalized learning as long as he grows under observation of parents; it is unstructured learning. But, as soon as he steps out, he is exposed external learning in intuitions and schools. External learning is generally structured External learning is fraught with both merits and demerits. Rare are the privileged children who get a shield of personalized learning to grow in IQ; yet, they certainly miss merits of external learning which leads them to ascend on the graph of AQ, EQ and UQ.

 

Let us take a quick look at the generic process of learning. Observation in the environment, in which a child grows, is the first sensual activity and it starts unknowingly with the birth of a child. This is the reason that a child learns to respond to mother’s touch without any kind of training or counselling. In parlance of information science these observations are called primary data. This triggers a naïve mind to correlate data and distinguish similarities and dissimilarities, and other aspects, to the extent it can think, without getting into data analysis. Outcome of the analysis of the data is information. Mind is very fertile and ingenious and non-complacent. It works upon the observations to explore reasons of how and why i.e. cause of each observation. This exploration leads to knowledge base. This knowledge base triggers a process in mind, consciously or unconsciously, to explore ways of exploiting information to optimize the gains from the environment. Here optimization means maximizing comforts and/or benefits, as-well-as minimizing losses or discomforts. Environment, for that matter nature, and life are so diverse that for accomplishing any kind of gain there are multiple ways. Here comes into play Decision Support System (DSS) that one develops. The role of DSS is to choose one of the alternative or their combination to cater to the needs, which are generally diverse. Choice of an alternative(s) is the Decision Making Process (DSP) of the mind. This choice must be based on feasibility and viability. The feasibility is possibility of success based on available resources. Whereas, viability is all about suitability in prevalent circumstances; it is more about sustainability and coexistence with the nature and the people, for the larger good. The feasibility considerations are more like business decision and have been classified as an intelligent choice. Whereas, viability is classified as a wise choice. Wisdom requires a person first to grow like a spiral of competence. Thus, gradual learning helps one to scrutinize choices or decisions made by a person.

 

Repository of choices and decisions made by a person are used to adjudge him on the scale of decide intelligence and wisdom. Such judgements cannot be spontaneous.  Last but not the least stage of learning is implementation of choices and decisions; it is just not a cake walk. At this stage, many unforeseen difficulties and problems are encountered which are generally beyond the gamut of learning. The manner in which a person handles difficulties is the test of problem solving capability imbibed in him. Problem solving capability is an essential ingredient of learning of a person.  A wise person develops resilience and perseverance; it is depiction of honesty of purpose. A wise person is seen as an expert and the process of reaching the state of wisdom is Expert System. Whereas, an intelligent person pursues his objective until a tradeoff is confronted. As soon as it occurs, an intelligent person would cleverly explore best possible escape route. This is called professional dishonesty, intellectual dishonesty and moral dishonesty. This is the distinct difference in approaches of intelligent and wise persons.

 

In light of the above, agreement or disagreement of intelligentsia is a business deal with a focus on by profit or loss. Whereas, a wise person may agree or disagree, but his focus always remains on the larger good and he would pursue it with perseverance.

 

Intelligence and wisdom are not natural. Intelligence comes with exposure and opportunities available to a person. An adventurist gains greater intelligence while a conservative person lacks in it; it is due to defensive nature.  But, wisdom has to be groomed. Tougher are the real-life questions, problems and situations, that one confronts, and the manner in which he emerges out of them leads him on the path of wisdom. Desperation for coexistence for the larger good, along with intelligence to envisage and discriminate possibilities, are essential ingredients of wisdom. Thus, wisdom is spiritual form of intelligence. It is a continuous process of evolution.

 

Intelligence can be grown in comfort and luxurious environment. But, wisdom grows and flourishes in adversities.  A scrutiny of the life of most of the great scholars and scientists who contributed to the growth of society, in whatever manner, substantiates this observation. Yet, there is a striking contrast in life of Siddarth (563 BCE or 480 BCE). Despite being born as a prince, Siddharth subjected himself to some of the unanswered questions. In his pursuit to find answers, he renounced the princely life and undertook a tough mortification (Tapasya). Finally, he emerged as a person whom we revere as Gautam Buddha. 

 

Learning is very complex process. It is just not about attending classes, getting high score in examination, and timely placement with high package, power and position. These challenges have evolved educational schools, institutions and universities; all for good reasons, and to impart learning to its pupils on a larger canvas. This is not possible in personalized or home tutoring. Yet, importance of physical amenities and economics of scale has brutally dented the credentials of educational institutions. Most of them and the process of seeking an entry into it has lost shine of excellence. They are turning into highly commercialized system.

 

Summary: In commercialized education intelligence can be groomed. But, next stage of learning i.e. imparting wisdom to pupils, whereby they can make viable decisions and implement them with perseverance, will be missed. A family, society, nation and humanity has survived and grown dynamically due to efforts of some wise problem solvers. It is irrespective of the cost that they and their families incur in the process. The primary reason for this is that wisdom always works for the larger good. Growth of human civilization has also grown demand of perpetuation of wisdom.; it is on an exponential scale. We, therefore, need a fleet of wise persons, the problem solvers.

 

Intelligent people, in any situation, generally erupt as problem creators. They are competent enough to advance with extraordinary professional, intellectual and moral arguments in defense of their posture. It is at times difficult to counter their arguments. But, a careful scrutiny reveals that in the background there are vested interests. Invariably, one becomes too late to explore such latent motives and respond to them appropriately. But, by then irrecoverable damages are done to society, nation and humanity.

 

In final conclusion one needs to discriminate duty and responsibility. It can be summarized that intelligent people may appear to be good duty performer, but they are also part of the problem. As against this wise people may apparently lack in performance at their duty, yet they are responsible and trustworthy for the larger good. They are part of the solution. It is, therefore, imperative that we elites make a considered choice; either the path of wisdom, a human necessity, or the path of intelligence.

 

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