Did you know there are different kinds of intelligence? What makes a person intelligent may indeed be open to interpretation. We normally view ourselves as being smart based upon our level of education, and this certainly has its value. We need to remember, however, there is a level of intelligence that is far more important than what we learn from a book. We call this “common sense”. This type of intelligence may certainly have more value because of its practical implications within our daily life. In order to survive and be successful, we must rely upon our common sense to guide us, for this is the most valuable tool we have available. Let’s take a look.
Intelligence through Education
The education we receive comes in many forms, whether it be from our upbringing, from our friends and associates, or what we acquire through the formal educational systems we find in the world today. What all these forms of learning have in common is that they do come from the outside in a sense. This is an important distinction. With this type of learning, we obtain the knowledge and experience of other people. This kind of education has great value, for we must use what is already developed and available in order to have a place to begin. The caveat here is, we have to accept that what others are teaching us is acceptable and true to a certain extent. In many cases, we accept this type of learning as valid enough, and stop there. In order for our education to have real value for us in our life, we must apply what we have learned practically for ourselves. In other words, to truly understand anything, we must find out if it is true and valuable by having our own experience. To really “know” something, we need to “experience” that something. We may find out that what we apply in our life has either a slightly different outcome than what we have been taught, or it may not apply or have any value at all. Only we can decide what works for us or not. We are unique as an individual, after all!
Intelligence through Experience – “Common Sense”
The most important level of intelligence we can develop for ourselves comes from our own experience. What we acquire or learn from others, therefore, needs to be applied, or it can have no real value for us. As we enter the process of gaining our own experience, we need to understand that one experience is generally not enough in order to say, “I know”. We need to have the same or similar experiences over a long period of time for them to become established. We then have acquired for ourselves a wealth of knowledge or level of “wisdom” which becomes a permanent part of us that can be carried forward into new levels of experience. This is something we can count on to guide us through life. We must understand, however, that our acquired wisdom is not a static thing. There is always more to develop and understand. A proper perspective about our life and reality must include an openness to gain even further understanding and an awareness of expanding our established foundation. Growth and change is a guarantee!
Our Unique Gift
It cannot be overstated that our experience as an individual will always be somewhat unique. We each have our own way of going about things, and our level of understanding may only apply to us. It is therefore important not to compare ourselves to others or try to be exactly like someone else. We do indeed have to “learn it for ourselves”. The overall human experience, however, will be very similar for everyone. This is what binds us together. If we know that we do in fact grow and change, we can apply this to greater humanity as well. Our unique experience as an individual becomes an invaluable asset in the improvement and increased understanding of humanity at large. This must never be forgotten. As we go about finding our own way, we are developing a level of intelligence that can be shared with others. We all have something to add and give. We can view our struggles and our efforts toward resolution as a means to help out when it is required. This gives us a sense of purpose. There are of course varying levels of experience and understanding within humanity. We must always remember, however, that each human being is intelligent because of their experience. It is much easier to have love and respect for others with the simple awareness that they may know something we do not. We are then able to expand upon the “common sense” for all.
All my love and support, stay safe and be well