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Is Intelligence at Odds With Wisdom?
Though we tend to associate intellect with wisdom, a deeper look can show that the two are somewhat incompatible.
There is a mysticism surrounding the concept of wisdom. Yet, wisdom wherever manifest seems to be simply knowledge. How else is it gained through things like life-experience? The effect of this knowledge is that it is applicable in every situation of general understanding: It is marked by general application, not technicality or specificity. Though one must be exceedingly intelligent to become an ophthalmologist, they mustn’t necessarily gain wisdom, for the information required for this profession isn’t relevant to life at large.
However, the nature of intelligence is specificity — in creating distinction. The moment that we come into existence represents the formation of individuality; it is the moment we separate from all else. We, or the components that make us up, were always here, but, whereas they were once integrated into the whole system as free-floating parts, they’re now amassed into a resilient construct, known as Martin (in my case). This marks the beginning of our existence and our separation from all else.
As our eyes eventually open to the world, and our ears and neural circuitry create sounds, and all of our sensory modalities…
