Intelligence Isn’t Knowledge, Intelligence Is Sensibility
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I believe that creativity and intelligence doesn’t rely exclusively on knowledge. It relies, more importantly, on sensibility to your surroundings. This is the story of how I came to that conclusion:
I have a fairly good life, but I still like to disconnect from reality sometimes. That’s why I’ve gotten into the habit of walking in the early morning at least two or three times per week. I normally carry my iPod and listen to my favorite songs while I walk but in this particular day I couldn’t. You see, I woke up more tired than usual, and dragged myself through the routine: brush teeth, roast coffee, dress, drink coffee, drink water, pick up iPod. And then it hit me: I hadn’t charged my iPod. I thought, “Now this is going to be a bad walk.” In fact, the thought of skipping this session briefly passed through my mind, only to feel like a quitter, so I went out the door to walk without my trusty gadget. The walk started out slow, but soon I got into my rhythm.
And I realized something: too much noise! I hadn’t realized how much noise I was filtering out by listening to music. Maybe it was a bad idea to walk without my iPod after all. But I kept walking and got to a particularly calm park. I started listening to the gentle singing of birds. I heard the breeze brushing against the trees. I heard my own steps coming into contact with the soil, forming a rather pleasant beat. I smelled things I hadn’t smelled before. I began to pay more attention to the people who passed me by.
Soon I thought: “I’ve been missing so much! I’ve never really payed any attention to my surroundings and to my environment. I had been missing the use of my senses. As soon as I got back home I wrote: “Intelligence isn’t knowledge. Intelligence is sensibility.” Why? Because as I realized what I had been missing due to my iPod-carrying walks, I felt intellectually stimulated. I felt spiritually awake.
Ever since that walk, I’ve been particularly attentive. I try to pay attention to sounds and colors. I try not to ignore my surroundings. Now I know the true wisdom of my environment. The least that can accomplish is relaxation, and in the best case it will improve your sensibility to the world.
So, try it out. Exercise without music. Pay attention to your surroundings as you walk in the mall. Describe in your journal the sounds you heard today, or the odors you smelled. I hope it will be as rewarding for you as it is for me.
What similar experiences have you had? Please share!
Image: Hamed Saber
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Hey man I do the exact same thing every morning. I walk 2.5 miles to school everyday and many many people ask me, why the fuck do you walk? and why don’t you take the bus. I have gained a giant appreciation for nature. I walk down a canal to go to school and i see so much stuff within those 2.5 miles its insane. I have actually made good friends with 2 couples of ducks that have been hanging around in the canal. I bring them bread every once and awhile. Its pretty neat. There is so much out there and so much to see that you will never be able to really appreciate if you are in a car going 40 mph.
Great epiphany Ivan!
When we remove the noise from our life - we become aware of the diversity of life that surrounds us - and our connection with the universal intelligence that keeps the balance. It is that awareness the helps me keep perspective in my life, to realize that the normal ups and downs are pretty insignificant in the big picture.
I think this is the true meaning when the Buddha said: “I am awake.”
Bruce
This is so true. I used to wait for the bus every morning as a child by myself and I lived in the middle of nowhere. I really felt at one with nature and my environment. These days I always have iPod on or am worrying about some assignments or other crazy things. I don’t take the time to just listen, observe, etc.
Thanks for the reminder.
Hello Ivan:
When I walk, I take my time. I call it a “walk of appreciation.” I think, what you and your commenters ar describing are facets of what Howard Gardner woud describe as “naturalistic intelligence.”
Sidney Poitier speaks about how his appreciation for his environment influenced the person that he became:
“By the time I reached Miami, Florida, at fifteen, entering the world asa immigrant teenager, I was still a kid and I was still thinking like a kid, but I had something inside that was looking out for me. I had an inner eye that watched the terrain and watched the circumstances, especially when I was in hostile territory. This ws my education, my Cat Island curriculum.”
“This watchful way extended to human nature-words, motivations, actions and consequences. The quiet and simple atmosphere of my childhood enabled me to focus down to the level of the subtle body language that came at me from my parents and siblings. On that tiny island I had gotten to know these signals really well. I had learned to read them just as I had learned to read the cliffs and the tides.
I find this afascinating topic. You can read more of my appreciation of Sidney Poitier here:
http://tuneupyoureq.com/2007/07/11/sidney-poitiers-7-eq-lessons-part-2/
and there are some links to the rest of the article series at the foot of that article.
http://tuneupyoureq.com/2007/07/11/sidney-poitiers-7-eq-lessons-part-2/
I have a continual battle with depression (the “clinical” sort…)
I now know when I’m starting to slip into a mood slump, because I start to “insulate” myself, and one of my “tricks” is listening through my headphones whenever I can …
When I realise I’m listening to “escape” rather than to “enjoy”, I know I have to take action ASAP to stop another “crash & burn” …
[…] Get out of your comfort zone. Some of the best ideas I’ve come up with have arised in situations that are completely strange to me. Although I am now a regular user of the train, at first it wasn’t comfortable for me to ride alongside complete strangers. I was used to the privacy of my own car. But then I started to come up with great ideas while I rode the train. I had experiences I never would’ve had had I stayed in my car. The new surroundings provided plenty of inspiration. Test new surroundings and experiences. I talked a bit about this in a previous post. […]