Humans have a strong tendency to rationalise their beliefs, even when those beliefs are no longer helpful. Cognitive research shows that intelligence does not necessarily protect against this tendency; in some cases, it can enhance a person’s ability to justify existing views rather than challenge them. As a result, blind spots can persist unnoticed. This is where a thinking partner can be valuable. Having someone who can question assumptions, surface patterns, and reflect what may be difficult to see or easy to avoid can support clearer and more objective thinking.
Managing up
People who have completed extensive training on emotional intelligence often excel at saying the right thing at the right time. However, they may lack genuine emotional depth, creating an impression of emotional void despite having the right answers. This is similar to AI, which can generate appropriate emotional responses without actually experiencing feelings.
““The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum — even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there’s free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate.””
The pursuit of knowledge
Nowadays, we are especially sensitive to signs of trustworthiness in our leaders, and compassion increases our willingness to trust. The smartest people in the world know they don't need to know it all, as highly intelligent people seem to be consistently engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. I think the power of paying attention to our attention is that we become aware that this other stuff is happening that isn’t related to our goal and may actually prevent us from accomplishing our goals.
““The problem is not people being uneducated. The problem is that people are educated just enough to believe what they have been taught, and not educated enough to question anything from what they have been taught.””
Expand your mind (Pt-2)
Expand your mind (Pt.)
I'm not particularly keen on discussions about strengths and weaknesses without considering the context. Instead of viewing ourselves in terms of strengths and weaknesses, I think it's more accurate to see our traits and attributes as unique characteristics. In the appropriate circumstances, these qualities can transform into strengths, while in unsuitable environments, they might appear as weaknesses. It's crucial to understand our true selves and seek environments where our specific traits can be utilised to our advantage.
““Don’t ask people how clever they are, instead ask them how are they clever.””
Know it all
We are all aware that there is a difference between wisdom and intelligence even though it’s quite difficult to pin down. You must always be willing to truly consider evidence that contradicts your beliefs, and admit the possibility that you may be wrong. I think that intelligence isn’t knowing everything, it’s the ability to challenge everything you know.
““Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.””
Allow yourself
I think that being empathetic towards someone doesn't necessarily mean that you agree with them. And intelligence is the ability to change your mind when presented with accurate information that contradicts your beliefs.
““People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right - especially if events prove you right while proving them wrong.””
Sunday mantra
Our minds are a center of Divine operation and Divine operation means expression into something better than has gone before. To get good results we must properly understand our relation to the great impersonal power we are using. It is intelligent and we are intelligent, and the two intelligences must cooperate.
Mind power
Image © James Brown - Polydor Records
The human mind is magnificent organ of intelligence, unfortunately we are not taught how to fully use it. In fact, because of our limited understanding of the mind and our limited expectations of it, we limit the minds’ ability to function at its full potential. As you know, you cannot heal what you don't feel, so my aim is to help my clients to replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk, for example, I have already managed to replace bigotry, intolerance, and racism with fairness, friendly and tolerance.
I have been working on a rapid transformational program, it will be a monthly subscription-based program with the aim to reprogram your mind. Watch this space…
The Last Dance
““Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan”
One of the greatest physicists of the last century
“Never confuse education with intelligence. Intelligence isn’t the ability to remember and repeat, like they teach you in school.
Intelligence is the ability to learn from experience, solve problems and use our knowledge to adapt to new situations. - Professor Richard Feynman”
The most courageous act
Image via Shutterstock
It’s usually more important to be in the right room than to be the smartest person in the room.
A person with great judgement and average intelligence will usually beat someone with great intelligence and average judgment. And judgment is knowing what room to be in.