07.+What+is+Intelligence+(February+2006) - Get a Free Blog

What is Intelligence? 42
The point is, we may find someone who scores very highly on a so called
“IQ” test, but we may also discover that their understanding of us
emotionally is poor.
Though they can read and study hard books, and pass tough written
exams with flying colours, we don’t put them into the category of an
understanding human being.
But guess what? - to become a “teacher”, a “psychologist”, “psychiatrist”
or “therapist”, and for that matter, generally speaking even a politician,
depends almost wholly on the ability to read difficult intellectual books,
and pass difficult written exams.
So that means, that those people who should be the most understanding of
human behaviour and emotions, are appointed generally speaking on
quite another basis, which may be wholly unrelated.
Thus we see that this form of intelligence they exhibit which enables
them to get these jobs of such enormous social and human importance, is
no guarantee whatsoever they will be truly fitted to carry out these roles
they hold effectively.
So what quality or form of intelligence should we be looking for in others
whom we hope to be understanding of us, and thus able to make wise
decisions about our lives and know how to relate to us properly?
We have all heard of the term “commonsense”, but we find nowadays,
that there is little that is “common” about it, as it is a quality which is
rarely to be found, especially in the so called “educated classes” who run
the Western world.
What we mean by commonsense is somebody who whether tutored in
academic thought or not, is able to see and deal with everyday reality as
it really is.
This person is often found to be not the same person as he or she who is
exceptionally good at studying textbooks and passing written exams.
In a famous ancient Chinese book, the Tao Te Ching, is found the
statement:
Those who follow the Tao (i.e. the way of Nature, of wisdom) are not
extensively learned.