An intelligent person may be proud of his intelligence, but a wise man is wise enough to be humble. This essay attempts to answer four questions in regard to intelligence and wisdom. First, what are the differences between intelligence and wisdom? Second, why is intelligence alone inadequate to a good life? Third, why is wisdom important in all things? Finally, how can one attain wisdom?
1. What are the differences between intelligence and wisdom?
Intelligence is about skill, technique and knows how, whereas wisdom is devoted to philosophy, ethics and spiritual cultivation.
The former concentrates on methodology, the latter on principle. Intelligence deals primarily with tangible, material things we see and touch whereas wisdom is related to such intangible subjects as courage, devotion, love, patience and the like. Intelligence is to the brain as wisdom to the mind; intelligence is to the biology of the body as wisdom to the soul of a person.
An intelligent man engages himself in the meteorological study of the sky; a wise man ponders on the wonders of the Universe. Generally speaking, experiments on things by man are in the field of intelligence, while experiences of moral and spiritual dimension by man himself belong to the realm of wisdom.
Intelligence is to be used; wisdom is to be attained. An intelligent man may be proud of his intelligence, but a wise man is wise enough to be humble. An intelligent man researches for facts, but a wise man searches for truth. There are countless millions of intelligent people in the world but only a handful of wise men. The differences between intelligence and wisdom are subtle but vital, and inability to distinguish the former from the latter may greatly hinder the realization of a truly good life.
2. Why intelligence alone is inadequate for a good life.
Intelligence is not an and in itself and it is not capable of self-sustenance. Intelligence is only an instrument to be used by man. It can be used for good purposes, but also for unjust designs.
It is neither moral nor immoral, but non-moral. It is like a sharp knife which can be used for cutting vegetables and slicing bread, but also for wounding and slaying. Big crimes and intricate murders cannot be committed by unintelligent persons. Large-scale tax evasions and embezzlement are executed effectively only by men of high intelligence.
On the international scale, highly intelligent men in the past have successfully deceived the people, as well as themselves; they started wars which killed, tortured and maimed countless innocent and defenseless human beings. The inadequacy of intelligence can also be detected in much less spectacular events than war and crime.
An intelligent engineer may not be a thoughtful husband, a loving son or a responsible father. A man may be intelligent enough to repair a television set but not care to be considerate to his own wife. An able business man be unkind to his employees and a learned professor may not put his heart into his lecturers, though both are very intelligent men.
Many intelligent men have neither feeling for humanity nor concern for world peace. Why? What is missing in these intelligent people? Now let us take a look at the modern world, and see the remarkable and truly astonishing achievements of man in medicine, agriculture, communication and transportation, in skyscrapers, in bridges and highways, new constructions and productions of one kind or another, which go so much beyond the wildest dreams of any man of any age in the historical past.
Today supersonic jets have made it possible for one to leave New York at 3:00 p. m. and arrive in Seattle at 1:30 p. m. the same day. It will not be long before Wednesday's airmail from one country will be received on Tuesday of the same week in another country. The world of fantasy is here and now! Human intelligence appears to be limitless! Technological progress in the twentieth century, especially in the two or three most recent decades, has been spectacular.
Yet all progress has been shown in perfecting things rather than on the improvement of man. In fact, the astonishing material progress in the modern world has been matched in direct proportion by the rising rates of crime, divorce, delinquency, gambling, alcoholism, sexual wantonness, accidental death and moral indifference.
Verily, verily intelligence alone is inadequate for a good life. The world of tomorrow is already here, but peace and harmony are still far away and painfully wanting both within and between nations, The great emphasis on intelligence and material perfection in the modern world proves to be woefully and misleadingly inadequate. Something is missing, badly missing; and that something is wisdom.
3. Why wisdom is important in all things?
From what has been examined so far, it is obvious that the world needs wisdom, nations need wisdom. The time is approaching, the hour is already late, doomsday draws near.
Human intelligence has finally devised weapons of such destructive power in atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and what not. No, human intelligence not only cannot save humanity, it may destroys humanity and with it all the spectacular achievements of the past and the present. Intelligence undisciplined, unrestrained and, above all, unguided, is the most dangerous of all human traits.
As has been noted earlier, intelligence is not an end in itself, nor capable of self-sustenance. It is all the more painful to observe that modern educational institutions virtually all over the world are still frantically engaging them selves in training more intelligent, skillful young men and women to meet the demands of an aimless, soulless, machine-oriented planet such as Earth, whose days of survival are numbered unless wisdom is invoked to spare pitiful, leaderless humanity from self-destruction.
What good is it to perfect everything in our little planet when no real endeavour is made to prevent it from being blown up? It takes wisdom to prevent a human holocaust; it takes wisdom to turn intelligence from destructive aims to constructive goals. Mankind is now at the crossroads; either we shall have unprecedented profusion of all things in the near future, or we shall engage in unthinkable genocide of the human race.
There is little time left to make the right choice. Wisdom is desired now more than ever before. Wisdom is important, vitally important, not only in saving humanity from self- destruction but also in sparing broken homes, rescuing drunkards, awakening unkind men and thoughtless women; reducing selfishness, restraining greed and bringing peace, harmony, moderation, goodwill and above all, love, to homes, communities, nations, and the world. This is wisdom.
Wisdom is insight and knowledge; wisdom is profound understanding. Wisdom is not noncommittal. Wisdom, like intelligence, is not immoral; but unlike intelligence, it is not non-moral; wisdom is intrinsically moral. Wisdom cannot be used for wrong, unjust and selfish purposes. No arrogant, selfish men, whoever they are, wherever they may be will ever have a glimpse of wisdom. Wisdom is always and forever good and just, or it is not wisdom at all.
Wisdom is infinite as eternity; in its entirety no one but God can comprehend it. He is the very source of wisdom.
4. Flow can one attain wisdom?
To this question of attaining wisdom our attention must now be directed. In the attempt to answer this question, four points may be stressed.
First of all, one must be aware that wisdom is not something beyond reach. The seeds of wisdom are implanted firmly in the hearts of all men, although the cultivation of them is left to each individual. Many grossly neglect these precious seeds while some make them grow into oaks. Emerson believes that there is a divine spark in every one of us, but it is up to the individual to strike the spark and turn it into a divine flame of wisdom.
The second point is in regard to the keynote of wisdom. It is humility. It is literally impossible to exaggerate the infinite significance of humility. If a man has everything but humility. If a man has nothing but humility, he is saved. No arrogant man, however intelligent, can ever attain wisdom unless he repents, unless he casts away his arrogance, and in that case he is no longer arrogant.
Pride is the chief sin. It would be just as difficult for a proud man to attain wisdom as for a camel to go through a needle's eye. For one who wishes to attain wisdom, the first step, and also the last step, is to be since- rely modest in his relations with his follow men, and his daily life should reflect this.
The third point is on the performance of good deeds and diligence in acquiring knowledge. One without the other is incomplete. Sheer diligence in learning is inadequate. Scholarship alone is no pass port to wisdom. It is a grave error to identify knowledge with wisdom. A man may have many of his articles published in newspapers or magazines, and have even written a number of books but still with out any idea what wisdom is.
A man may have many of his articles published in newspapers or magazines, and have even written a number of books but still with out any idea what wisdom is. Without wisdom, knowledge may be misguided and intelligence abused. What must go hand in hand with the pursuit of knowledge is the performance of good deeds without which all learning is but superficial.
And the true meaning of good deeds is love -the love of fellow men and a real concern for the welfare of others. Love and wisdom are inseparable. Without love, no one can attain wisdom however intelligent and learned he may be.
The fourth and final point is in regard to meditation. When a man with a loving soul is modest and eager to learn, he has yet to engage himself in meditation for the attainment of wisdom. Meditation must be a life-long practice. It takes time and patience to cultivate such a way of life. The sweetness of meditation cannot be adequately told in words but can be fully experienced by the faithful and the persistent.
A brief moment each day for solitary meditation is good and necessary for everyone. Meditation is self-examination, reflection, and contemplation. Meditation in the true sense is spiritual integration with nature and universe, and in the ultimate reality is communion with God the Author and the Source of Wisdom.
