This world is bent on becoming more and more intelligent. It is sold as a commodity in educational institutions, it is bought by corporations and then being worshiped as the perennial mantra of religions. Do we really need intelligence is the question, and if yes; to what end?
In our mind, we have a few things happening, all at the same time. We have emotions, hunger and sexuality; which form our basic needs. These needs are met very instinctively, we are inherently born with qualities to enable us to satisfy these needs. However, some methods are more complex than others. Success to the most part is measured by how easy or how little energy is exerted to achieve the same goal. Which had motivated us to form civilizations around sedentary farming and cultivating food for long term sustainability.
This brings us to, intelligence; which is an all encompassing ruler of human needs, which is primarily in most cases is based on what we accept as logical and reasonable. So, let’s take logic and reasoning as the primary foundation of our intelligence. If, we based all our actions on logic and reason, would we have become more intelligent? Only in matters where, the faculty of logic and reason is able to provide a clear resolve. Almost always, it is easy to assume that intelligence is the primary tool for understanding our environment and it is also the source of our reactions. Therefore, it has become widely accepted that we need to grow our logical and reasoning capabilities and this has become the goal to achieve higher existence. Really?
Through the use of intelligence, humans have managed to secure a more comfortable and even luxurious living on this planet compared to all other creatures. We have surpassed the animal kingdoms and developed our own with our amazing intelligence. When we compare ourselves with the animals, we see that intelligence is what is lacking in animals, from a human perspective. This constant comparison between humans and animals, to meet the basic survival needs, leads us to believe that we need more and more intelligence to be successful. The reality is however, we are not living among animals. We are living among other intelligent beings. There is a huge mismatch, of what we are trying to achieve and the problem we are trying to solve. If we come out of the walls of constantly comparing ourselves with the problems of the animal worlds, a very practical use for intelligence will begin to emerge. Namely, to manage our sexuality, to limit our hunger and remove our emotional fears.
Animals are bound by the dependence on nature to regulate their reproduction. Humans, however have the ability to have sex, even when we are not intending to reproduce. This then extends to managing hunger once reproduction is secured. Animals don’t have the concept of fasting or abstinence unless there is fear of death, prevailing. The ability to willfully abstain from food, even when our body needs it, is a conscious effort. Intelligence, is used to remove fears too, once both hunger and sex are not in question. We humans know that fire can be controlled, but animals however, are not able to comprehend, beyond that fear of fire. We humans have the ability to control our lives on this earth better than the animals because of our intelligence. It is undeniable that it is our intelligence that has catapulted humans to the top of the chain. But, ultimately our goal is not to be more successful than animals, right?
For humans, having intelligence has brought some responsibilities. Because of intelligence, our sexuality, hunger and emotions are now in our conscious control. Our conscious mind can decide either to be subjected to the urges of sex, food or fear. Human development to a large extent has been focused on increasing it’s ability to use our intelligence to refrain from illicit sexual advances, periods of hunger and at moments of fear. During a sexual act, there is almost no intelligence working. Intelligence has been hijacked by nature because the body is designed to get excited by the caressing.
The logical mind, shuts off.
The body is designed to react to sex, because of our primary need to procreate. The lack of intelligence reduces us to animal like behavior. The same happens when we are hungry. For, never to experience hunger again, we tend to gorge food because of the lack of use of intelligence. Hunger waits for no man has been ingrained, it should be that hunger waits for no animal. We (humans) know that hunger is not a live sustaining activity and that it can be missed. The intellect is of no use when we are faced with delicatessen. Intelligence tells us that we can last for short periods of time (3 months) with reduced food intake and it is actually a healthier option. Finally, fear causes the body to stiffen or harden to protect against any attack. We are charged with adrenaline to induce strength and energized with brute force to overcome the fear of attack. At this time too our intelligence leaves us to our own demise. However, if we are empowered with our intelligence, we should be able to overcome these situations with much more easy and comfort.
Considering that all the base faculties prevail when there is no application of intelligence. The primary reason for institutions to barter focus on intelligence is to ensure our survival in this animal world.
If we move on to a higher plane of existence as a human being and examine the use of intelligence we may find some rather contradictory notions. The human desire to create and build, stems from the need to exercise our intellect, we need creativity and almost genius like intelligence to operate at this level. Creative intelligence is not very exact, like how logic and reason would describe it. Our two palms are in opposite to one and the other, but when we put it together it becomes one. The oneness is so complete. The use of logic in this case would not have revealed that both palms are one when put together. Until we experienced it as a practice first hand, we would not know that these two opposites palms can be united as one.
This knowledge is learnt through experience; as most of our engagement with the natural world and form a logical and reasonable deduction. Creativity does not rise from logic and reason but from experiencing and existence. It is another element in the form of intelligence that has sustained our logical and reasoning capacity. The use of intelligence is also removed during creativity and ingenuous moments which has brought about many new developments in our lives.
Human development beyond this point requires a lot more strive and sacrifice. We have shown that when the mind is in peace, humans operate in true creativity and ingenuity. Overcoming the basic distractions have fueled the creative process but the point is that the use of intelligence has reached its limit. Moving even higher we have to strive harder for more creative plain. The human dilemma is that it never sizes to search for the ultimate end. Our intelligence should be abandon and new force of uncompromising devotion needs to be cultivated to reach this higher plain.
Honestly, we have an unquenchable desire to rule and own everything in this world. This is an inherent desire for humans, in work and in life. So how will it be possible, if we are going to be reliant logic or reason/intelligence? It is imperative that the pursuit of happiness beyond this point of intelligence will mean to relinquish our need for the use of intelligence and move to something greater. A force that is within us that is much greater than intelligence.
More to follow...
