Updated: 05/26/2021 11:34:28
Expert: Belozertseva Evgenia Aleksandrovna
“You can pretend to be knowledgeable. And you can pretend to be smart too. You can’t pretend to be intelligent.” D.S. Likhachev
What do you mean when you talk about intelligence? Some define this quality as cultural upbringing and impeccable manners, others consider it a merit of being well-read and educated. Still others think that intelligence is a set of personal qualities that determine creative inclinations. From the point of view of sociology and psychology, this concept includes all the points of view described above and a little more (tolerance, empathy, craving for art, etc.).
Outstanding Russian psychotherapist M.E. Litvak analyzed the concept of “intelligent person.” Having examined the definition from the point of view of different fields of activity, he found an undoubted similarity with the definition of “self-actualized personality” put forward by Abraham Maslow (the founder of the humanistic trend in psychology). What set of qualities is endowed with a self-actualized (intelligent) personality:
- Sober, adequate thinking
. A person has realistic thinking and calmly accepts reality. He is not characterized by neurotic spectrum disorders.
- Intellectuals accept themselves and other people unconditionally.
There are no high or low expectations. They recognize the very value of themselves and others, and understand that everyone deserves to be accepted.
- Self-actualized individuals demonstrate natural, unaffected behavior.
There is no reason for them to try to look or act differently. Their key quality is self-honesty.
- Intelligent people are focused on a specific task
, which is burning, and not on oneself. Egocentrism is a foreign concept to them.
- Developed internal dialogue
d. Such people know how to find company within themselves for small talk, and are absolutely independent of their environment. Their own company brings them satisfaction because they have enough knowledge and ideas to discuss with themselves.
- Objectivity
- a striking feature of intellectuals. When assessing phenomena, things, events, they rely only on realistic facts, and not on subjective opinion. Therefore, the expression of their point of view is always interesting, restrained, full of interesting facts and observations.
- Self-actualized individuals operate not only with existing knowledge, they create it. Creativity, creativity and the need for contemplation make them generate ideas, creating stunning works of art and science.
- They know how to make witty jokes
. Their sense of humor does not contain criticism or infringement of the rights and dignity of other people. That’s why informal dialogue with an intelligent person is so pleasant and easy.
The demonstrated set of qualities seems an unattainable ideal. By the way, Abraham Maslow thought exactly so. He believed that only 1% of people can be fully called self-actualized individuals. Being an intelligent person does not mean being a perfect example of humanity. And in this article we will identify ways that will help everyone who wants to become more intelligent.
Who is an intellectual
Intelligence is not only high intelligence and brilliant education, it is also good manners, the ability to live in harmony with oneself and others, in accordance with one’s conscience, it is an active civic position, the concept of honor and dignity, the desire for truth.
In order to educate yourself and not stand below the level of the environment in which you find yourself, it is not enough to read only Pickwick and memorize a monologue from Faust. <…> Here you need continuous day and night work, eternal reading, studying, will... Every hour is precious here...
A. P. Chekhov
letter to brother Nikolai, 1886
And while someone quietly laughs at intellectuals because of their emphasized correctness and intellectuality, all over the world they are talking about the Russian intelligentsia as a cultural phenomenon, a phenomenon that originated in the Russian Empire and marked the beginning of the identification of a special, albeit very small, stratum of society throughout the rest of the world.
A nation that does not value intelligence is doomed to destruction. The history of the Russian intelligentsia is the history of Russian thought.
D. S. Likhachev
"The Book of Worries"
A.P. Chekhov and D.S. Likhachev are considered to be true Russian intellectuals. In a letter to his brother Nikolai, young Chekhov cited a kind of code of an intelligent person, on which the following advice is largely based.
Why does a modern person need intelligence?
The importance of intelligence should not be underestimated even in the age of radically new ways of interaction between individuals (we mean electronic technologies). So, it gives us the strength to remain friendly and open to people. Understanding and accepting new things, demonstrating emotions, respecting the opinions of others and not interfering in their personal spheres of life is already intelligence. What else is special about it?
Being an intelligent person, a person steadfastly endures manifestations of rudeness and lack of culture, expresses his thoughts more freely and is ready to resist injustice. He has a developed sense of the common good, high moral values, which are usually called traditional.
How to become more intelligent
Respect others
Moreover, this respect should go beyond compliance with subordination and basic rules of behavior. It is also respect for the feelings and desires of others, empathy, and to some extent even sympathy. Yes, it is not easy to force yourself to sympathize with others if you are not used to doing this. But it is work on oneself that distinguishes intelligent people.
They respect the human personality, and therefore are always condescending, gentle, polite, compliant...
A. P. Chekhov
letter to brother Nikolai, 1886
Don't lie
Remember that first of all you are lying to yourself. Intelligent people also consider meaningless grandstanding, flattery, and throwing dust into the eyes of lies. Any deception is unacceptable for them.
They are sincere and fear lies like fire. They don't lie even about trifles. A lie is offensive to the listener and vulgarizes the speaker in his eyes. They don’t show off, they behave on the street the same way as at home, they don’t show off dust in the eyes of the smaller brethren...
A. P. Chekhov
letter to brother Nikolai, 1886
Be humble
Intelligent people have a slightly different perception of values. They are not vain.
They are not interested in such fake diamonds as meeting celebrities, the handshake of a drunken Plevako, the delight of someone they meet at the Salon, fame from porter...
A. P. Chekhov
letter to brother Nikolai, 1886
More often they are silent and prefer not to impose their opinions on others, especially when they are not asked. They do not open up in vain and do not seek the attention of others by humiliating themselves.
In this, it is definitely worth taking an example from intellectuals. Modesty and moderation will help you in many areas of life, you just have to try on yourself and accept this philosophy.
Strive for aesthetics
An intellectual is an esthete. He admires the harmony of thought, talent, sophistication of images, grace and humanity. It is the intellectuals who are the main guardians of what we are accustomed to calling “eternal values.” Try to be like them. You don't have to have a degree to understand and admire literature. You don’t need to paint pictures yourself to receive aesthetic pleasure from artists’ works.
They cultivate aesthetics in themselves. They cannot sleep in their clothes, see cracks with bugs on the wall, breathe crappy air, walk on a spit-stained floor, or eat from a kerosene stove. They try to tame and refine the sexual instinct as much as possible.
A. P. Chekhov
letter to brother Nikolai, 1886
Take care of your talent
Believe that you are talented. And take care of your gift. Intelligent people value talent above everything else, and this is what allows them to remain representatives of the “intellectual elite”, to create and create.
If they have talent, they respect it. They sacrifice peace, women, wine, vanity for him... They are proud of their talent.
A. P. Chekhov
letter to brother Nikolai, 1886
Letter twelve. A person must be intelligent
A person must be intelligent! What if his profession does not require intelligence? And if he could not get an education: that’s how the circumstances developed. What if the environment doesn’t allow it? What if his intelligence makes him a “black sheep” among his colleagues, friends, relatives, and simply prevents him from getting closer to other people?
No, no and NO! Intelligence is needed under all circumstances. It is necessary both for others and for the person himself.
This is very, very important, and above all in order to live happily and long - yes, long! For intelligence is equal to moral health, and health is needed to live long - not only physically, but also mentally. One old book says: “Honor your father and your mother, and you will live long on earth.” This applies to both an entire nation and an individual. That's wise.
But first of all, let’s define what intelligence is, and then why it is connected with the commandment of longevity.
Many people think: an intelligent person is one who has read a lot, received a good education (and even mainly a humanitarian one), traveled a lot, and knows several languages.
Meanwhile, you can have all this and be unintelligent, and you can not possess any of this to a large extent, but still be an internally intelligent person.
Education cannot be confused with intelligence. Education lives by old content, intelligence - by creating new things and recognizing the old as new.
Moreover... Deprive a truly intelligent person of all his knowledge, education, deprive him of his memory. Let him forget everything in the world, he will not know the classics of literature, he will not remember the greatest works of art, he will forget the most important historical events, but if at the same time he remains receptive to intellectual values, a love of acquiring knowledge, an interest in history, an aesthetic sense, he will be able to to distinguish a real work of art from a crude “thing” made only to surprise, if he can admire the beauty of nature, understand the character and individuality of another person, enter into his position, and having understood the other person, help him, he will not show rudeness, indifference, or gloating , envy, but will appreciate another if he shows respect for the culture of the past, the skills of an educated person, responsibility in resolving moral issues, the richness and accuracy of his language - spoken and written - this will be an intelligent person.
Intelligence is not only about knowledge, but about the ability to understand others. It manifests itself in a thousand and a thousand little things: in the ability to argue respectfully, to behave modestly at the table, in the ability to quietly (precisely imperceptibly) help another, to take care of nature, not to litter around oneself - do not litter with cigarette butts or swearing, bad ideas (this is also garbage, and what else!).
I knew peasants in the Russian North who were truly intelligent. They maintained amazing cleanliness in their homes, knew how to appreciate good songs, knew how to tell “happenings” (that is, what happened to them or others), lived an orderly life, were hospitable and friendly, treated with understanding both the grief of others and someone else's joy.
Intelligence is the ability to understand, to perceive, it is a tolerant attitude towards the world and towards people.
You need to develop intelligence in yourself, train it—train your mental strength, just as you train your physical strength. And training is possible and necessary in any conditions.
That training physical strength contributes to longevity is understandable. Much less understands that longevity requires training of spiritual and mental strength.
The fact is that an angry and angry reaction to the environment, rudeness and lack of understanding of others is a sign of mental and spiritual weakness, human inability to live... Pushing around in a crowded bus is a weak and nervous person, exhausted, reacting incorrectly to everything. Quarreling with neighbors is also a person who does not know how to live, who is mentally deaf. An aesthetically unresponsive person is also an unhappy person. Someone who cannot understand another person, attributes only evil intentions to him, and is always offended by others - this is also a person who impoverishes his own life and interferes with the lives of others. Mental weakness leads to physical weakness. I'm not a doctor, but I'm convinced of this. Long-term experience has convinced me of this.
Friendliness and kindness make a person not only physically healthy, but also beautiful. Yes, exactly beautiful.
A person’s face, distorted by malice, becomes ugly, and the movements of an evil person are devoid of grace - not deliberate grace, but natural grace, which is much more expensive.
Man's social duty is to be intelligent. This is a duty to yourself. This is the key to his personal happiness and the “aura of goodwill” around him and towards him (that is, addressed to him).
Everything I talk about with young readers in this book is a call to intelligence, to physical and moral health, to the beauty of health. Let us live long as people and as a people! And veneration of father and mother should be understood broadly - as veneration of all our best in the past, in the past, which is the father and mother of our modernity, great modernity, to which it is great happiness to belong.
How to overcome the dominance of junk words in your speech
Pay more attention to what and how you say. This will be the first and most important step towards enriching your vocabulary. Even though you will never be able to get rid of filler words completely, make it a rule to listen to yourself on tape. Take notes of your conversations throughout the day. With this you can monitor the current state of affairs with the quality of your spoken language. You can use a free audio editing software such as Garageband or Audacity, or leave your own recordings at your workplace or home to memorize speech patterns and how they are pronounced. While you listen, aim to keep track of your own stumbles by writing them down or counting them. If you find the three or four most common parasitic words in yourself, repeat the speech to yourself again until you get rid of them. So, gradually, in small steps - namely, by isolating groups of several unnecessary words, you can “fix” your everyday speech.
In addition, you can also replace these words with more interesting intermediate phrases, such as: “Let's move on to...” or “Another important consideration is...”. If the situation allows, try to speak more ornately. For example, make a list of synonyms and actively use it. Make a promise to yourself in similar situations to use different words each time that are similar in meaning. Fortunately, the lexical composition of the Russian language is one of the richest in the world.
Both methods will, after some time, lead you to achieving more confident and, at the same time, intelligent speech. You will be surprised how these improvements in your conversational style will begin to pleasantly impress the people around you.
conclusions
Thus, we have formed a certain image of the concept of “intelligence”. What it is, how this trait manifests itself and what it can give to its bearer - all this is now easier to imagine.
We like the manifestation of this trait in other people, because communication with such individuals is extremely pleasant. To improve yourself, it is worth developing and maintaining intelligence. What it is for you personally - you will determine when you realize what you need. Let us briefly summarize the generally accepted concept in such a way that intelligence is expressed in the emotional, intellectual, cultural, and ethical aspects of the human personality.
The value of intelligence is great. Develop these qualities in yourself, it will be easier for you to form a full-fledged personality. Thus, developing intelligence in oneself means growing above all oneself.
