Understanding Smartness: A Path to Profound Insight
An old saying suggests that those who grasp the essence of things instantly are destined for a different fate than those who never do. This sentiment highlights the power of profound insight, which can be equated with smartness. While many desire to be smarter, the question remains: how can one cultivate this quality?
Smartness as a Method and a Habit
Becoming truly smart is not necessarily easy, but it is achievable. Smartness is not an inherent trait, but rather a method attainable through conscious training. In essence, smartness is a habit that can be developed and refined.
Defining Smartness: Beyond IQ and Knowledge
Before delving further, it's crucial to define what we mean by "smartness." While smart people often acquire knowledge and skills more efficiently, smartness is not synonymous with either. Similarly, while high IQ is often associated with smartness, it's not the only or even most important factor. IQ can be viewed as a tool; a sharper axe, for example. However, the effectiveness of the tool depends on how it's used.
Observation and Smartness: Cause and Effect
Observation plays a vital role in smartness, but not in the way one might initially think. Being able to perceive the essence of things is a result of being smart, not the cause. It's like a rainbow appearing after rain; the rainbow doesn't cause the sun to come out; rather, the thinning clouds allowing the sun to shine cause the rainbow. Smartness is the cause, and profound insight is the resulting effect.
The Foundation of Smartness: Rational Observation
In my view, all methods of becoming smarter stem from a single origin: cultivating a habit of rational observation of the world. Let's explore this step by step:
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Recognizing Limitations: Truly rational observation reveals a crucial truth: humanity and individual knowledge are finite in an infinite world. The entirety of human knowledge is insignificant compared to the vastness of the universe, and individual experience is a mere speck within that collective human experience.
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Embracing Ignorance with Humility: Recognizing this limitation is the most fundamental condition for becoming smarter. It necessitates approaching the world with humility and reverence. As Socrates famously said, "I only know that I know nothing." This humility should be genuine, not a false modesty.
Humility and Acceptance of Imperfection
Smart individuals are genuinely humble before the vastness of the world, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are always gentle. They may exhibit impatience towards illogical arguments or meaningless distractions, as these represent a waste of valuable time. Furthermore:
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Accepting Stupidity: Smart people acknowledge their own potential for error. They don't shy away from admitting mistakes or appearing foolish. They understand that concealing their shortcomings is pointless.
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Welcoming Feedback: When someone points out their errors, smart people are unlikely to take offense. Instead, they might genuinely seek advice on how to improve.
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Trusting the Process, not the Individual: Because smart people recognize the universality of human limitations, they don't blindly trust themselves or others. They are open to continuous revision and growth.
Continuous Evolution: The Hallmark of Smartness
Acknowledging one's own limitations and accepting the possibility of error naturally leads to a third key characteristic: a constant drive for evolution.
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Correcting Bias: Since individual perspectives are inherently biased, external coordinates are needed for correction. These coordinates might come from the perspectives of others or objective facts that contradict subjective feelings.
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Multiple Perspectives: Smart individuals seek diverse perspectives - considering their own, others', and objective standpoints. They observe from different angles to gain a more complete picture of the truth. This repeated correction of cognitive bias leads to a deeper understanding of the essence of things.
Core Characteristics of Smart People
The most important core characteristics of smart people are those that naturally arise from a foundation of rationality.
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Building Knowledge Structures: Instead of sheer volume of knowledge, focus is on building well connected systems of knowledge.
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Being Curious: Having inherent motivation to explore and learn.
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Being Independent: Having the ability to think for themselves and evaluate others' input. These are natural outgrowths of rationally exploring and observing the world.
In closing, encountering individuals with these characteristics is beneficial, making them worthwhile companions. If you recognize these qualities in yourself, seek out relationships with other smart people to further your growth and understanding.