Intelligence- An Overrated Quality

 

Intelligence- An Overrated Quality

The word "intelligence" often carries a positive connotation, suggesting that those labelled as intelligent are icons of academic success. Society tends to prioritise intelligence, equating it with achievement. However, let’s consider the concept of intelligence more critically. Is intelligence inherently positive? Is it truly linked to success, and is it essential to be intelligent?

Consider a person who plans to attack an Army website. This individual demonstrates intelligence by employing logical, critical, and analytical thinking to hack the site and demand a ransom from the government. Should we classify this person as an "intelligent hacker"?

Now think about someone who meticulously plans to hijack a flight or derail a train. This person also exhibits intelligence; can we label them the "most intelligent terrorist"?

Additionally, consider an individual who uses artificial intelligence to create a fake image that looks remarkably real. If this manipulation leads to the suicide of the victim, should we commend this person as an "intelligent fake image maker"?

These examples illustrate that "intelligence" can have different meanings. As we become more obsessed with intelligence and success, we risk overlooking the importance of being a good human being. While intelligence is necessary for solving problems, developing an innovative approach, and producing desired outcomes, we must also prioritise another form of intelligence: emotional intelligence. This intelligence helps individuals understand themselves, regulate their behaviour, empathise with others, and handle relationships with care.

If education fails to nurture emotional intelligence, we may end up with intelligent criminals online and offline. We will encounter individuals who disregard the emotions of others, leading to workplaces devoid of empathy where conflicts become commonplace, and customer complaints surge. The negative consequences of failing to develop emotionally intelligent individuals could far outweigh the downsides of lacking academically successful people.

To delve deeper into emotional intelligence, I encourage you to explore resources like Deep Seek, ChatGPT, or Google to learn more. Let us spread the message about the need to develop human-centric character traits rather than simply focusing on candidates whose resumes are filled with academic credentials, possibly even crafted with the assistance of AI.

These thoughts are inspired by Vallalar, also known as Ramalinga Swamigal or Ramalinga Adigal.

M.L.Narendra Kumar