Intelligence and Quotations About It

Intelligence is said to have its peak in childhood years, when people’s character is not yet forced into all the forms and patterns we learn later on. In childhood we think "out of the box" because we are not exactly self conscious and inferiority complex is something we don’t know anything about.

As I mentioned, intelligence is freely manifested in childhood years – if it is left to be so – but intelligence is not a synonym of wisdom. They are both necessary and while intelligence notices every nonsense, wisdom is the one that lets some nonsense pass unnoticed. Intelligence is like pure drinking water: it is so necessary and usable when you put it in the right container, but it becomes useless if you spill it on the floor.

Therefore using intelligence for the right purpose will bring the most of it to its owner.

As you must have heard and most probably had your intelligence determined with the help of an IQ test, the intelligence levels differ. If you find yourself at times the only one laughing when a joke is told during a meeting, that most of the times indicates that your IQ is higher than of the others’. Nevertheless, it has been demonstrated and it is well-known nowadays the fact that emotional intelligence is just as important. Emotional intelligence is linked to our ability to relate to others in our environment.

For instance, let’s suppose, you’d be the most intelligent person on earth, but your thoughts would be so impenetrable for the other people that no one would understand you. In such case, you’d be alone and misunderstood; but if your intelligence is present also when relating to others - that is the emotional side of intelligence – you will be able to communicate using their language, making them understand what you want to transmit.

I will now let now great personalities speak about intelligence in the quotations below:

1. Your relationships reflect your intelligence level:

"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him." Niccolo Machiavelli
"A sign of intelligence is an awareness of one's own ignorance."

2. Intelligence and mediocrity

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." Albert Einstein
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." William James

3. Controlling your emotions is a sign of intelligence:

"The sign of an intelligent people is their ability to control their emotions by the application of reason" Marya Mannes (American Writer, 1904-1990)
"Action is the real measure of intelligence." Napoleon Hill

4. The ability to adapt is a sign of intelligence:

"Only the extremely ignorant or the extremely intelligent can resist change." Socrates
"Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold." Joseph Chilton Pearce

5. Solomon on intelligence:

"Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence." Proverbs 4:1

"Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth." Proverbs 4:5

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7

"Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence thy kinswoman." Proverbs 7:4

"Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am intelligence; I have strength." Proverbs 8:14

"Forsake follies and live, and go in the way of intelligence." Proverbs 9:6

"The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is intelligence." Proverbs 9:10

"A man shall be commended according to his intelligence; but he that is of a distorted understanding shall be despised." Proverbs 12:8

"Folly is joy to one lacking heart, and a man of intelligence directs his' going." Proverbs 15:21

"How much better is it to get wisdom than fine gold, and the getting of intelligence to be preferred to silver!" Proverbs 16:16

"Weary not thyself to become rich; cease from your own intelligence." Proverbs 23:4

"Buy the truth, and sell it not; wisdom, and instruction, and intelligence." Proverbs 23:23

I will end the article mentioning what Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "We lie in the lap of immense intelligence." Indeed, we see all around, the immense intelligence of our Creator. Solomon affirms that we should rely on God’s intelligence and not ours:"Confide in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not unto your own intelligence." Proverbs 3:5