Intelligence and Awareness: A Mind for Thriving
Some people are intelligent but unaware.
Others seem tuned in but just don’t think things through.
If thriving is the name of The Game then it’s critical that we develop both.
So today we’ll consider…
Intelligence and Awareness
Success doesn’t require mastery over both intelligence and awareness.
But for serious students of thriving, having a strong base in both is critical.
Having one without the other is like trying to row a boat with a single oar.
You can get where you want to go, but it’s going to take a lot more work.
Fortunately intelligence and awareness are qualities that we can develop within ourselves if we take the time to do so.
What’s the Difference? – Famous Champions
Let’s consider some examples of “intelligence”?
Icons of this quality might include university professors, scientists, and inventors fit the bill.
Real world examples include Einstein, Elon Musk, or perhaps even Steve Jobs.
By contrast, who would we describe as typically “aware”?
Some common groups could include therapists, yogi’s, counselors, meditators, and perhaps even artists.
Individuals such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela epitomize this side of the coin.
Intelligence
Here in “western civilization” in the 21st century where individualism is strongest, intelligence is a highly valued commodity.
It’s sought by employers especially in outcome oriented working environments (opposed to process oriented).
And broadly, most of us want to be thought of as “intelligent”.
Some tools of intelligence include critical thinking, strategic thinking, and problem solving.
It’s about functional knowledge in a specific domain.
So even though there are some general tools of intelligence, one size usually does not fit all.
Just because someone can solve complex math equations doesn’t mean he or she can fix the engine of your car.
So it tends to be about specific areas and creating outcomes within those limits.
Often, intelligence is about the ability to make things happen. It’s action oriented.
We might say it’s about things we can “do” with our minds.
Awareness
By contrast, awareness tends to be more highly valued in collectivistic cultures.
It’s less about the cognitive horsepower of an individual and more about the ability to notice relationships, especially in social settings.
When we think of someone as “tuned-in” to the environment or the community, this is awareness.
Presence, mindfulness, and connection describe it.
Awareness is not so much about a specific set of abilities that we perform. So it’s less context relevant.
Instead, it’s more of an underlying quality.
If acts of intelligence focus broadly on doing, awareness is more about a state of being.
In fact, you could say that awareness is the space inside of which intelligence lives. I mean, how can you be “intelligent” about anything that’s outside of your awareness.
If we aren’t aware of something, then we are oblivious to it.
So awareness is like the arena of the mind. Intelligence is the tools and what we do with them inside of that arena.
What Do You Think?
Which do you identify with more? Intelligence, awareness, or maybe a mix of both?
Are intelligence and awareness similar? Are they different? Are the completely unrelated?
Is one more important than the other? Why?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t miss the upcoming posts.
Until then, keep rockin’ it and make every day count.
