Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Instinct vs. Intellect

A mosquito tries to sit on my ankle, and I take a swipe at it - total miss! It comes back for another try. This time I allow it to almost sit and then BAM! It's crushed! Dead! I flick it away to join the few other carcasses of its species lying on the floor already.

If I were a mosquito, it must be a scene right out of my worst nightmare - to fly to a location looking for some blood, and finding a few members of my clan dead without getting a suck! But if I were a mosquito, I wouldn't notice! I see goats being slaughtered for mutton. One goat is getting its throat cut while another is busy chewing on grass right next to it - apparently not even bothered about what could happen to it next! It almost always blows my mind away. Somewhere, something is lacking - it is called intellect.

If you as much as trapped a monkey with the cleverest contraption, it is very unlikely that the same contraption will work again with the same group of monkeys. Monkeys have ample instinct, but they have a great deal of intellect as well, and that is why they have adapted and survived in the face of so many challenges. (Now let's not argue "instinctively" that so have mosquitoes, because there are other reasons for that.)

I have heard this all too common gripe against "boring intellectuals" who have nothing but thoughts and some of them very sophisticated indeed. Quite commonly, a lot of popular people, particularly in the performing arts, like to talk about how they have a "gut feeling" or an "instinctive take" on something and they just run with it, imparting a side note that they're not really thinking about it that much. Somewhere along the line, this gets translated to many susceptible minds that the brain is somehow an impediment to great artistic achievement and the instinct has far greater potential than intellect. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Luck plays a major factor in the outcome of an artistic adventure, no doubt. But that is hardly a case for supporting an approach that lacks in thought and is fraught with risk. Of course "method" can only go so far. But for the ones not naturally gifted with an easy understanding, method is the donkey's approach to doing what it takes. That is really as intellectual as it needs to get.

The brain isn't always the hero either. A reflex action is controlled by the spinal cord, before the brain even has the time to get the information about the stimulus. It is a brilliant way to save our lives when we are suddenly thrown off balance, but hardly of any use when figuring out what to do with your life. The few who trust their instincts and ignore their intellect usually end up in jail or correctional facilities. The few who succeed by listening to their "inner voice" aren't a product of their instincts alone. They had the acumen to push their charmingly realized visions towards measurable goals and achievable milestones. They created their own lives. The brain was not playing second fiddle there!

We love people who are a bit ready to fly off the cuff, since there is something unpredictable about the output, and we love to see that unpredictability in other people's attempts, just to keep it interesting for us. But beware of those who advice you against using your brain and trusting your "gut instinct". When I get angry, my "gut instinct" normally tells me to punch someone in the face or sometimes even jam my palm against the nose! Extend this some more and we should love people who murder on impulse, rape on an uncontrollable sexual instinct, and commit many horrendous crimes against humanity!

People who excel at anything are usually the ones willing to put their brains to work. If they use their instincts to propel them to the pinnacle, that is usually when they have completely gone as high as their understanding has taken them, and they are willing to take a bit of risk to understand some more by going into the regions yet not experienced by them.

Intellect is informed by and craves for knowledge, while belief is often instinctive, and therefore almost always blind. I always worry when someone expresses belief as a necessary component to success. Only knowledge can give us the tools to succeed, not belief. There was a time when the majority of the world's population believed the earth was flat. It took knowledge to dispel that stupid belief. Any time knowledge steps in, belief loses its value. So if you believe in God, believe in yourself, believe in democracy and all that stupid nonsense that has been thrust upon you, know that knowledge might be just around the corner that will force you to quickly give up your beliefs!

If you believe to an extent where you are driven by it, particularly if you are pursuing a "dream" like being an actor, or lead a life where your progress depends on how others perform in a circus of permutations and combinations, then know that your belief played no part in your success or failure. It is true that everybody who succeeded talks about having faith and belief in their inevitable success, but then, that is because everybody who pursues a goal where intellect does not play a decisive part somehow turns to belief for motivation!

Your father released three million sperms into your mother. Only you swam into the egg that ovulated and eventually became you. I wonder if you believed more than the others! But, if you're good enough to beat three million rivals in one race for survival, you can usually do pretty well amongst human beings - as long as you know what the odds are. For knowing the odds, you have to turn to statistics - a very cerebral, truth filled subject that relies on measurable data and numbers!

The next time you are about to make fun of that "boring intellectual" sort of guy, remember that he can afford to be boring once in a while whereas you instinctive clowns out there have to be interesting all the time for others to even notice!

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