THE CONTENTS OF OUR MINDS

COMPARTMENTS OF INTELLIGENCE, BOXES OF STUPIDITY

I see successful people who show they are intelligent — in certain areas. It is always disarming, and a bit confusing, to discover they also have in their minds boxes of stupidity. The compartments of intelligence are marked by logical, rational analysis, and maintain a constant flow of information, in and out. The boxes of stupidity are closed and locked from the inside. They are controlled by emotion and become closely held belief systems.

Rational beliefs are slow to anger, and never fear dialectic exchange. Irrational beliefs are quick to anger and ready to fight to defend their positions. This is a good gage of which condition we are dealing with. I suspicion this is because a voice from the unconscious mind is whispering, “Hey, dude, you may be wrong here”, and consciousness, not willing to admit error, gets ready to fight to attempt to maintain the currently held beliefs.

When observing a debate, observe who is quickest to anger and resort to speaking loudly, interrupting, and insultingly attacking the opponent. That is the side less sure of it’s strongly believed position. The debator capable of maintaining calm, respectful demeanor is confident, sure, and most often right, and is able to politely disagree.

A box of opinions that are founded upon emotionally energized belief systems close off from new information. New information is nutrition for the mind. Without the nutrition of new information, the contents of a closed box in the mind shrivel and…