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Intelligence Redefined
It’s not all niceties and flowery speech
In the physical sense, the above would be the equivalent of Cath Kidson chintz — and as dry as a Ryvita. I always picture a 1950s-esque scene in a black and white B-Movie, with the intelligentsia having a fireside discussion after dinner over a cigar or two — something which is quintessentially bourgeois, but not necessarily the definition of superior mental acuity.
Nor is intelligence fact quoting, being educated, or well read. This can definitely help though.
Pure intelligence is raw.
It can sometimes be astonishingly ugly and take you by surprise.
It can be earthy and base, involving swearing and plain speaking. Or be totally off the wall.
But equally, it can answer difficult questions and force us to view the world from unique perspectives. It can nail a point perfectly, no matter how simply put.
Contrary to popular belief, it is something that transcends social class. Some very influential people, who, despite having come from nothing, have turned out to be famous around the world for making us think. Take George Orwell, who was from a modest background, and became a scholarship student then ultimately a prolific writer on issues surrounding politics and social class; or Dame…
