This will be my new nickname for Sarah Palin. There has been a lot written about her lately which I suppose feeds the beast so to speak. So, I don't really want to address her directly but to point out that she is a symptom of a much bigger problem. In modern society (although I suppose the old days probably weren't much different) there is a blurring of the lines between the articulate, the intelligent, and the informed.
When thinking of the first, Sarah Palin really doesn't come to mind. Joe Morgan immediately enters my mind. When he broadcasted baseball games, he sounded so smart. The prose flowed like butter on a biscuit. Unfortunately, when you listened to the prose carefully you were left wondering whether he just became an idiot or if he was always an idiot. There are numerous examples of this in politics as well.
Think of how many actors are not only politically active but vocal as well. How many times has Tom Hanks commented on this, Sean Penn commented on that, or even Mike Farrell? Snooki's treastise on the condition of the modern man cannot be far behind. They sound great don't they? Sure, they've had years of practice and the spectre of a microphone stuffed in their face doesn't bother them in the least. Put any of us in the same situation and you can expect more vocal fillers than a drunk trying to get out of a DUI.
Then, you have the intelligent. The intelligent are probably the most dangerous when you think about it. They can get by on that intelligence. The Great Symptom is intelligent in some aspects. She gets people talking and more importantly gets them talking about her. Sure, there is some narcissism there. Yeah, there isn't a whole lot of depth there either, but you gotta be pretty smart to take yourself from PTA president to media darling.
What all these folks lack is knowledge. I call her a symptom because she is a symptom of our modern culture. Knowledge is not only taken lightly but scorned in many aspects. People argue with their kids' teachers, thumb their nose at their doctors, and treat industry experts as if they wore pocket protectors and had slide rules. Imagine if a poor soul were actually a policy expert. Will the doctor with the cure for cancer please sit the hell down here comes Kim Kardashian.
Articulation and intelligence come pretty easy. You are either born with intelligence or not. Sure, you can do some things to expand the power of the brain and you can certainly destroy it. Articulation can be developed through some practice, but once you got it you got it. Knowledge on the other hand takes a lifetime of work. This is where most people fall short. You become king of the mountain and all the sudden everything changes. Continuing education is becoming as painful to hear as "some assembly required."
I must admit, I have the urge to unplug from time to time. Work is hard, family life is fun and a challenge, or current affairs are simply too depressing. Unplugging is a necessity. People don't go on vacation to discuss the congressional docket (unless they are seriously warped). The problem is that many Americans don't ever plug back in. They wake up one day like Rip Van Winkle in a land they can't recognize. They're scared and so they start shouting from the top of their lungs.
I think the so-called mainstream media (and the slanted ones) understand this inherently. They know that putting a knowledgable person on air makes us feel like we are idiots. So, put on the idiot instead. Sure, they may be articulate and intelligent (in some cases) but they don't know a damn bit more than we do (and often less). So, we feel like we are informed. The last thing we need to be is uncomfortable with our own lack of knowledge.
An "old Arabic proverb"? Whut? Cobbo outed Carguy as a seekret Muslim Brotherhood member! No Muslims in Groud Zero! Sacre Bleu Cheese! Oh wait, that was last year's wingnut rage against nothing. I get soooo confoosed. Never mind.
My reply was actually shorter than I wanted, but the Iphone makes it difficult to make a long response. So, I will try to summarize your questions and relate them back to the discussion.
1) Seven gifts of the holy spirit
There are multiple biblical references to the gifts, but it is Catholic teaching that you are sealed with the gifts of the holy spirit at confirmation with the holy oil used by the bishop. There are several applicable points here to be made. First, I referenced oversimplification. A literal translation of that would mean that a 16 year old would suddenly be gifted with wisdom, wonder and awe, knowledge, right judgment, understanding, et al. I would interpret as meaning that the holy spirit gives a believer the desire or openness to those seven gifts.
Obviously, the difference between intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom is the whole point of my original post. I would define intelligence as the ability to learn. I would define knowledge as information. I would define wisdom as the ability to use information in the best manner possible.
2) Multiple intelligences
I addressed this in the last post but wanted to reiterate that I agree with this to a certain extent. You will note that I never used the term IQ. I used cognitive because the brain controls all functions. So, someone might have the cognitive ability to relate to other people, maintain their emotions, perform an athletic skill, play a musical instrument, ect. Therefore, knowledge could be loosely defined as acquiring the training or information needed to take advantage of that particular ability or intelligence.
3) Intelligence and goodness
Okie dokie. Now, we get into the really deep stuff. Is good or evil a choice or something that in inherent in the individual? Does evil and good come from us or come from the environment we live in? We often talk about how machines are not good or evil but it is how they are used that determine such. The power of the human mind is the same. To me, intelligence is not inherently good. It is pure ability (whether seen as linear in terms of IQ or multi-faceted in terms of the multiple intelligence model). If someone is athletically intelligent are we to say they are not so if they use that ability to run from the police?
4) Use of Knowledge/Wisdom
Knowledge can be sat upon I suppose, but knowledge is also ever evolving, so I would hardly call someone laying down on the couch and watching Springer as knowledgeable. At least, if they are doing it for a long time. Action on the other hand is a bit of a misnomer because our attitudes and beliefs reflect that knowledge (or lack of knowledge). The long and short of it is that we don't value knowledge enough. Wisdom falls even lower on the list unfortunately.
5) Windbags and Oversimplification
Let's take one statement. "The terrorists attacked us because they are jealous of our freedom." Really? There's a difference between using simpler language and using copout explanations like the above. 24 hour news and punditry has offered little useful analysis on situations like these. A history lesson on Islam might be helpful. Hell, how about just a look back at the last 40 years of our foreign policy in the Middle East. Funny, but the windbags love to say that this leads us down the road to "blame America first". However, simple answers lead to simple solutions. In an increasingly complex world simple solutions simply don't work.
5) The Symptom and the word intelligent
I said it about her before and about Bush as well. Whether daddy got him in or not, one does not graduate from an Ivy League school without some intelligence. A village idiot does not become one of the most powerful people in a political party. Of course, everyone can call her whatever they want. They both have the same fatal flaw: they are uninterested in knowledge. Knowledge is power right? Lack of knowledge is dangerous on that level. Therefore, the use of dumb and idiot are not necessarily interchangeable. You can be an intelligent idiot. That describes both of them.
Excellent points, and very well said (:
You are doing fine Doug. Please forgive me if I gloss over a point.
1) I do agree with multiple intelligences but they are all inherited or organic. Knowledge could be loosely defined as the refining of those various traits. Palin could be said to have an interpersonal intelligence.
2) I don't think one can come upon knowledge lying down on the couch. Wisdom I would define as the skillful application of such knowledge. For instance, I may know a lot about middle east culture and history but if I know how to use it I am wise.
More to come I promise.
dammit carguy, you made me work. I found the Bartlett's, kept the table saw propped with an empty can of Miller Lite and found-nothing. Then I found this on-line:
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/he-who-knows/
It's a poem that's apparently a riff on an old Arabic proverb.
Then I returned the Bartlett's to its highest and best use.
Hey Scott,
That was very a very interesting response, and I'd like to talk about it further if we could. You made some points that are getting me to think, and to have more questions. So...maybe the best way to do that is to paste your response below, and I'll put my thoughts in between yours, then I'd appreciate it, if you would respond as well. I'll put my responses in Caps only to distinguish mine from yours. All of this is meant with the utmost respect. Sometimes we can not tell that when we are just writing.
Doug,
While not a diagnostician, I do delve into those arts in my role. However, when thinking about these things (wisdom, knowledge, intelligence) I always revert back to the gifts of the holy spirit. Wisdom and Knowledge are two of them and yet intelligence is not.
Intelligence is straight line cognitive potential. That's means "can" they do it.
WHAT IS THE KNOWLEDGE YOU RECEIVE FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND HOW IS THAT DISTINGUISHED FROM WISDOM? I CONSIDER MYSELF A CHRISTIAN AS WELL, BUT DON'T KNOW IF I'VE DOWNLOADED ANYTHING BEYOND MAYBE SOME SLIGHT WISDOM FROM THE HOLY SPIRITS. KNOWLEDGE PROBABLY NOT, AND PROBABLY NOT INTELLIGENCE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE THAT INTELLIGENCE IS STRAIGHT LINE COGNITIVE POTENTIAL. THERE'S BEEN MANY DISPUTES AND DISCUSSIONS OVER THE YEARS ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES "INTELLIGENCE". FOR EXAMPLE THE I.Q. TEST HAS BEEN CRITICIZED HEAVILY FOR HAVING CULTURAL BIASES IN FAVOR OF WHITE PEOPLE, AS A MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE. LOTS OF PEOPLE ALSO SAY THAT THERE IS MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF INTELLIGENCE(S). IE. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, EVEN ATHLETIC INTELLIGENCE. I DONT' THINK IT CAN BE SO EASILY MEASURED TO SAY IT IS "STRAIGHT LINE COGNITIVE POTENTIAL"
I THINK WHEN WE REFUSE TO CALL PEOPLE THAT SEEK TO DO HARM AND ARE SUCCESSFUL AT IT, "INTELLIGENT" WERE TAKING AWAY POWER FROM THEM, AND THAT IS A GOOD THING. WORDS MATTER FAR MORE THAT MOST PEOPLE REALIZE. WE CAN OWN THE WORD, WHAT INTELLIGENCE MEANS, INSTEAD OF HAVING IT DICTATED TO US BY SOCIETY.
Knowledge, wisdom, goodness refers to "will" they do it.
HOW DOES HAVING KNOWLEDGE MEAN YOU WILL OR WILL NOT DO SOMETHING? I CAN HAVE LOTS OF KNOWLEDGE AND STILL CHOOSE TO LAY ON THE COUCH WITH A BAG OF NACHOS, RATHER THAT GO OUT AND FILL WHATEVER POTENTIAL I MGIHT HAVE FROM KNOWLEDGE THAT I POSSESS. SAME THING WITH GOODESS. IT IS NOT AN ACTION WORD, OR WISDOM FOR THAT MATTER.
I suspect many of the so-called windbags are examples of people with the ability to do it, but have chosen to be lazy or see knowledge as something to be scorned. They go with the gut.
For all,
I've danced around this (AROUNG WHAT)? throughout my time here at TDH. The fundamental problem I have with listening to such folks (WHICH FOLKS, WINDBAGS)? is that they manage to make matters of great import as simple as humanly possible. (I DON'T REALLY GET THIS EITHER) Yet, there is a huge difference between simplicity of jargon and simplicity of scope. There's nothing simple about foreign policy. There's nothing simple about health care reform. There's nothing simple about deficit reduction or financial reform.
One of the great truths I've learned is that you shouldn't talk down to children. They see it through it. I wonder why we (collectively) can't.
(WHO IS TALKING DOWN TO WHO? WHO ARE YOU REFERRING TO)?
YOU MADE THE POINT SCOTT THAT YOU THINK THAT PALIN IS INTELLIGENT (I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID) BASICALLY BECAUSE OF WHERE'S SHE'S GOTTEN. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE IS PROBABLY SOME ABILITY THERE, BUT I SO RESPECT THE WORD "INTELLIGENT" THAT IF I HAVE TO THINK OF PALIN AS BEING INTELLIGENT, THAT'S GOING TO MAKE ME DUMBER. I COULD NEVER CALL HER THAT...I DO THINK SHE HAS PROBABLY LOCKED ONTO SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT THE REST OF US ARE BETTER OFF NOT KNOWING ABOUT. BUT THAT IS NOT INTELLIGENCE.
ANYWAYS, THOSE ARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS...RESPOND IF YOU WANT. TAKE CARE!
BTW, your category (Sarah Palin) and your tag (knowledge) are a bit of an oxymoron.
And what, precisely, is wrong with pocket protectors and slide rules????
A couple of thoughts on some different things people have said.
Loma,
I apologize for mentioning the symptom by name. I did not mean to make this about her because it really isn't. It is about our collective love affair with people that don't know.
Doug,
While not a diagnostician, I do delve into those arts in my role. However, when thinking about these things (wisdom, knowledge, intelligence) I always revert back to the gifts of the holy spirit. Wisdom and Knowledge are two of them and yet intelligence is not.
Intelligence is straight line cognitive potential. That's means "can" they do it. Knowledge, wisdom, goodness refers to "will" they do it. I suspect many of the so-called windbags are examples of people with the ability to do it, but have chosen to be lazy or see knowledge as something to be scorned. They go with the gut.
For all,
I've danced around this throughout my time here at TDH. The fundamental problem I have with listening to such folks is that they manage to make matters of great import as simple as humanly possible. Yet, there is a huge difference between simplicity of jargon and simplicity of scope. There's nothing simple about foreign policy. There's nothing simple about health care reform. There's nothing simple about deficit reduction or financial reform.
One of the great truths I've learned is that you shouldn't talk down to children. They see it through it. I wonder why we (collectively) can't.
Gentlemen:
Verses 2-4 in addition to the one I already quoted:
He who does not know and knows he does not know is a child, teach him.
He who knows and does not know he knows is asleep, awaken him.
He who knows and knows he knows is a leader, follow him.
I don't know who said it.
hey doug, thanks...hah, gotcha I bet. Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk! I agree but evil is an intelligence. The philosophical debate that surrounds 'evil' is a journey down the proverbial rabbit hole but...what the hell am I talking about, anyway.
Bravo!
Wisdom is intelligence plus common sense.
Palin lacks both.
But she's sure got one hell of an ego!
I'm requesting. I seemed to have misplaced my Bartlett's. Either that or it's propping up a leg of my table saw.
I think the word "intelligent" is high praise, and I'd like to see the meaning of it expanded. For example, evil people that "get a lot done" ie. Hitler, are not intelligent in my book. But I hear the term intelligent being associated with destructive people all the time. I think this is ridiculous. If you're tearing down humanity, and ultimately your reputation, and how you'll be remembered, that is not "intelligent". So, I've consciously stopped using the word intelligent to describe people that are destructive, or wicked. Just because you might have abilities in a certain area, does not make you intelligent if you're not using it in a productive manner.
I think a person who is wise is almost always intelligent, and vice-versa. Wisdom is the highest form of intelligence in my opinion. Being wise, is more important than having lots of knowledge too. Knowledge has it's place, but if one doesn't know how to prioritize their knowledge, it has limited value. A wise person who knows what to pay attention to, and what not to, is to be admired.
Hey My man, Carguy,
I bite...give me the rest of the quote and who quoted it.
LOL!
jeez, I can't tell you how many 'discussions' I had with my ex, backing up my beliefs with more than a single reference to acknowledged professionals and my own reasoned judgment and experience. Her response was always, "Why would you trust them more than me!" Yeah, I'm serious. What was especially frustrating for me was that her primary source of expert opinion was her sister...gawd, that was painful!
Forgive me please, but having to view another treatise on Sarah Palin just makes me want to stick a yardstick down my throat and be done with it!
At least my rage would then be adequately measured, eh?
If I may..........
"He who does not know, and does not know he does not know, is a FOOL. Shun him."
If you haven't heard this, the rest of the quote is available, if you ask......
I think they are pandering to the lowest common denominator in American intelligence.
Sadly, a person who is truly stupid (hello Sarah Palin) doesn't realize they are stupid because...well, because they are....stupid.
To quote someone we know: she makes my eyeballs bleed.
And now I read that Bristol is "writing" her memoirs?
Come on, folks. She is, what...20? What the hell has she done to warrant writing her memoirs? She isn't the first teenager to get knocked up. Nor will she be the last. She's just got a big-mouth mama and TV cameras to highlight her.
Someone please make the entire family go away and shut up. Please. Stuff them back in that Pandora's box John McCain opened up.
(Damn you for that, McCain!)
Intersting perspective Steve.
Just kidding......
Scott, what we have done, unintentionally, over the past 30 odd years, is make "stupidity" popular. From "America's Funniest Home Videos" to "Jackass", and all these reality TV shows, stupidity is popular. And being stupid gets you attention. People are, like what so many said about Howard Stern, "just waiting to hear what he says next". THAT is what gets one attention THESE DAYS. It didn't use to. In the old days, stupid people were shunned and, accordingly, eventually silenced. But today, being stupid and vocal gets you publicity. Publicity gets you celebrity and celebrity gets you (for some people) credibility. That's where stupidity becomes dangerous.