Intelligence Built by Wisdom

I had a quick thought about one of Camille's posts where she writes about us "Drowning in information while starving for wisdom". It proved to be a little too lengthy for a comment, yet had me thinking enough for a post.

The internet provides us with a seemingly endless array of information, and this helps us accomplish an amazing multitude of things. It's safe to say I know and have been provided with far more than either of my parents when they were my age. While it's being proven iq's are getting higher, young people commonly hear millions of voices telling us that we are getting dumber. It's continuous, it's discouraging, and it's a drive to rebellion for many, that being something we see that firsthand.

I know without a doubt that I could take in all the information in every one of the textbooks Mayfair provided and recite it regularly, I could memorize every passage and answer every question in every test or quiz given if I had the desire to. But everybody could. We are usually no different from one another, and we all express impressive potential, whether we are taking 5 AP classes or are sent to a continuation school. We each posses an awesome intelligence that can only grow throughout our education. We all could bathe in information, and drown in our intelligence.

But what makes us different? Well, think about Shelden Cooper of The Big Bang Theory. He's seen as one of the highest minds of his time, he uses every resource necessary to expand his knowledge and is determined to be above all others. But what general vibe does he give off? For lack of better words, anyone who's seen his character portrayal would consider him the stupidest genius of existence. Why? Because he lacks intimacy. He lacks relations, experience, a broad-mind and humility. He does not know how to present himself because he believes his intelligence will take him further than his impression, because he gained all his knowledge by himself. It seems as if the information we receive by ourselves for ourselves is only providing our world another reason to believe we are becoming 'zombies' enslaved by our own pride. We will no longer ask our parents "where do babies come from?" and are no longer given the everlasting speech as to why it's important to have someone special, why we need to mature fully before we can help mature another person, and then eventually told where babies really come from. We now google a question, and are provided an answer.

But an endless lecture in reply to a brief question can give us a peak a what google could never enlighten us with; wisdom. Of course some people are matured enough to understand what to do with knowledge when it's presented to them, but most of us need guidance and a sense of direction and purpose when we gather our information. I believe without a doubt that when a teacher applies for a job, their knowledge of the subject they teach is not the only factor, but their ability to work with their students and their ability to recognize potential and advance it. I believe they are (hopefully) chosen because they know how to apply their intelligence to what is presented in an intelligent and understanding way. And if you replace a teacher with a technology that does not make relations and does not recognize how you work and think as an individual, attaining wisdom can become complicated.  How and when technology should be utilized is important, and it does make all the difference.