Is intelligence a measure of soul growth/progress?

[TOTEM36]

I am not sure I understand the difference between logical and rational here but what I meant by rationalization was as a psychology term describing one of the defense mechanisms (i.e. denial, projection, rationalization, etc) - as one of the ways we lie to ourselves. Perhaps it is where the emotional center uses the intellectual center to make up "reasons" (is this what you meant about the rational taking up the slack of the logical?)... in this sense, having higher intellectual skills could just make one a better liar.

yes, because the objective 'logical' mind is absent and the person has no idea what they are doing.

 

[Carl]

The tone of your discussion of your girlfriend comes across as judgmental and self-important.

That you brought the subject up in the first place, and even mention that she is the only one who appreciates the "wisdom in the advice I give her" sounds rather self-important. Are you worried that you are wasting your pearls of widsom on a swine? Asking how "someone like her" would fare in the Work? As if she's got some kind of disease because she's not as "smart" as you (think you are.)

Instead of feelling personally wronged, try and look at what you wrote from an outsider's point of view and see how judgemental it sounds.

Hopefully you will look back someday and be amazed at how far you've come, so do read on! :)

Let it be clear that the reason I posted this thread was simply to find out how 'intelligence' affects one's ability to progress on the fourth way, and was purely out of curiosity. By intelligence I meant the certain type of intelligence that allows some people to succeed with ease in areas such as schooling, and my poor definitions caused some issues. I never meant it in a judgmental way (on the surface anyway).

That being said, through my wording and examples used in asking the question, I seem to have revealed some parts of my psyche that I did not acknowledge while writing the post. While I was not overtly trying to judge anyone (I respect my friend a huge amount), I still came across as pretentiously superior and self important. This is very clear to me now it has been pointed out and a lesson has definitely been learned, don't think otherwise :).

 

[Carl]

Also if it was not clear in my other post, I recognized the sense of being "personally wronged" by criticism was just a program and I did fully understand what shellycheval was saying.

 

[cubbex]

in simple terms a developing 'logical' mind is the marker of soul/growth progress.

Yeah? and which kind of logical mind is that? cuz there is linear logic and non-linear logic. What soul growth would be is, seeking knowledge and by that seeking truth, being logic and using common sense comes by the hand with it.

 

[TOTEM36]

I think that is an interesting way of dividing 'logic'.

 

[MikaelYosef]

Would someone like that have to develop their intellectual capacities before even attempting to free themselves from this reality, or is it not so necessary for everyone? Maybe there are different paths to the same end goal?

Maybe it's not necessarily the intellect that needs to be developed but rather it's the individual's perception to potentially life-changing events juxtaposed to their present-day life? I suspect this perception might correlate well with the relative easiness or difficulty of one's life and their ability to see this reality for what it is.

 

[Leo40]

imho intellect is a tool and like any tool it matters how you apply it.
To what end do you use your intellect?

Just a few examples:
on the STS side you can use it to destroy people;
on the STO side you can use it to assist people in learning.

See?

 

[Denis]

imho intellect is a tool and like any tool it matters how you apply it.
To what end do you use your intellect?

Just a few examples:
on the STS side you can use it to destroy people;
on the STO side you can use it to assist people in learning.

See?

I agree with this assertion. Let's say, for the sake of discussion, that an intellect- hence: the tool- is a hammer. We could use that hammer to smash other people's skulls and/or other bones or we could score a nail into a board with it and use it constructively (to build a house for a dog or something).
How we use our intellect reveals the polarity towards which we gravitate (creativity- service to others or entropy- service to self). osit

 

[cubbex]

Would someone like that have to develop their intellectual capacities before even attempting to free themselves from this reality, or is it not so necessary for everyone? Maybe there are different paths to the same end goal?

Maybe it's not necessarily the intellect that needs to be developed but rather it's the individual's perception to potentially life-changing events juxtaposed to their present-day life? I suspect this perception might correlate well with the relative easiness or difficulty of one's life and their ability to see this reality for what it is.

Or maybe we need to work more on the heart? actually our intelligence is pretty good, what stops our capacity would be our negative emotions and such.