“There I was in my loft reading from dusty manuals of ancient antiquity. Reasoning and surmising about the structure of the universe and how the ancients did it all without our modern technology or comforts.”
This small work of fiction is what people consider as intellect. That example only paints what an unbalanced intellectual pillar looks like. I never had an issue with this pillar as it was and still is one of my strong suits. The problem was I focused so much on this pillar that I neglected all the others to my detriment.
Intellect does no good without a proper vehicle to operate, namely the physical body. Nor will it help when you cannot express emotions before they go awry. Like the physical pillar, this one is easier for some, but learning to not play your strengths only is important for balancing all pillars. That’s the key to Holistic health in all realms.
Isn’t intellectual wellness just IQ or mental health?
Intellect wellness sounds super specific at first, but it encompasses much more. People may assume that mental health falls under this category. It does not as that has more to do with your emotional wellness. Intellectual wellness is not only IQ either . IQ is a a part of the intellect, but lacks the completeness of what the intellect represents. Intellect is composed of many moving parts. Logic, reasoning, comprehension and adaptability are but a few categories within this pillar.
Learning is the foundation to intellect and it’s driven by curiosity. The more curious you are, the more likely you go down the rabbit hole and deeply learn about a subject. This is practicing intellect. It is not only isolated to the mind as you also learn through physical movements.
What makes up the intellect?
Intellect is the sum of all you cognitive abilities. As mentioned previously, many categories fill this pillar. Each will briefly be spoken about.
Reasoning is an ability to deduce or draw conclusions.
Logic is a follow through of reasoning. It focuses on correct reasoning.
Curiosity is the willingness to explore further. It drives learning.
Comprehension is grasping an understanding enough to explain it to someone.
Adaptability is being flexible and willing to change, such as with perspectives.
Problem-solving.
IQ or intelligence quotient measures for many things, but focuses on abstract reasoning and pattern recognition/prediction.
Intellect is a wide category. To balance your intellectual wellness requires working on all these aspect. Thankfully, many elements are tied into each other. For example, curiosity leads to reasoning and comprehending a situation. Reasoning leads to logical conclusions and comprehension. Knowing which aspects help each other will assist you in balancing them all.
Why intellectual wellness matters.
I’ll be honest, most people don’t see a benefit to intellectual wellness. With the advent of AI, it seems intellect is something to be outsourced. When you read up on intellectual wellness elsewhere, there is a lack of why it really matters beyond brain health. Here is how it really affects you from most to least obvious.
- Better intellectual wellness helps stave off certain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Whereas ignoring it leads to decline.
- Intellectual wellness determines your life satisfaction as it’s tied to purpose.
- Intellectual wellness requires curiosity and that creates a novel view of life.
- Life is easier and stress is reduced.
- It clarifies and creates a better understanding of the world and how it operates.
- Lastly it helps you keep your power.
When you outsource your intellect you give away your power by relying on someone else. Losing your power impacts your life satisfaction as expectations fall short.
How can the intellect be better balanced?
Here are some things you can start today to bring balance.
Learn a new hobby or skill like Qigong. Any new skill requires engagement and problem solving. Whether it is a new game, sport, or hobby like woodworking, learning is at the core and develops more communication between neurons in the brain leads to better intellectual wellness.
Engage in puzzles. This activates the brain and prevents cognitive decline. It challenges you. Although you may not be learning a “new skill” you are problem solving.
Read anything, really. Reading helps keep the mind engaged and sharp and introduces new ideas to mull over.
Engage in conversations or debate. It helps to form new understandings by challenging perspectives you have.
Lastly, learn about something new. This drives curiosity. What better way to enhance your intellectual wellness than to learn new perspectives and gain a new understanding. To start enhancing your intellectual wellness, read more of the blogs here.