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Thinking Calm

Read a couple of articles recently on the nature of intelligence. One was about a study done on cuttlefish where they are shown to have a demonstrable ability to delay gratification. The other is this essay about how we measure intelligence 

By intelligence I mean only that the mind react to happenings with a certain sharpness and precision, that the radish not be perpetually seized by its leaves, that the gray not be confused with brown and, above all, that objects in front of one be seen with a little exactness and accuracy, without supplanting sight by mechanically repeated words.

A is one of the most Zen people I know. In the middle of a crisis, he can remain absolutely calm and help navigate out of the chaos, He is also a very positive person. No matter how bad the situation, he will focus on the bright side and what good can come out of it. On average A makes good decisions and arguably there are more intelligent on account of his frame of mind while he makes them. Those who know him rely on his good counsel in crisis. Is A the most intelligent person I know, perhaps not but his outcomes are definitely on par or better than those who are way "smarter" than him. 


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