This post and topic of choice sounds so so terribly pretentious, but I hope to absolve this with thoughtful content.
Intellect in a time of AI
Intelligence and intellectualism is a salient topic today. Though some points of this post was drafted quite some time ago, the recent release of generative AI has spurred concern around job anxiety (once again) - as we question our own roles and relevance (in specific areas).
As an added comment, I believe that the core function and design of generative AI has been around for a long time, just that it has only recent come out to the “market”. And where there is money to be made - hype, marketing, and widespread awareness follow.
This is just one indicator of other hidden transformative technologies lurking in the background, waiting for its turn for commercial viaiblity. .
So why not post at a point when human intellignece is slightly threatened, in the face of artificial AI.
Intellectualism
I took a first princiiples approach for this one: what does it mean to be intelligent?
To be an Intellectual?
Subscribe to Intellecutalism?
Cambridge dictionary (thanks) defines being an intellectual as “a very educated person who is interested in complicated ideas and enjoys studying and careful thinking”.
Interesting - this entire blog seems to resonate with this definition. Is this then, the most meta thing for an intellectual to relish in its concept within its own compelexity and write a careful contemplation about it? I guess so.
In application, I consider specific aspects to nurture of intellectualism that makes it more practicable and tangible. This list of Intellectual + “X” was inspired from a few root terms I’m familiar with, as well as Google search Autocomplete.
Intellectual Curiosity and Rigour
Intellectual curiosity is innate to me, but also enabled by the advent of so much information - one just needs to digest and think about what it means to them. Some areas, such as military history are probably not as useful in the day to day, but has drawn my keen interest as it sits on the conflux of history, technology, and politics.
Other areas, are more practical in dealing with business, people, and so on.
This coincides with a belief to marry learning and practice together. A learned concept of “top-quartiling” your life’s experience - “Getting into the Room”. There is something satisfying about being empowered to engage deeply to the topic. There are social benefits to this too for sure. And form a connection with others interested in the area. Helps build rapport with acquaitances.
I note that frequent topics are largely lifestyle oriented: travel, wine, media.
Some people describe such development as a “stubby T-shape”, being very broad, but needing to build a niche in certain areas.
Intellectual Honesty and Humility
It is too easy to be “right” or dominant in a viewpoint through knowledge regurgitation or even despite a deeper level of articulated thoughts. Yet the wisest thing to do is catching oneself of logical fallacies and biases that cloud the truth and the judgements from which these are derived from. You never know what you don’t know, and while there are a few right answers, there are many judgement calls that have a million wrong steps.
A framework I had come across is `Bacon’s four idols, examples added:
- Idols of the Cave (i.e. Echo chambers)
- Of the tribe (e.g. left wing and right wing extremism)
- Of the marketplace (i.e. narratives, e.g. crypto)
- Of the theater (e.g. romantic films)
I aim to constantly remind myself of the humility and honesty of not “Cherry picking” facts, substantiating viewpoints favorably - but to instead think, articualte, but equally, to be challenged. The reddit, and concept The Motte, is an interesting way to address this.
We speak of intellectual hoensty as an important trait, but somehow not prerequisite of being an intellectual. Beware those (myself included) who know everything and don’t know nothing.
Believing your own bullshit would be the antithesis of this section - but this does happen.
Intellectual Restraint
A third and final comment around this topic is that there are times to be an intellectual mind, just as there are times to be a patient heart.
The real world is part rational and part irrational, and the presence of the former should not preclude irrationality as a cause, effect and solution. We’re weird things living in a weird word - and I suppose. Some things in life simply aren’t meant to be methodically broken down and analyse. I suppose these things are just meant to be done, lived and embraced.
ughhh so pretentious.