Does Being Smart Make You Dumb?
Being smart and being intelligent are different things, Twenty-five years ago, you would refer to someone as intelligent. But the terminology is different nowadays, Today, no one cares if you are intelligent; they are only concerned about whether you are smart. If you are smart. you can find your way through the world – you will make it in the current economy! But intelligence is of a different nature.
What Is It To Be Smart?
Intelligence doesn’t always equip you to win a race. In fact, you might be much slower than others because you see many more things than they do, Those who are smart and are just looking to achieve one little goal in their life may get there rich faster and everybody may clap their hands. a-st your intelligence may be grasping too many things for you to take even one step!
It takes a lot of intelligence to realize how stupid you are. And most people cannot see it. You can only see it if the very urge to be smart and special, the very urge to be better than someone, is completely vanquished within you
If you are smart, it means you have somehow consolidated the situation to your benefit. Different types of peoøe are considered smart depending on what kind of society you are in. in what kind of time, situation and among what kind of people Today. people who have some scruples are generally considered during Outer unscrupulous people turn out ‘smart’ because they know how to take advantage of certain situations.
THE STORY OF THE SMART DOG
Let tell you a story. There was once a very smart dog He was so smart that he kind of became a better dog than all the other dogs in the local villages. One day, he got a little adventurous. If you have noticed. village dogs will never go into the jungle. Maybe sometimes they just go to the fringe. trying to hunt down a rabbit or a hare. but they never go deep into the jungle because they instinctively know there are bigger animals out there, for which they Will just be meat.
But this particular dog was over smart. so he went deep into the jungle, where a tiger saw it, The tiger had never seen a creature like this before, He thought. ‘he looks like hell make a good afternoon snack.’ So he growled and started coming towards the dog The dog wanted to run. but as he was very smart. he knew if he ran. the tiger would catch up in no time and ho would become a crunchy snack.
At that moment, he saw a heap of bones nearby and started strutting around saying. -Oh my God! These tigers make a real good The tiger hesitated and stepped back. thinking. ‘Oh, this some kind of a creature that has tigers for a meal’ So he turned back and moved away Seeing this, the smart dog slowly started slinking away.
A monkey sitting on a nearby tree saw the whole scene and couldn’t help monkeying With the situation. So he told the tiger. “He just fooled you and went away. That’s just a dog I’ve been into the villages. He can do nothing to you. doesn’t have the strength of even one of your paws.” Hearing this, the tiger felt stupid and said, “What? The idiot tooled me? Come, let’s catch him”. So the monkey jumped onto the tiger’s back and they started running towards the dog.
The dog saw the monkey riding the tiger and corn.ng towards him and he knew what had happened but as you know, this is a smart dog! So. while yawning he announced. .Where is that monkey? It’s been almost an hour since I ordered for another tiger…where is he?
Can You Break Through Your Ignorance?
Now, you can manage the world like this, but when it comes to your inner nature. this will get you nowhere. Dealing with manifestations of creation is one thing, while dealing with the source of creation is a completely different thing Here, your smartness will not work at all, Smartness is good only when there is you and the other, But When there is just you and you alone, the smarter you think you are, the more stupid you will become.
Enlightenment is not some kind of an achievement. Enlightenment means you have broken through your ignorance. Therefore, it’s a realization – meaning you have realized how stupid you are! The quality that was always there, was seen by you only today! Thus, it takes a 10t of intelligence to realize how stupid you are. And most people cannot see it. You can only see it if the very urge to be smart and special, the very urge to be better than someone, is completely vanquished within you. Only then will you have the intelligence to break through your ignorance.
There is nothing wrong in being smart. You can train yourself to function better than someone but that only has a limited application and domain. You cannot take it inward and try to be smarter, because the only person you are fooling is yourself. If there is you and me me being smarter than you helps. But If there is me and me only – me being smarter than me is stupid!
Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and bestselling author. Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan ‘ by the Government of India in 2017, one of the highest annual civilian awards, accorded tor exceptional and distinguished service.