Gongol.com Archives: June 2025
June 27, 2025
Ordinary language reveals a certain set of prejudices that shine a lot of favor upon raw intelligence: Everyone knows what it's like to be outsmarted. Along with that comes a sort of two-fold assumption: To be outsmarted requires that the other person not only possess more intelligence, but also that they use it to their own advantage. ■ It's fairly obvious why a society would respect and admire intelligence, since intelligence is often the best tool for solving the problems that nature throws at us. Within the classic models of narrative conflict, we usually need intelligence to solve "man versus nature", "man versus man", and "man versus the gods". ■ It remains telling and instructive that we don't have a similar word for when two individuals are unevenly matched for character. We simply don't say that someone "outcharactered" another. Perhaps that's because one of the essential elements of good character is that one wouldn't use it to gain personal advantage. ■ But perhaps it's also because we don't sufficiently appreciate the role that decision-making in social and interpersonal affairs draws not on intelligence, but rather on "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind". If you're fighting the stormy sea, there's a good chance you need engineering skills. If you're navigating human issues, though, you need to draw on characteristics that aren't easily taught from a textbook. ■ In times when technological marvels are not only streaming forth in a torrent, but also enriching certain smart people in seemingly unreal ways, we have to be careful not to conclude that intelligence is the only character trait worthy of respect. ■ Warren Buffett is renowned for offering variations on a piece of advice that says leaders should recruit for intelligence, drive, and character, but that the last one is essential since a person with intelligence and drive but low moral character is destined to cause disaster. That's some worthy all-purpose advice, not just for hiring managers, but for us all.
