Thinking game.

Some people feels intelligence is not genetic but environmental. This is largely an opinion that might disregard scientific studies- for what we know about intelligence is inconclusive. I know we don't know much so any opinion regarding intellect is often thought over and not dismissed immediately. It's a subject full of hypothesis I guess.

I am not sure where I stand in the intelligence thing. I am sure it's genetic; almost everything is. But at the same time, it should be obvious that the environment(education, books and whatnot) plays a part. There are extreme. Some feel that everyone's like a flower, blossoming away under the ideal education. Others feel that people are born trees- growth is slow and often negligible.

But really, it's often the definition of intelligence that is important. People care so much about it, even though it is an unknown. What they care about becomes the perception of the definition they feel others have. You do things you feel people might think is smart in order to have them regard you as smart. But in this whole exchange, the true definition of intelligence is hardly touched upon. No one knows what it is and if anyone were truly intelligent(by MY definition this time), they would know that.

So, if definition is impossible to define accurately, what do we have? What can we do? We have our thoughts. Our thoughts are our own. What people link to intelligence, I find, is simple thinking. My school's principal calls it critical thinking and has her definition of it. I believe it's flawed. Her critical thinking has morale, it has cross-referencing. While not entirely wrong, thinking ought to be much simpler.

Frankly, I don't believe in critical thinking. Critical thinking implies two different set of thinking, one's the normal kind and the other, the critical kind. To me, you think, or you don't.

Many has the habit to not think. Lazy thinkers. For example, chess. Learning chess is akin to only thinking when and how you like it. When you learn chess every Wednesday at 9pm, that is exactly the same as thinking every Wednesday at 9pm. That is, you "strain" your mind every Wednesday. Mental fatigue. But since you can train physically, thinking long hours, everyday every minute should be one's aim. Thinking is having your brain follow logic links. Not one link but multiple. Sherlock Holmes is a good example, if only heavily exaggerated.

You look at a puzzle and you think not one move, but multiple moves. In chess, you think about the opening but also the setting up for the mid-game. Only in life, when you get around, do you use a single logic link. You see the red on a tap, you think hot water. That's not thinking. Alright, that is- but it's so rudimentary that it might as well be a muscle memory, an instinct. Some people say they hate chess. When asked why, they will reply it's because it's a waste of time. Some says it's tiring. And that's the mindset many have. Little think fully and carefully. Most apply their thinking in single subjects- programming and expect opinions of their intelligence. Or reversi. Or math competitions. Worse still, they might stagnate. Best case scenario, you become a savant. Worst case, you are merely someone who is more competent than another who doesn't know his C++ to Python. But you lose so much more in life. Because you restrict yourself. Because you only want to think one thing. Just like 9pm chess.

My friend called it neuro-hacking. I still have little idea what it is, other than a fancy term than teaching yourself things many think unlikely to be taught. You get tired at first. But after a while, you think more. It might sound presumptuous of me, but life becomes a puzzle. Which is my mindset to life. Of course, others might find it less puzzle-like. It's only my metaphor. Too many intelligent people think only when they feel others expect them to. Someone thinking would apply it in all forms of life. Drink and think and you might invent a way to shorten the process. Should we gulp? Is it healthy? Read others' expression. From there, know what they hate and like. Make more friends then.

Oh, and someone asked why don't I post this on facebook. That's because I don't want to argue with people. I want to, actually, but I want to argue with people who are arguing because they disagree, and not because they think they can argue and thus want to argue. Roshan post his musings on facebook. But that's alright because they are all inspirational in nature. Arguing against those would means everyone looking at it looks down on you. Mine's a little more inflammatory in nature. My blog goes out to passer-bys who don't know who I am. It goes out to me too, so when I grow up, I get to argue with myself. I get to criticize things I feel stronger about. I think about how I think, in general. I even think about how I argue how to think.