Intelligence and intuition are very different ways of knowing. We might think of them in opposing ways. Most people tend to default into operating from one or the other. Generally, men tend to value rational intelligence — notwithstanding that we often act completely insane and non-rationally— while women are inclined more toward the intuitive process.
To see where you stand on this spectrum, just reflect and ask yourself if you start your sentences with “I think” or “I feel?”
Ask yourself whether you more often say, I think” or “I feel.” The answer will tell you if you gravitate toward thinking or feeling, intellect or intuition. Once you identify the part that you’re not in touch with, set your intention to integrate it into your fuller being.
If you’re a thinker, ask yourself, “What do I feel?’ Conversely, if you identify with your feelings, ponder, “What am I thinking?”
Intuition speaks to a way of knowing that is immediate and independent of cognition. It doesn’t require rational analysis. And it runs much deeper and truer than a mere hunch.
Intelligence on the other hand is valued as an expression of logical and rational inquiry. First world cultures tend to value intelligence over intuition. We even developed a standard measure of intelligence; IQ.
But logic and analysis, the tools of rational intellect although valuable in many ways, can wreak destruction if they become the exclusive way of knowing. To grow in our complexity and be more evolved as humans we need both qualities, not merely one. One way of knowing at the expense of the other leaves us terribly incomplete.
When we blend intuition and intellect we can operate seamlessly and powerfully. Our communication opens up on a much more coherent level. This is particularly true between the genders, where we often feel like we’re speaking different languages. When one party speaks in logical language and the other is emotionally expressive, we can anticipate a derailment. A balance of masculine and feminine energy can be achieved by integrating the way of knowing that is foreign to you.
Combine both ways of knowing and you enter into the realm of wisdom
People who are oriented towards feeling may distrust their intellect. Those inclined towards thinking may devalue feelings. By integrating both thinking and feeling we can operate on a much more powerful and seamless level.
When we integrate thinking/feeling we deepen our understanding and appreciation of one another and develop the ability to tap into a lost art: wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to better perceive the unintended consequences of both our actions and inactions.
Being bound to one way of knowing, intelligence or intuition severely limits us. Think of mere intelligence as going through life with binoculars affixed to your eyes. You focus on what you’re looking at but miss the bigger picture. Living solely from intuition deprives us of the wondrous resources of your intelligence. Combine both ways of knowing and you enter into the realm of wisdom.
