How can we be intelligent as well as destructive at once? Should intelligence not guide us to greater wisdom?

Question

We are unwise ... we know we are destroying life on earth and yet give priority allocation of time, energy and resources to war in Iraq and wasteful bombings in Afghanistan. Why does our super intelligence lead to crass lack of wisdom?

Answer 1

Because our supposed super-intelligence is intertwined with human greed. . . Until we are left standing alone, there will be no true answer to this Q.

It is only in our sadness that true insight is gained, hopefully we will be able to pick-up on the worlds sadness and change our ways before it becomes too late!
: )

Answer 2

Power corrupts. Unfortunately intelligence is often used as a tool for destruction. The war in Iraq has to do with resources. Someone sat down & did the math..."Hmmm look at all that oil. Let's go get it. Let's create a disturbance, perpetuate a fearful society & invent a bogus war with a supposed enemy so we can go & steal all that oil & become even more powerful (since resources are limited and constantly being depleted, whoever controls them controls the world.)" It may have been "wise" in a capitalistic, selfish, evil power-hungry sort of way lacking humanity, conscience, righteousness. Some of the most diabolical killers throughout history have been brilliant. Intelligent doesn't necessarily mean kind. Sometimes quite the opposite. There are evil geniuses who plot destruction. And sometimes brilliance with the best intentions can inadvertently create something that has destructive power (like Einstein & the atom bomb)...

Peace would seem to be the wise choice, but look at the course of history. It has never been the popular choice & never will be because the people in power are power-hungry & will always try to take as much as they can, by force, whatever the costs...

Answer 3

Your question has a logical flaw... Can you first prove that destruction is not intellegent? Draw a hypothetical situation, if you choose to destroy a threat before you, kill or be killed, is destruction not an act of intellegence? Intellegence is selfishness for we acquire intellect to aid our personal survival and satisfaction.

Later you associated intellegence with wisdom which is a "good for the whole of mankind".

Personally, I think we are comparing three very different things here. We make decisions via selfish intellect and "direct" it through empathasizing with others and thereby the use of "wisdom". Perhaps it's the unability to empathize or the different levels of knowledge that creates this problem.

Answer 4

How can we be intelligent as well as destructive at once?

Be a scientific genius. Invent something more lethal than Einstein's gift to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Then give your invention to present-day war-crazed lunatics whose whole existence(s?) are solely dependent on wars and conquests.

Should intelligence guide us to greater wisdom?

In the context of your added details to your question, you have to define intelligence. Is it intelligence as in "espionage, etc" or intelligence as in "mental / intellectual capacity?"

If you mean the former (more likely), then experience is a better guide and teacher. (Vietnam, the first Iraq war, the present Iraq war, etc)

If you mean the latter, then it should. That is, in leaders with restraint and absolute abhorence of the needless mass shedding of blood in devious wars created for devious purposes.

Answer 5

How was 9/11 perpetuated? Isn"t intelligence and destruction at once? That is greatest mistake of humanity. Intelligence is used for self-preservation.

Answer 6

The person is smart, but people are fearful, panicky, overwhelmed, irrational, reactive and vengeful. All common sense is forfeit when membership to the mob mentality begins to fill up and cloud the mind. This is why almost all great prophets, messiahs, saints and leaders are almost always worshipped alone (a loner is not subject to the insanity of the mob, they are an outsider, and people like this because it reminds them of how they think God looks down on us). This power donated to this sole beneficiary often goes to the leader's head shortly after, and people wonder "why did we vote for them?" when they start to use their power to get something done that they want.

"power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - A wise person

Answer 7

You confuse intelligence with mind...Intelligence and know-how are One and interchangeable...i'm speaking about Intelligence of a maximum factor, no longer intelligence of earthly businesses. Did you advise large ones, i trust? both know-how and Intelligence is only excellent. mind, on yet another hand, that's skills you suggested, on a factor of modern-day skills and abilities of a people wanting to be restricted in time..figuring out on Oness does no longer mean existence of alternative options..that's in trouble-free words chosen we ought to make, if no longer in this existence then in yet another.once you coming to that decision to opt for Oness, the different options transforming into truly non-existent.That factor out that you're fairly chosen.

Answer 8

We are not intelligent beings that evolved into animals. Rather, we are still slowly evolving from animals to intelligent beings. Unfortunately, our ability to destroy ourselves is outpacing our ability to outgrow our animal aggression. Another intriguing point to ponder is that intelligence seems to make its greatest leaps when we are using it for warfare.

Answer 9

Greed, not intelligence, is the one destructing mankind and this planet...

Answer 10

misuse of our will. God gave us choice and in all of our intelligence we choose to be destructive.