A nonintellectual person is apt to have beliefs s/he does not question and goes through life reacting to everything based on the belief.

An intellectual person questions everything even what s/he thinks. This person searches for information and rethinks what s/he believes is true when a new thought contradicts an old one, or the new thought has the opposite effect of realizing a larger meaning of an old fact or seeing how one thing is related to another. Seeing the bigger picture. That is what enlightenment is about, gaining a greater sense of meaning, and the nontellectual person will never have that experience. On the other hand, the intellectual person will have more moments of enlightenment in the later years of life.

An "intellectual" is someone who always reads with a pen or pencil in hand. (G. Steiner?)

What is an "intellectual"? How should this term be used. — musicpianoaccordion

When someone is called an "intellectual", the reference is usually not to invisible IQ, but to overt behavior. The most obvious difference between Intellectuals and non-intellectuals is in how they approach problems that require novel solutions : thinking or doing.

Some people immediately take action without pausing to think. But intellectuals will usually think before they act, which makes them rather awkward in situations that require prompt action. For example, athletes must move quickly, depending on instinct, intuition, and muscle memory instead of careful planning each move. In that sense, Michael Jordan was an athletic genius, but not noted for intellectual skills. By contrast, intellectuals tend to look and behave like socially inept "nerds" or "geeks" (ugly nerds), or "dorks (odd characters). Some intellectuals may be athletic, but that would be an exception. For all I know, Michael Jordan may have been shy and bookish off the court.

Bill Gates is a well-known public intellectual, but not known for physical prowess, or a way with the ladies. Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory TV show may be the best known intellectual/nerd today. His short, ugly friends may be classed as intellectual/geeks. So, to call someone an "intellectual" is merely a nice way to describe a "nerd". :joke:


SYNONYMS. intelligent, clever, academic, well educated, well read, widely read, erudite, cerebral, learned, knowledgeable, literary, bookish, donnish, highbrow, scholarly, studious, cultured, cultivated, civilized, enlightened, sophisticated. informal brainy, genius. archaic lettered, clerkly.

Sometimes I hear people saying that a certain person is "intellectual".
What does that even mean?
One person told me that it could mean that a person is analyzing stuff ans really going through them in depth. I guess this is why some say that Nicolai Gedda was an intellectual singer. I would call myself an "intellectual" but never an academic (I have no such education). I guess even a simple farmer or busdriver can be an "intellectual".
What is an "intellectual"? How should this term be used. — musicpianoaccordion

Not getting a college education and instead getting a CDL makes a person an intellectual. I'm only half kidding. There is no nobler job in the world than to drive a Class A tractor trailor. I wish i was smart.

An "intellectual" is someone who always reads with a pen or pencil in hand. (G. Steiner?) — 180 Proof

thats funny.

In fact, one of the protocols of math is never read mathematics without a paper and pencil nearby. And an anecdote I've mentioned before: The maid of a famous mathematician was once asked what her employer did for a living. She replied, "He scribbles on paper, then wads it up and throws it in the trash."

:cool:

Someone educated beyond his intelligence. I forget who said that.

Someone educated beyond his intelligence. I forget who said that. — NOS4A2

How would you prove someone was educated beyond their intelligence. What people output at any given point in their lives is contigent on thousands of factors. How do you feel about nurture versus nature? It is commonly said that a person can't prove they are intelligent if they don't produce anything.