The Journey & The Grind

Some people are gifted with superior academic intelligence. They ace through school without much challenge, memorizing content and recalling information seemingly at will. Some are gifted with emotional intelligence, possessing the ability to read the room. They pick up the subtle emotional cues of the people around and use that to their advantage. Others are gifted musically, some with creativity, you get the idea. We all have an area in which we thrive.

Nonetheless, there is an underlying type of intelligence that is essential if you want to excel in your life. It is called Practical Intelligence, also known as “common sense”.

Practical intelligence involves observing your surroundings. It means understanding what is happening around you. You then make the best decision for yourself based on the information you’ve got. Sounds simple right? Yet we see those around us make some of the most questionable choices.

Going out of business sale? I must buy all that I can because I won’t get this opportunity again. Even though I’m in debt.

A news article or “influencer” makes an outrageous claim without any citation? It must be true. I should believe it with all my might and share it with my friends and family.

It’s time we start using our brains for good and steer clear from traps and follies. Practical intelligence is about looking underneath the surface and stop the assumption of just what you see, hear or feel.

People fall victim to most of these traps because humans crave certainty. We want to be sure of our beliefs. Uncertainty feels uncomfortable. We find the first scenario that seems to align with our beliefs. We then use that as confirmation that we are correct. This is a flawed way of thinking.

Similarly people are misled by charismatic speakers who appear to be passionate about their topic. They prefer the charisma over a calm, composed speaker who sounds boring by simply laying out the facts. They assume if someone’s acting intensely about their beliefs, what they’re saying must be true.

Practical intelligence is about seeking truth. It is not about trying to remove uncertainty by just researching the facts that support what we’re saying. It’s about investigating the other side of the argument. Do not accept anything at face value. Face value tends to deceive. Understanding that every situation has complexity underneath. Complexities that should be evaluated.

This might make you less fun at parties or in social groups. But, that’s way better than being the person who can’t decipher fact from fiction.

It’s okay to have “strong opinions loosely held.” Be positive and assured about what you believe. Stay open-minded enough to hear out viewpoints that might challenge your own. Understanding that there’s nothing weak or embarrassing about changing your mind.

Understanding Curiosity

Human knowledge evolved from the act of being curious. From discovering fire, the invention of the wheel, to the theory of relativity. It is the ability to dive deeper into a subject or situation, being eager to discover and learn more. Having this mindset positions you well for deeper thinking. Pursuing avenues of curiosity will help you to learn and perceive things that others won’t.

For some of us curiosity doesn’t come automatically. It is blocked because of fear: we have anxiety about the unknown. By understanding curiosity and how it works, we can better use it to become better thinkers.

Most of us think that curiosity is just about having a higher interest in learning things or new experiences. Some people seem to be more naturally curious than others. In reality, there’s a lot more to curiosity than just simply the strong desire to know more.

Psychology professor Todd B. Kashdan from George Mason University summed up curiosity in these distinct dimensions:

Joyous Exploration: What we commonly picture when we think curiosity. The joyous explorer views new knowledge as a component of personal growth. This exploring in itself is rewarding to the individual. They get excited about reading a new book, trying sushi for the first time or exploring a new country.

Deprivation Sensitivity: More motivated by anxiety. These are the persons that feels nervous about the lack of information. Being deprived of knowledge feels uneasy. To reduce this feeling, they engage their curiosity. Mostly common when someone’s trying to solve a problem, trying to understand a situation or considering a difficult idea.

Stress Tolerance: Deprivation sensitivity relates to how uncomfortable one feels about not having certain knowledge. In contrast, the stress tolerance dimension focuses on the uneasy feelings. These feelings can come from getting that knowledge or taking on a new experience. A person with high stress tolerance in their pursuits is more likely to follow their curiosity. On the other hand, someone who can’t handle uncertainty is less likely to let curiosity guide them. They struggle with disorder or doubt when exploring new ideas. This struggle also occurs when having new experiences.

Social Curiosity: This dimension is simply the desire to know what’s going it’s other people. We have conversations with friends and family because we’re interested in their opinion or simply for the gossip.

Thrill Seeking: Similar to the stress tolerance dimension, except the thrill seeker just doesn’t tolerate risks, they actually enjoy it. Think of cave divers, explorers, hikers on Mount Everest.

If you’re resistant to curiosity, it’ll be helpful to understand the origins of your anxiety. If you feel awkward about not being “in the know,” use that as motivation to learn more. Aim to not feel left out of the loop. Use this as motivation to seek truth. If you’re unable to fight through your fears, consider ways to rationalize them and build up your stress tolerance.

Overall we need to understand what drives us towards, and conversely, what prevents us from embodying a curious mindset.

Curiosity Challenges

Try these three bite sized habits to stretch your curiosity muscles and sharpen your critical thinking:

Curiosity Sprint (5-10 minutes daily)

• Pick one random topic, anything from “how do drones really stay airborne” to “how does the moon influence the tides?”
• Set a timer and chase down at least two unexpected facts or viewpoints.

Opposite Day challenge (inspired by the SpongeBob episode)

• When you hear a common claim or idea, deliberately argue the reverse.
• Pose a question like “what if the exact opposite were true?” Or “how could this be totally wrong?”

This flips your brain’s autopilot off and forces you to spot hidden flaws in your reasoning.

The 5 Whys Journal

choose a belief or daily routine you take for granted.

Ask “why” five times in a row, each answering becoming the question for the next “why?”

E.g.

• Why did I arrive late to work? Because my car wouldn’t start.
• Why wouldn’t the car start? Because the battery was dead.
• Why was the battery dead? Because I left the headlights on overnight.
• Why did I leave the headlights on? Because I forgot to turn them off.
• Why did I forget to turn them off? Because I skipped my end of day routine in a rush.

Implementing just one of fun habits will drastically improve the way you think critically. Ultimately improving your mindset and quality of life. You can begin to discover the real issues you are facing rather than just going along with someone else’s agenda.

Inspired by Patrick King’s Practical Intelligence – how to think critically, deconstruct situations, analyze deeply and never be fooled.