In order to use human intelligence properly our mind should be calm.

In order to use human intelligence properly our mind should be calm. – Dalai Lama

A fine group of Nobel Prise Candidates this year. Actually, it is a group of people throwing stones after a soccer game. Not the pinnacle of human intelligence, eh?

What does that mean?
This quote is fairly straight forward. We humans are a fairly clever lot. We are intelligent and can do a great many things with our minds. However, the quote cautions us to have a calm mind when we are busy thinking. But what happens to our intelligence when we are not calm?

Do calm people riot in the streets or in the stadiums? Do calm people scream and fight and do terrible things to each other? Do calm people lead nations to do terrible things to their neighbors? The answer in each case is no.

Calm people solve problems. Calm people win Nobel prizes. Calm people lead people to do great things in peace with their neighbors. Calm people are able to use their intelligence to the maximum of human potential.

Why is remaining calm important?  
When we are calm, we can consider all the possibilities and use all of our faculties. Emotion clouds the judgement. I imagine you have seen people who have done painfully stupid things “in the heat of the moment.” It’s pretty obvious that they weren’t using their intelligence properly, right?

Now, how many times has it happened to you, personally? I can’t count the number of times I have done something painfully stupid due to the influence of emotion. On the other hand, how many times have you done incredibly bright things while calm, compared to how many times while not calm?

I think that contrast, alone, is the proof of the quote. Humanity has come up with some great ideas and solved many difficult problems over the centuries. However, only rarely has it been done with something other than a calm mind. Get excited when you realize you’ve solved it, but stay calm until then.

Where can I apply this in my life?
This was a great quote for me, as today was computer crash day. I ended up fixing two computers and reinstalling several damaged software installs, that was the order of the day. And the more frustrated I got, the worse things went. A perfect match for the quote, right?

Once I got past the anger and frustration of each crash, reboot, and reinstall, things got better. Progress in solving the root cause was only made when my mind was calm. Without calm, it was hard to think clearly, to see the big picture, or even remember clues from earlier in the day.

While I was aggravated, I discussed things like throwing the computer in the river, the garbage can, or even searching for an industrial shredder. When I was calm, I could search the internet for clues, test theories and look into possible conflicts or other difficulties.

What in your life tends to make you less than calm when you think about it? Is there a person you know that makes you less than calm to be around? How difficult is it to properly use your intelligence in those situations? I would think that this applies as easily to someone you love as someone who aggravates, teases, or harasses you.

For me, it has always helped to step away from that which was causing emotion and thinking about it then. I have found it works for people you like and people you dislike, as well as hardware, software, children, pets, and tax preparation. Take a little time, clear your head and then think about it when you are calm.

It can be difficult, sometimes, to achieve calmness of mind, especially when the very thought of that something causes strong emotions. Sometimes, perfect calm is not possible to achieve at that point (which is the case for me, most of the time). All I can suggest is to get as calm as you can, and practice being calm.

Take a moment and think of something that stirs up your emotions, and requires you to think about the issue. Try to remain calm while thinking about the subject. Perhaps it might help to find a similar situation for you to think about, and solve your situation by proxy.

What I mean is if you were having difficulty deciding if you really wanted to spend the rest of your life with someone, and were having difficulty separating the emotion from the decision, find a similar situation. Invent two people and write down all the good points and bad points (Pro’s and Con’s), and see if those two people were a good match.

Another method you might try is to change the topic. If you had a teen ready to take his first solo drive with your car, you might be a little too worried to make a calm decision. It might help to consider how ready you were when you took your first solo run with the car.

Compare the level of experience, preparedness, and maturity of yourself and your kid. It might help you keep yourself a little more calm, and able to better use your intelligence to make the best possible decision.

From: Twitter, @DalaiLama
confirmed at : it’s his own feed…
Photo by Vincent Teeuwen