Hofstadter- On the Unpopularity of Intellect

Hofstadter was an extremely interesting man and had a great mind.  He was very philosophical in his writings, particularly on his work “On the Unpopularity of Intellect”.  Hofstadter is a man who knows he is smarter than you but at the same time puts the effort into explaining his view point in easy to understand and well thought out way.  His ability to analyze his topic on a higher level and then explain it in a language that most anyone one can understand is impressive.

I agree with Hofstadter’s idea that intelligence and intellect are two totally different beast.  Intelligence is knowledge based and is a capacity of one’s ability to learn information. Intellect, on the other hand, is the ability for one understand and interpret that information as well as to apply what they know to a situation. Intellect is the ability to discern information and ultimately be able to explain the topic/information to someone else.  A person does not truly understand something unless they are able to explain it.  This is the most complex mechanic of the human mind. It is the fundamental thing that separates humans from the rest of the animals in the world. Our ability to understand things is like no other. Almost every animal can learn information, however few, if any, can understand and apply a concept to a situation.

Along with the ability to understand and interpret information, Hofstadter also explains that the life of an intellectual is not logic, but experience.  This idea could not be truer, although, I do not feel it is the defining fact of an intellectual.  I cannot say it is unimportant, but it is not the most important thing when it comes to defining an intellectual.  Experience in my mind makes the intellectual more effective.  If they have knowledge from experience it makes things easier but it is not entirely necessary. All in all, I feel this was a great piece to read and examine further.