I invented ideas early on; I synthesise ideas – mine and others – now.*
Arthur Brooks

God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise … .**

After reading yesterday that I went
into decline a long time ago,
Arthur Brooks now informs me that
the reason for this is a decline in my fluid intelligence.
He continues with some good news;
There is also crystallising intelligence –
By which I use the knowledge I learned in the past.

This straightaway piques my interest for two reasons:
This sounds a lot like wisdom –
Living what we know into
life-in-all-its-fullness;
It also echoes Theory U’s^ discovering of our
crystallising intent –
What it is we ultimately want to bring into the world
through our lives.

I read on a little further
and there it is:

When you are young, you have raw smarts; when you are old, you have wisdom. When you are young, you can generate lots of facts; when you are old, you know what they mean and how to use them.*

And this kind of intelligence
need not decline.

*Arthur Brooks’ From Strength to Strength;
**Psalm 53:2;
^Otto Scharmer’s Theory U.