Definitions#1: Late Night debate about the definition of an intellectual
Debate
The dictionary states an intellectual as someone who can participate in the national and international debate of culture/politics/philosophy/history/literature/science <<>> My definition is a bit more vague: someone who reads a lot of smart books? No... Well a bit... Well maybe one who knows books exist and, uhm. Ok so anyway one does not need to consider him or herself an intellectual. One can be a poet without knowing it themselves. Actually the nicer people and people I value more are the eccentric ones who do not consider themselves ‘smart’ or an ‘intellectual’. Although I recognize myself as an intellectual as well as smart. Perhaps it’s mostly pretend (pretentious?). Like a drunk prophet who can’t remember where his drink is, am I right? *nudge nudge* Anyway. Definition::::::::: someone who is simply aware of the current national and international affairs. Though I, who am by my own intuition an intellectual, do not read newspapers or do my best to learn the names, faculties or militias in charge of my walk of life in society, like not really. My newsfeed is the wall on facebook which I bluntly assume are correct, because I have trust in the political opinion my 820 friends….. Definition::::::: what else? Someone who shares my leftwing points of view, basically yes. Racists can never be intellectual, neither can sexists. That is, my definition of a real sexists, which is additionally and admittedly very hard to pinpoint…. DEFINITION::::::::: you do not have to have a degree of any kind. That’s a solid one. You have to be smart with language, humor, art, music, science and/or math. QUESTION::: can you be a utter dick and still be an intellectual???? ANSWER: Can I say no? QUESTION::::: is there a difference between general interesting human beings and intellectuals - rephrasing - can an interesting person be interesting without being an intellectual? ANSWER: Yes, the person in question can. One can be interesting without being an intellectual.
Conclusion
FINAL DEFINITION:::: really knows something about anything and can and likes to bullshit about it endlessly, even if the knowledge isn’t sufficient enough at all to uphold a decent conversation. Beyond this fact the person is not an asshole. He or she acknowledges the multiple choice of various wisdoms and creativities other persons can entail and wishes to learn as much as he or she can thus is OPEN to conversation, debate and experience. He or she is perceptive to the factual and current world around him or her and wants desperately to communicate with it. One can do this in one or the other ways: humor, writing, art (taken broadly), music, conversation, meditation. One remains openminded and controversial to the practical definition of an intellectual that an intellectual would have to be prejudice or smug. In short an intellectual can not be a dick. one does not have to proclaim itself as an intellectual nor does one have to have a degree. One does not have to have an outstanding job, or be ambitious in any way. One has to learn always, change always and be humble towards the world in all its Everything and Ahw.
