One of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do was stand in front of a room full of highly intelligent professors at the University of Western Australia and speak about the difference between intellect and intelligence.
I mean, who was I? I wasn’t one of them. I didn’t have a degree in science, engineering, or business management. All I had done was study ancient philosophy in India for six years, where I learned the core difference between the two.
Still, I stood there, head up, shoulders back, and asked them to keep an open mind — and for a brief moment, they did.
But the shutters came down the moment I said, “Education systems around the world focus on gaining intelligence, rather than teaching students how to think.”
The auditorium fell into stunned silence. Then came murmurs: “How dare she? Of course we teach students how to think.”
