My brother once said of someone, “they strike me as being very intelligent, but not particularly thoughtful.” This distinction has had a profound effect on me. It’s hard for me to pin down what intelligence is, exactly. When I think of someone who is intelligent, I think of someone capable of understanding complex ideas, perhaps someone who has assimilated a lot of knowledge and makes connections between ideas. I also tend to think of speed: someone who can reason quickly, or assimilate...
