INTELLIGENCE, INSTINCT, REFLEX AND MEMORY

Out of these four, intelligence, instinct, reflex and memory what make one successful in life may be bit confused to answer. Normally one may not be reluctant to answer that it is intelligence that makes one successful. But just think about intelligence without memory. In a classroom all students are listening the teacher almost equally. One may store ninety percent of what teacher taught in memory, the other fifty and the third one ten percent and so on. Here the maximum stored student may answer all the questions the teacher asks and the ten percent one only a very few. The teacher and rest of the students acclaim the well answered student as the most intelligent one. This student may secure very high marks in exams too.

Later in life, let us imagine that both ninety percent and ten percent students joined the police. They were part of a team investigating an intrigued case but the success can be with the ten percent one. In such a situation it is not memory that matters. While reflex is response to a stimulus without concious thought it can contribute tremendous success in life. A goalkeeper saving a certain goal by a reflex action in a football match or a fielder taking a near impossible catch by a reflex action in a cricket match become successful in their respective fields. Intelligence, memory and instincts have no roll to play here.

Instinct is natural or intuitive way of thinking or acting. Biological science does not approve instinct genetically acquired. Whether the scientists agree or not the entire life forms, whether human or animal, are well programmed in exclusively designed hardware systems. Instinct too, therefore, is part of this system and progrmme. There are renowned musicians who have not learned music technically from any music schools under the guidance of expert teachers. If someone could explore their family tree they can find some good musicians there. That talent is instinctively brought down to the current generation.

Now, it is to the parents and teachers. Parents and teachers want their children to be outstanding intellectuals to be successful in life. Better not expect top class intelligence from every one. As a parent or teacher one must find what the child has in store. It can be memory, reflex, instinct or intelligence. Develop what the child has in an appropriate manner. Make the child feel the strength of the possession. The child when grow up with a wholesome awareness of what has in store, will certainly be successful in life.

KV George

kvgeorgein@gmail.com