2 Types of Intelligence, Paradox of Goals, & More
Today at a Glance
- Quote: Never walk back.
- Framework: Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence.
- Tweet: How to protect your brain.
- Article: The Paradox of Goals.
- Podcast: 12 lessons learned in 12 months.
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One Quote:
"I am a slow walker, but I never walk back." - Abraham Lincoln
You don't need to take giant steps to make progress.
Even the longest journeys can be completed with tiny steps in the right direction.
Always forward, never back.
One Framework:
Fluid Intelligence vs. Crystallized Intelligence
I recently read From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks—one of my favorite writers—and was struck by one particular concept covered in the book:
The two types of intelligence: Fluid vs. Crystallized.
The theory of Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence was created by psychologist Raymond Cattell in the 1970s.
- Fluid Intelligence is marked by an ability to think creatively and abstractly, learn new things, draw flexible connections, and reason across domains.
- Crystallized Intelligence is marked by an ability to leverage accumulated knowledge, experience, skill, and insights.
In the book, Dr. Brooks makes the important point that the two types of intelligence map to two discrete curves in your life.
Fluid Intelligence is the intelligence of youth. It peaks in your early career years—generally your 20s and 30s—and begins to decline thereafter. The greatest innovations are largely a result of Fluid Intelligence, which is the reason that the vast majority of these breakthroughs are made by people in their early career years.
Crystallized Intelligence is the intelligence of experience. It begins to rise as Fluid Intelligence declines—the compounding accumulation accelerates in these later career years.
Dr. Brooks argues that a lot of unhappiness in later career years comes as a result of the human tendency to fight the curves. It's difficult for the once famed innovator to accept that their innovation muscle is deteriorating. We've seen this story play out over and over again throughout history—the fading star unwilling to accept their new role.
The solution: Accept the natural, biological shift and embrace the tremendous value that your compounding Crystallized Intelligence can bring to your company, teams, and endeavors. Position yourself such that your Crystallized Intelligence is an asset to those around you and outsource Fluid Intelligence to others who are in the prime of that curve.
Self-awareness is a superpower. Harness it.
One Tweet:
Brilliant, short video on maintaining brain health as you age.
The important takeaway: Seek novelty, seek challenge.
Our brains begin to atrophy as our world narrows and we take on the same tasks and cognitive challenges day-in-day-out. When you challenge your brain, you build new pathways and connections that offset the natural degeneration of others.
Yet another win for intellectually curious lifelong learners!
One Article:
Good article on the pitfalls of goal-setting.
It's somewhat obvious that failing in your pursuit of a goal leads to disappointment, but the disappointment from achieving a goal is sneaky and dangerous.
Quoting from the piece:
"In the process of working toward a goal, we come to imagine what it will feel like to achieve it...Unfortunately, the happiness we feel when reaching a goal is short-lived...We finish a project, then realize there are two more to work on. We receive a promotion, but still feel unsure about our career path. Life doesn’t seem that different after reaching a goal."
I've definitely experienced this—I'm sure you have, too.
My own view: Tying your happiness and sense of self to some external achievement is a dangerous game. The answer is always to find a process that you fall in love with.
One Podcast:
On Purpose: 12 Lessons Learned in the Last 12 Months
Slightly older episode, but it had some wonderful insights.
A few of my favorites (my thoughts in italics):
- Focus on the input, detach from the result. Clearly aligned with the takeaway from the Paradox of Goals article above.
- "If we're controlled by fear, we're in the mode of ignorance." Fear distorts our reality. When we get closer to our fears, we learn how to break them.
- Solitude is as necessary as community. I couldn't agree more. I used to fear being alone and bored, but now I view it as one of my most important rituals. Solitude sparks creativity.
Listen to it here.
