Thinking About the Nature of Intelligence for Education and Self-Improvement (Part 2)

Continuing from the previous article (Part 1), which explored the nature of expanded intelligence (Goal Setting + Learning + Modeling + Perception + Prediction + Decision Making + Execution). This article briefly shares my humble opinions on the three modules: Modeling, Perception, and Prediction. Criticism and corrections are welcome.

3. Modeling

If we consider everything in the world (including people) as modules, then models are systematic summaries describing the internal functions and external exchange methods of each module. Models also reflect the life cycle of things as they develop. A model can be a textual description of qualitative characteristics or patterns, or it can be quantitative data, even mathematical formulas.

The previous article mentioned that the content of learning encompasses anything related to achieving one's goals concerning people, society, and the environment. The ultimate outcome of learning is to have accurate functional models of oneself, others, the businesses and government institutions one interacts with in life, the industry one is in, and the country, all from a God's-eye view (third-person perspective). With models of things, one can predict the possible outcomes of different ways of utilizing them, choosing the best way to make them operate together normally and efficiently to achieve one's goals. Models are not built in a day but are accumulated through long-term reading, experience, and consulting others (including understanding one's own strengths, weaknesses, specialties, and shortcomings).

Everything Has Its Use

The first prerequisite is to see that various things have unique strengths and uses, thereby motivating the study, research, and modeling of them. One should try to avoid making sweeping negative judgments about any person or thing around them, instead carefully identifying their specialties to let their strengths shine. When comparing two things, one should not broadly argue about which is better or worse, but rather examine the various strengths and weaknesses in detail, drawing on the strengths of each.

For example, with the two major mobile ecosystems, Apple and Android, there is no need to argue about which is better or worse. Instead, if conditions allow, use both types of phones and draw on the strengths of each. The same applies to Chinese and American educational philosophies; one should not broadly debate who is better or worse, but rather detail their respective advantages. The best education combines the strengths of both. Generally speaking, Chinese education emphasizes laying foundations, individual competition, shoring up weaknesses, using external responsibilities to family and society as motivation, and focuses on criticism. American education emphasizes intrinsic interest as motivation, developing strengths, team cooperation, and constant encouragement and praise. An educational approach that draws on the strengths of all would combine a sense of responsibility with personal interest, address weaknesses while developing strengths, cultivate both competitive and cooperative awareness, and use praise and criticism moderately.

How to Model?

Reading books remains the best way to learn models of things. Many classic books explain the universe, human history, the rise and fall of nations, enterprises, and families, and human characteristics.

For humans, the most important model is undoubtedly that of the human being itself. I made a preliminary exploration in another humble article, "A Preliminary Exploration of the Human Model: Dimensions and Testing" (《初探人的模型：维度和测试》), and welcome criticism and corrections. My general personal view is that any adjective describing a person can help define a dimension. Along this dimension, a group of people roughly follows a normal distribution, with most people in the middle and a few distributed at the ends. The root cause of this multi-dimensional, diverse distribution is biodiversity: for a biological population to survive long-term in a highly variable environment, individuals with all sorts of characteristics must exist. Therefore, in most cases, one cannot judge in isolation whether a score on a particular characteristic is good or bad for an individual or a population. What is needed is to see how well it fits the environment. Survival of the fittest is the basic principle.

Books for Modeling Individual Behavior

The Selfish Gene is a bestseller published in 1976 by the British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins. Humans are fundamentally biological beings, unable to escape the statistical laws of genetic inheritance, variation, and survival through adaptation to the environment. The author uses "the selfish gene" to express the gene-centered view of evolution. This perspective, based on gene evolution, differs from views based on species or organism evolution and can explain various altruistic behaviors between organisms. The closer the genetic relationship between two organisms, the more likely they are to behave selflessly. Reading this book helps you understand that human nature is inherently selfish, so one should not test human nature, but also that various explainable altruistic behaviors exist between organisms. Humans are also highly intelligent beings who can transcend instinctive selfishness through culture and education to make significant contributions beneficial to humanity.

Books for Interpersonal Interaction

How to Win Friends and Influence People (often titled 《人性的弱点》, "Weaknesses of Human Nature," in Chinese). This is a classic book on how to interact with people and conduct oneself in society. After reading it, you basically know how to be a person who isn't disliked.

Books for Modeling Gender Differences

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. After reading it, I finally understood why my wife and I often weren't on the same wavelength, and why my attempts to help when she was emotionally fluctuating often backfired. It reduced many unnecessary arguments. The main point is that men like to solve problems, while women like to communicate emotions, making it easy for them to talk past each other (like a chicken talking to a duck). For effective communication between men and women, at least one party needs to let go of their instinctive communication style and approach the interaction based on the other person's needs. For example, men can patiently listen to a woman's outpouring, allowing her to complete the emotional exchange, without rushing to solve the specific problem mentioned.

Books for Modeling Group Behavior

The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (often titled 《乌合之众：大众心理学研究》 in Chinese). Ancient Chinese wisdom advises being cautious when alone (慎独, shèn dú). This book essentially teaches caution in crowds (慎众, shèn zhòng - the author's coinage). The destructive power of one person doing bad things is indeed limited. A group of people (even an entire nation) going mad is a true world catastrophe. Reading this book will help you understand the psychological roots of major human disasters like wars, massacres, and great upheavals: once in a group, an individual's intelligence is suppressed; to gain acceptance from others, individuals conform blindly to the collective and also feel a reduced sense of guilt for wrongdoing. Understanding mass psychology will help you avoid fanatical mass movements (especially those involving young people), keeping a safe distance to avoid getting caught up in the trouble (lit. "avoid getting blood splattered on you").

A Particularly Noteworthy Model of Human Historical Development is the book The Lessons of History: This is the representative work of the famous American scholars and Pulitzer Prize winners Will Durant and his wife Ariel Durant. The book condenses the essence of the 11-volume The Story of Civilization, summarizing models of human historical development from multiple angles:

• From a Biological Perspective: Life is competition between individuals and groups. War is a nation's way of foraging, hence it can be brutal. Life's nature involves various differences adapting to a changing natural world. Therefore, people are unequal (diverse) in intelligence, physical strength, personality, etc. Life is about reproduction; populations with low birth rates are periodically punished by groups with high fertility. If population growth outpaces food supply, nature restores the balance between humans and natural resources through famine, plague, and war.

• From an Economic Perspective: Due to actual differences in individual intelligence, physical strength, etc., wealth gradually concentrates in the hands of a few. However, when the disparity between rich and poor reaches a critical point where the numerical strength of the poor rivals the capability strength of the wealthy few, it creates an unstable and dangerous situation. Historically, this has led either to the peaceful redistribution of wealth through legislation and taxation, or to the forcible distribution of wealth through violent revolutionary means like overthrowing local tyrants and dividing land. This periodically alleviates the conflicts caused by wealth inequality.

• From an Ideological Perspective: Capitalism and socialism correspond to the two parts of the historical cycle of wealth concentration and dispersal. Capitalism expands freedom and unleashes productive forces through opening up, market economies, and respecting people's livelihoods, but it increases the wealth gap. Socialism increases equality through taxation systems, welfare guarantees, and state capital intervention, but it suppresses innovation and freedom. Many countries flexibly adopt policies from both ideologies to achieve balance, or, like the United States, have two parties that frequently alternate in power.

• From the Perspective of Human Character: People generally fall into conservative and radical factions, similar to the Republican (conservative) and Democratic (progressive/radical) parties in the US. Historical conflicts often arise from the clash of these different philosophies. Both sets of ideas have equally important value: conservatives ensure social stability, while radicals drive social development. Human society needs to strike a balance between stability and development, requiring both sides to learn from each other's strengths and compensate for weaknesses, finding a middle way suitable for the national conditions through debate, avoiding any extremes.

Model of the Universe: Understanding the origin and development (the ins and outs) of the universe can answer fundamental questions, such as where humans come from and where they are going. It can help establish a correct view of life, the world, and the cosmos. Knowing the vastness of the universe and the tininess of Earth reveals that humanity is merely an insignificant, randomly generated, statistically improbable event. This encourages people to occasionally look up at the starry sky, fostering less arrogance, conceit, and entanglement, and more awe, curiosity, and care.

A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes is a popular science book written by the British physicist Stephen William Hawking, published in 1988. It discusses the origin and fate of the universe, primarily introducing what the universe is, the latest developments in understanding it, and cutting-edge knowledge about its nature, explaining astrophysical theories like black holes and the Big Bang.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is not a book but an American science documentary series launched in 2014, produced by Fox Broadcasting Company and National Geographic Channel. It is a sequel to the 1980 science documentary Cosmos: A Personal Voyage hosted by Carl Sagan. Hosted by the renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the show uses computer effects and animation to present an overview of the universe, humanity's historical understanding of it, and various incredible astronomical phenomena. The documentary explores topics ranging from astronomical knowledge to the origin of life, climate change, and the scientific spirit. Watching this documentary series is highly recommended.

4. Perceptual Ability

Perceptual ability is the capacity to perceive the state and changes in oneself, others, and the environment. The common saying "会察言观色" (huì chá yán guān sè - able to observe words and expressions, i.e., read cues) refers to one type of this ability.

One use of self-perception is knowing when one is at their best during the day, allowing difficult tasks to be assigned accordingly. It allows for self-regulation during emotional fluctuations, preventing loss of control. Perceiving others involves assessing their current state and whether the timing, manner, and topic of one's intended interaction are appropriate. I recently watched a video from Hong Kong where an elderly man argued very emotionally with several young people, resulting in them pouring gasoline on him and setting him on fire, causing severe injuries. I was deeply distressed after watching it. If that elderly man had known how to perceive his own and others' emotions, and had decisively stopped the absolutely ineffective argument the moment he detected either party losing control, such a tragedy could have been completely avoided. The lesson is: never argue with someone who is emotionally out of control; the consequences are unthinkable.

The environment includes the macro and micro settings of family, community, industry, country, and the world. One needs to read widely, consume reliable news, participate in industry conferences, and communicate with others to perceive these states and changes. WeChat is very popular now; besides entertainment-focused groups (for eating, drinking, and fun), one should also join reading groups, career development groups, and current events discussion groups to exchange information with well-informed friends and seniors. If you don't know where to find such groups, just ask your "almighty Moments/Friends Circle" on WeChat; learn to boldly open your mouth and ask questions, don't be shy. In the era of self-media (WeMedia), many WeChat Official Accounts and Toutiao accounts often provide the latest information; pay attention to follow and read them.

5. Predictive Ability

With these interactive models of oneself, others, and the environment, combined with perceived states and changes, one can make short-term and long-term predictions: what are the future trends for a country, industry, company, or a specific person? What different results might arise after one's actions (options a, b, c) interact with various models? Prediction helps in selecting the best option among these choices. The various options mentioned here refer to one's plans for action.

TO BE CONTINUED

Original Chinese version of this article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gaVz2ghXlajGxs6K2aW0jA