24 September 2015

Notes - understanding a private lesson (not so easy)

         Suppertime. You had a busy day running errands, eliminating a variety of squeaks from the garage door, fixing the lawn sprinkler then putting it to use. Tomorrow you are up to Kim and Paul’s to meet Kim for lunch, then stopping by Uncle John’s to wish him well as he has been moved from his apartment to the assisted care wing of the Methodist Senior Centre on River Road in Dublin. Carol’s sister, Gayle, will meet you and Carol at the senior centre at one-thirty. – Amorella

         1747 hours. I am at Pine Hill Lakes waiting for Carol to complete her walk-around. I washed both cars at Mike’s then spent time spot cleaning them both afterwards as well as the interiors. They are looking good. Last night we watched a new show from the night before “Blind Spot” – it is pretty good (and had a three out of four review) so we will continue until it isn’t. “Limitless”, also new, received a poor review so we didn’t give it a chance. I regret this in that we should have given it a showing first then decided. Maybe the pilot will be on later in the week or just before the next showing. It has been another beautiful Fall day; almost a typical San Diego, California day – very nice. I am still thinking about “ULTIMATE INTELLECT” (from yesterday’s post) because I don’t know what it means.

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intellect noun

the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract or academic matters: he was a man of action rather than of intellect.

• the understanding or mental powers of a particular person: his keen intellect.

• an intelligent or intellectual person: sapping our country of some of its brightest intellects.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin intellectus ‘understanding,’ from intellegere ‘understand’ (see intelligent)

intelligent adjective

having or showing intelligence, especially of a high level: Annabelle is intelligent and hardworking | an intelligent guess.

• (of a device, machine, or building) able to vary its state or action in response to varying situations, varying requirements, and past experience.

• (especially of a computer terminal) incorporating a microprocessor and having its own processing capability.

Selected and edited from Oxford/American software

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Intellect is a term used in studies of the human mind, and refers to the ability of the mind to come to correct conclusions about what is true or real, and about how to solve problems. Historically the term comes from the Greek philosophical term nous, which was translated into Latin as intellectus (derived from the verb intelligere) and into French (and then English) as intelligence.

Discussion of the intellect can be divided into two broad areas. In both of these areas, the terms "intellect" and "intelligence" have continued to be used as related words.

Intellect and Nous in philosophy. In philosophy, especially in classical and medieval philosophy and the intellect or nous is an important subject connected to the question of how humans can know things. Especially during late antiquity and the middle ages, the intellect was often proposed as a concept which could reconcile philosophical and scientific understandings of nature with monotheistic religious understandings, by making the intellect a link between each human soul, and the divine intellect (or intellects) of the cosmos itself. (During the Latin Middle Ages a distinction developed whereby the term "intelligence" was typically used to refer to the incorporeal beings which governed the celestial spheres in many of these accounts.)

Intellect and Intelligence in psychology. In modern psychology and neuroscience, intelligence and intellect are used as terms describing mental ability (or abilities) that allow people to understand. A distinction is sometimes made whereby intellect is considered to be related to "facts" in contrast to intelligence concerning "feelings". Intellect refers to the cognition and rational mental processes gained through external input rather than internal.

A person who uses intelligence (thought and reason) and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity is often referred to as an intellectual.

Selected and edited from Wikipedia - intellect

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         2050 hours. Reading this carefully or perhaps not so carefully, I wonder if a real intellect has any wits surrounding or within her or him.

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Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. A wit is a person skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.

Forms of wit

As in the wit of Dorothy Parker’s set, the Algonquin Round Table, witty remarks may be intentionally cruel (as in many epigrams), and perhaps more ingenious than funny.

A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of a point, and a witticism also suggests the diminutive. Repartee is the wit of the quick answer and capping comment: the snappy comeback and neat retort. (Wilde: "I wish I'd said that." Whistler: "You will, Oscar, you will".)
Wit in poetry

Wit in poetry is characteristic of metaphysical poetry as a style, and was prevalent in the time of English playwright Shakespeare, who admonished pretension with the phrase "Better a witty fool than a foolish wit". It may combine word play with conceptual thinking, as a kind of verbal display requiring attention, without intending to be laugh-aloud funny; in fact wit can be a thin disguise for more poignant feelings that are being versified. English poet John Donne is the representative of this style of poetry.

Further meanings

More generally, one's wits are one's intellectual powers of all types. Native wit — meaning the wits with which one is born — is closely synonymous with common sense. To live by one's wits is to be an opportunist, but not always of the scrupulous kind. To have one's wits about one is to be alert and capable of quick reasoning. To be at the end of one's wits is to be immensely frustrated.

Selected and edited from Wikipedia (or perhaps by now Wiktionary) – Wit (Humor)

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2105 hours. The definition above clearly shows I have a bit of sourness and meanness jammed between my toes and the top of my head – that I am an opportunist, and not a very scrupulous one at that. I am not gravestone rational; this is without question.

Your sophomoric mind sometimes twists your heart into a deep anger that you are not so smart, and yet understand how perfectly true this is. Your arrogance rises only to the point where your humility has a blanket under which you can hide, boy. Post. – Amorella

           2115 hours. You are most unsettling, Amorella, but you see my weaknesses without joy. Such kindness you show; this is what I need to reflect on in this most private of lessons. - rho

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