Reality and Ambition: “I will not try to be anything other than what I am”
I believe that this sentence, without a shadow of a doubt, causes mental stagnation and kills critical thinking. It is akin to convincing oneself to accept the status quo. However, the question I wish to raise after this brief introduction is: When does the mind reach this stage of surrender? And why does it reach this stage of resignation? The third question is: Does the mind adapt to its current state? To answer these questions, I must note that this stage may be coercive, resulting from despair, or it may stem from frustration that has accumulated over years, or it may be the result of the shocks and failures the mind has endured, whether in practical or social life. There is no doubt that poverty, ignorance, and illness are primary factors leading to this stage.
The answers to the three questions are as follows:
1. When does the mind reach this stage? Human cognitive capacities are boundless. Proof of this is found in the brilliance of philosophers, writers, literary figures, poets, thinkers, inventors, and developers. However, this does not apply to all minds. If we carefully examine the hierarchy of intelligence, we will recognize the disparities among individuals. Therefore, sociologists have classified these levels, starting from the genius at the top of the ladder to the intellectually disabled at the bottom. I must qualify this by noting that the ability for direct perception, keen observation, and the capacity to create new patterns of thought contribute to developing intelligence and elevating its levels. Thus, I conclude that those with limited intelligence, characterized by a lack of cognitive ability, poor perception, and low acuity, are the ones who reach this stage of complacency with their condition.
2. Why does the mind reach this stage of surrender? After answering the first question, I believe I must add the following, beginning with the question: Do ignorance and social backwardness form the basis of mental stagnation and the disabling of cognitive capacities? I assert, without a shadow of a doubt, that these factors play a significant and influential role in the minds of individuals and communities, even affecting those with average intelligence and those at the higher levels of the intelligence ladder. So, how can a mind that has experienced such conditions, combined with a low level of intelligence, not be rigid and disabled? It is natural for such a mind to be stagnant and impaired.
3. Does the mind adapt to its current state? I believe that a mind adapting to its reality is an exceptional condition that a sound mind rejects, regardless of its level of intelligence or its inability to perceive and understand. The reason for this, in my view, lies in the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste—which are the fundamental means of perception that humans possess to interact with the external world and connect existence with human cognition, regardless of one’s level of intelligence. Some might argue that the environment, society, and social conditions influence the mind and are the reasons for its state. This statement is not absolutely true, but it may be partially correct. Proof of this is the failure of a genius in formal education, yet when the environment surrounding the mind changed comprehensively, Edison, who was considered a failure in school, transformed dramatically. He invented hundreds of inventions, including the electric light bulb. Therefore, after all this, we arrive at the conclusion that the environment and society have both negative and positive influences. We must not forget two essential factors in the transformation of the mind from stagnation to activity: upbringing and education, and a positive perspective that stems from the five senses, whether combined or separate.
