Flashing back to my university days, there was always a hot debate among my friends and other colleagues who preferred to visit the library to read or gain more knowledge outside their textbooks and to look for more information, they would argue and swear that the library is always the best and only place to study and fully concentrate and absorb information without distractions.
They believe that being in an environment dedicated to learning makes a significant difference. On the other hand, I would also argue and stay on my point that true learning is not about location but about discipline and approach. Even in the comfort of my room, I could learn effectively as long as I was intentional about it.
Undoubtedly, libraries have been in existence for a long time ago, I mean for centuries, and serve as the primary means of obtaining knowledge. Our predecessors had no choice but to walk miles just to get access to books and resources with lots of information that could help them gain more knowledge.
Just because they know they have to walk a very far distance to a library and get hold of books that will expand their level of knowledge and understanding, they become intentional about the process - one that requires thorough commitment and perseverance. Today, however, a lot has changed. Technology is now existing, making things easier even in the comfort of our zones.
With the existence of the internet, we can learn about anything within seconds, whether it's history, science or anything from the latest news of what is happening across the globe. Everything is quite literally at our fingertips.
The question now is: does this evolution make us smarter and more intelligent than those who came before us?
To truly give an answer to this, what does being smart and intelligent mean? It means having the ability to learn, understand what you've learnt and also apply the knowledge effectively. I believe intelligence is not just about access to information but how we process, interpret and apply it.
The easy access to information today is kind of a blessing for us considering how everything can be gotten online and at our fingertips, so also, this can be a curse if not applied correctly and in the right approach.
Our predecessors had this opportunity which was "being intentional". They understood how it was for them to get access to those books and resources mostly after walking miles for them, and they made sure they applied them effectively so that their efforts wouldn't be in vain. Though they weren't blessed with what we have today, that doesn't make them less smart or intelligent than us.
While we may have a vast amount of knowledge available, the easy access might make us not take it seriously or likely to deeply engage in it. In our fast-paced digital age, people often skim through information without truly understanding or internalising it because of a lot of factors, one of which is distraction. In the era of social media, a lot of things could distract us when learning something useful and without the right discipline, it would be a waste. Our predecessors weren't distracted like that, and they developed better critical thinking and retention skills.
That said, the internet has made learning more accessible and diverse. We can now explore different ways of accessing research papers, taking online courses and even watching educational videos without moving an inch away from our homes. The real question is not whether we are smarter than our predecessors but whether we are making the best use of this advantage.
Intelligence is not just about having easy access to facts but about being able to learn, think, analyze and apply what we've learnt in the most meaningful ways.
So, while we may not necessarily be smarter and more intelligent than our predecessors, we certainly have more opportunities to learn, but the key is developing the right discipline and intentionality to apply those resources wisely, ensuring that we aren't just wasting time on something that doesn't benefit us on the long run.
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