Prompt: Express your viewpoint on the saying: Not praising intelligence but praising cleverness...
I. Outline: Expressing my viewpoint on the saying: Not praising intelligence but praising cleverness
1. Introduction
Presenting the proposed argument
2. Body of the Article
a. Explaining the content and significance of the quote by researcher Tran Dinh Huou
Explore the concepts of 'intelligence' and 'cleverness' with a touch of ingenuity.
Decode the essence of the saying:
+ Portray a distinctive aspect of the Vietnamese lifestyle: Emphasizing cleverness in communication over intelligence.
+ Simultaneously highlight specific manifestations like 'feasting first, swimming later', mastering strategies, and self-preservation.
b. Discussing and analyzing the lifestyle mentioned in the quote
- Positive Aspect: Pay attention to valuing cleverness.
+ Living cleverly and flexibly enables individuals to easily harmonize and connect with others, quickly establishing positive relationships.
+ Always winning the favor of others and bringing about effects like 'mastering strategies, self-preservation', avoiding unnecessary disasters.
- Negative Aspect:
+ 'not praising intelligence': Underestimating the role of intelligence in human perception and reasoning.
+ Embracing this perspective leads individuals into a state of minimal training and enhancement of their own knowledge.
+ Elevating 'cleverness': Plunging individuals into a life of opportunities, complacency, and stagnation, without taking initiative or progressing.
c. Presenting Personal Insights Derived from the Quote
- It is crucial to blend and harmonize intellect and cleverness, avoiding the dismissal of intelligence while refraining from excessively glorifying cleverness.
- Individuals must adeptly navigate the relationship between actively cultivating knowledge, understanding, and reasoning, and developing essential life skills, communication, and behavior.
3. Closing Thoughts
The positive essence embedded in the lifestyle the author refers to is manifested in the emphasis on astuteness. Living cleverly and flexibly allows individuals to easily connect and integrate with others, swiftly establishing meaningful relationships. Simultaneously, maintaining an active stance in every situation without falling into passivity. Those who live this way will always be appreciated by others and bring about effects such as 'knowing the ropes, keeping oneself,' avoiding unnecessary disasters.
However, the perspective above reveals some negatives. Firstly, the notion of 'not praising intellect.' As we know, intelligence and understanding play crucial roles in human cognition and reasoning. In the current era of industrialization and modernization, we cannot deny the role of intellect in making enlightened and sober decisions. This perspective may lead individuals to a state of less cultivation and neglect of their own knowledge.
Furthermore, elevating cleverness also exhibits some limitations. Cleverness and flexibility are commendable traits, but they can also lead individuals to be passive, dependent on those who go before without showing enthusiasm or initiative. These are manifestations of an avoidant lifestyle, only protecting one's own interests.
From the analysis, we can see that to cultivate a beautiful and suitable lifestyle, there needs to be harmony and a combination of intellect and cleverness. Neither should intellect be underestimated, nor should cleverness be overly glorified. This implies that individuals must effectively balance enhancing their intellect, knowledge, and understanding with developing life skills, communication skills, and social competence.
Thus, both intellect and cleverness play pivotal roles in human life. As students, we need to exert effort, strive in our studies to enrich our knowledge, and relentlessly persevere in the process of cultivation to develop appropriate behavioral skills.
