Intellect vs Wisdom
- Pransky & Associates
- Oct 1, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 25
The Two Minds: Busy vs. Wise
We often rely heavily on our intellect to make sense of life—analyzing, evaluating, and mentally fixing what we think is wrong. But in this clip from the last Client Wisdom series, Linda Pransky offers a simple yet powerful insight: the intellect is only one part of our mental landscape. There’s another place we can come from—a quieter, deeper mind often referred to as wisdom.
Rather than constantly searching for what's broken or needs improvement, wisdom invites us to look for what’s already right, already whole. And in doing so, it gives us a very different experience of life.
“You don’t want to be going and looking for what’s wrong, what needs fixing, because you’ll always find something to fix... that’s what’s up in the busy mind.”
Understanding Emerges from Stillness
When the mind is busy, we live in a world of judgment and overwhelm. But when we get quiet, a shift happens. The noise settles, and a feeling of calm and insight arises. Linda points to the fact that understanding doesn’t come from effort or problem-solving—it comes from stillness.
This kind of wisdom doesn’t just apply to big decisions or spiritual questions. It’s the source of clarity in everyday life. Whether navigating a relationship, making a career move, or simply trying to feel more at ease, we’re more resourceful when we’re listening from a quieter place.
“Down here, when you get quiet, all that disappears… and you just feel whole.”
Mental Health Starts with Perspective
So much of our mental well-being hinges on where we place our attention. When we live in our heads—constantly correcting, predicting, or rehearsing—we feel off-balance. But when we learn to let go of the mental noise and allow ourselves to settle into wisdom, things look different. We don’t need to fix everything to feel okay. We already are okay.
Linda reminds us that it’s not about having all the answers. It’s about knowing where to look—and learning to trust that clarity will come from within when we’re not caught up in overthinking.
