Lamps are made to illuminate. For that, they have different illuminating powers.

There are 60-watt, 100-watt, 150-watt lamps and so on... The number of watts translates the lamp's lighting power.

Our intelligences are also made to illuminate.

In comic books, the drawer draws a light lamp over the character's head to illustrate that the character has had a good idea.

Intelligences, such as lamps, also have different illuminating powers.

Man invented tests to measure intelligences' "wattage".

The name IQ (intelligence quotient) was given to the intelligence lighting power.

Intelligences are not equal.  Those who have scored 200 in IQ tests have high illuminating power.

Some brag about their high IQs.

But we don't look at lamps. Lamps are not supposed to be looked at.Lamps are good for the things they illuminate and not for their own shine.

Looking straight at a lamp blurs your sight.

There are 200-watt intelligences which only illuminate sewage and cemeteries. And there are modest intelligences, like nothing more that a candle flame, that illuminate smiles.

A lamp has no free will. It illuminates the object chosen by the lamp's owner.

Intelligence, like lamps, has no free will either. It illuminates the objects that its owner's heart chooses to illuminate.

The intelligence of those who love money will illuminate money, the intelligence of criminals will illuminate crime, and the intelligence of artists will illuminate beauty.

Intelligence is guided. It can only follow orders.

*   *   *

These enlightening considerations from Rubem Alves make us think about how we are using this great tool of ours - intelligence.

What have we been illuminating with it? What have we done of this great ability of ours?

Allan Kardec makes it clear that the intelligence is not always a guarantee of morality, and that the most intelligent man can make bad use of his/her abilities.

Therefore, having above average intelligence does not mean being a good man or an evolved soul.

It is necessary that this intelligence be focused on good, for the benefit of civilization and improvement of human kind.

The same intelligence that develops a chemical weapon can develop vaccines and remedies.

The same intelligence that manipulates the law and people for its own benefit is the intelligence that helps and protects the weak and oppressed.

The same intelligence used in criminal strategies to steal public money can be used for the reconstruction of cities and the restitution of dignity to peoples abandoned by materialistic interests.

The lamp just needs to illuminate what it should illuminate. We just need to make the right choices and guide our intelligence correctly.

Intelligence, like lamps, does not have free will. It illuminates the objects that his owner wants to see illuminated.

Spiritist Moment Team, based on the passage Variações sobre a inteligência,
 from the book O sapo que queria ser príncipe, by Rubem Alves.
publishing house: Planeta.
October 20.2009.