An Article

On
Qualities of Genuine
Intellectuals


Sagar Institute of Science & Technology
(SISTec)
Qualities of Genuine Intellectual
Every society primitive or developed must be guided by intelligence to accomplish its goals. The
quality of guiding intelligence determines the qualities of well being of the society. The general class of
men usually follows the standards set by the guiding intelligence. Therefore if the leaders (guiding
intelligence) are on right path, society will be automatically on right path. Todays curriculum confine
students to stay within limited scope of what they learn in their curriculum. The system does not
encourage them to think about their responsibility to themselves and to humanity at large. Due to
neglect of imparting proper character and qualities in young intellectuals, the social problems like drugs,
crime, child abuse, neglect of elderly people are rising inspite of technological advancements. Also the
natural disasters like earthquake, flood feminine are on rise. These are just few symptoms and root very
much lies in lack of emphasis on cultivation of proper qualities of genuine intellectuals. Today there is so
much corruption in society because modern intellectual give in easily to the temptations of monry,
fame, and adoration making themselves easy marks for social exploitation by economic and political
lords. Here I am trying to address some of the qualities of a good Engineering intellectual who will
become tomorrows responsible leader to guide the society suitably.
1. The most important quality of a responsible intellectual should be clarity of goal in his life. He
should not follow the trend blindly or by force but should be very enthusiastic to pursue the goal
with a vision. At present the immediate goal for students is Responsibility to Academics. They
should be very enthusiastic to have deep knowledge of concerned subjects and also get good
marks in exams. Also they should self evaluate their own strength, weakness, area of interest,
aptitude, personality and prepare for the suitable long term career e.g going for higher study in
technology/Management, career as IT professional, R&D Engineer, Teaching etc.
2. The Genuine intellectual must be peaceful and self controlled. His mind and senses must be
controlled. He must not give into the dictates of ever demanding mind & senses which causes
distractions and dissipate the efforts. In modern times, with every day launching of newer
electronic gudgets there are so many sources of distraction for a young student. Some of the
examples are TV, Internet (especially for chatting, face book etc), useless gossips over Mobile
phones.
3. The Genuine intellectual must have Proper regard and obedience to authority (teacher). This is
very important atleast according to vedic understanding if somebody has improper regard for
his teacher there is no way he can get knowledge. He may gain some information but he will
not get knowledge. In other words, whatever he learns, he will not be able to use it properly.
4. He should not waste his valuable time in useless gossip, chatting, watching sports etc but use
every minute very carefully. He should be regulated and follow a time schedule.
5. He must choose good friends and avoid all kinds of unwanted association which spoil the
concentration and determination towards your goal.
6. He must also cultivate faith in almighty and his universal and infallible laws and instructions as
given in religious scriptures. The Genuine intellectual should be aware of them, have faith on
them and follow them in his life. Today worlds all problem s whether terrorism, crime,
corruption and so on all are due to lack of practical faith in God and his laws.
7. Also the Genuine Intellectual must possess a healthy mind and body. Most of us do not consider
that our mind and mental state can have a profound effect on our physical body, and over-all
quality of life.
There are some direct factors affecting the body like having healthy eating habits, avoiding
use of intoxication, Junk foods, rising early in morning and do simple exercise of
walking/yoga/meditation etc.
Apart from these direct reasons, most of the disease now a days begins in the Mind, in thought,
feeling and will, and is then expressed in the physical body. Therefore the Mind is therefore, the
beginning of disease as also of cure. Here I am listing few of prominent negative thoughts that student
carry and do suffer in their overall development. I am also presenting basic tips to overcome them.
(a) Anger: Anger is a Powerful Emotion state that may range in intensity from mild irritation to
intense fury and rage. Anger has physical effects, including raising the heart rate and blood
pressure, Headaches. Problems of digestion, increased anxiety, Insomnia, Depression etc.
Tips to Overcome Anger:
(I) List known triggers and sources of anger, Until you can control the anger, avoid
triggers as much as possible.
(II) The root of your anger may lie in a lack of forgiveness. Practice Forgiveness.
(III) One of the goals of an angry person can be to draw attention to themselves. If you
don't feel loved or needed, this may be a root cause of your anger.
(IV) Accept the fact that most things in the world are out of your control. Also practice
to see the hands of Supreme Lord that he has arranged such circumstance to
happen for bringing some good in you.
(b) Pride: Pride is a feeling that you are better or more important than other people.
Humility, the opposite of pride, is one of the greatest virtues in life. It allows us to truly
be able to help and open up to others, allowing ourselves to be free and enjoy life and the
relationships in life. Pride can have many far-reaching negative effects on our life,
hindering our ability to be happy and truly have meaningful relationships.

Tips to Overcome Pride:
(I) Develop a sense of humility and modesty about his abilities, skills and strengths.
(II) Accept that life is a continuous journey on a path with a variety of twists and
turns. There is never a time when one can sit back, confident that they have
already survived the major hurdles and obstacles.
(III) Do an honest self-appraisal of your successes, achievements and
accomplishments, recognizing the part that God and others have played in your
lives. Also acknowledge their causeless mercy in your victory/success. So do not
be proud, God may have a new challenge or crisis waiting for you.
(c) Laziness/Procrastinating: It is a state of idleness and inner resistance to exert effort and acting.
Laziness not only leads to mental disorders but it also affects our body and health. Due to this
habit, the blood does not circulate properly in our body and this leads to decrease in the quantity
of pure blood in our body resulting low efficiency and the energy level of the person. The brains
of lazy persons do not function properly. They have a weak memory. They take much time to
answer any question. So to become intelligent, skillful and efficient we should quit laziness first
Tips to Overcome Laziness:
(I) Be regulated and have a time schedule/table for your studies.
(II) Have a vision of what and who you want to be.
(III) Focus on doing one thing at a time. Break down a task into smaller tasks
(IV) Visualize yourself performing the task easily, energetically and enthusiastically
(IV) Learn from example of successful people


(d)Anxiety/Sadness: it is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic,
emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. It is the displeasing feeling of fear and
concern. The physical effects of anxiety may include heart palpitations, , muscle weakness,
tension, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, headache, stomach aches.
Tips to Overcome Anxiety:
(I) Set Viable Goals- if you are over-ambitious without proper qualification or driven by
too much greed to get rich quickly, it is hard to overcome. Have viable and realistic
goals.
(II) Forgiveness-Many times we're making ourselves sad for no good reason at all. People
have been known to keep grudges for lifetimes. When you forgive, you remove this
weight off your shoulders and put yourself in a position to be happier.
(III) Gratitude- Many times when we complain we can cause ourselves to be sad.
Complaining is just a factor of not taking into account what we're grateful for.
(IV) Hydration- Daily drink 4-5 liters of water

(V) Make Friendships with good character people who have good background, healthy habits and
healthy goals.

(e) Jealousy/Envy: They are the result of the toxic combination of anxiety-based insecurity,
anger, and an obsession with comparing oneself to others. If it is not controlled, it can develop
into contempt, malice, and the destruction of others. Envy is the opposite of love because while
love celebrates the good of another, envy seeks to destroy another in order benefit oneself.
Tips to Overcome Envy:
(I) Ask yourself why. When feeling envious, ask yourself what it is about someone else
that you are envious of. If you find yourself envying anothers positive qualities such
as their compassion or their social skills, think about forming those qualities in
yourself- doing so will lead from envy to admiration.
(II) Avoid activities that encourage comparison. Read good books that encourage
reflection on the beauty that is in your life.
(III) Dont Give up: Jealousy and envy can be a constant struggle for some individuals
and can be indicative of an unresolved past pain. So, do not give up!!
Hope Readers found the article interesting, informative and inspiring to apply.
For any query pls feel free to contact at :
Email: n.muchhal@sistec.ac.in
Website: www.sistec.ac.in
With all the Best wishes
Nitin Muchhal
Astt Prof, Deptt of ECE
Sagar Institute of Science and Technology (SISTec)
Gandhi Nagar, Bhopal(M.P)-462036