Page 4 - THE ORACLE MAGAZINE SUMMER'23 EDITION

k n o w t h e
d i f f e r e n c e t o
l i v e a h a p p i e r l i f e
Have you ever found yourself thinking 'I'll be happy when…?
Then finally reaching that point, only to realize shortly after
that you want something else and saying 'I'll be happy when…
'
again? We are the most comfortable generation to have ever
lived on this planet. The rub is that we are definitely not the
most joyful, the most loving, or the most peaceful. Why is that?
Well according to Eastern philosophies, the only thing that
stands between you and your well-being is a simple fact: you
have allowed your thoughts and emotions to take instruction
from the outside rather than the inside. The first step towards
living a more conscious life guided by reason and logic, instead
of impulsiveness is to know the difference, which we have not
been taught in school, between the mind and the intellect.
Living beings, including plants, animals, and humans, are
unique and composed of different elements. While plants are
only made up of physical matter, animals and humans have an
additional piece of mind. The mind, present in animals and
humans, is composed of feelings, emotions, likes, and dislikes.
However, in the case of humans, there is also the added
component of intellect. The intellect is that which thinks,
comprehends, reasons, judges and decides. So, in addition to
the body and mind, human beings possess a unique capacity
for intellectual reasoning, distinguishing us from other living
beings.
M I N D V S .
I N T E L L E C T
Here is an example to better illustrate the
difference between the mind and the intellect.
When you see a doughnut, your mind immediately
reacts to the sugary, delicious treat and you may
feel an intense desire to eat it. However, your
intellect may have a different perspective. It may
recognize that eating a doughnut is not the
healthiest choice for your body and could lead to
negative consequences in the long run. In this
scenario, the mind is focused on the immediate
pleasure of eating the doughnut, while the intellect
is considering the long-term consequences and
making a more informed decision. By using
intellect to guide our actions, we can make better
choices that align with our values and goals, even
in the face of instant gratification.
Important note: The intellect (the faculty
responsible for thinking, reasoning, and judging)
often gets confused with intelligence (mere
acquisition and recall of knowledge or information
from external sources).
J A N B I N A R
03
THE ORACLE MAGAZINE