Intellectualism is defined as “the exercise of the intellect at the expense of emotions.” In other words, it’s when you convince yourself you’re smart by ignoring your feelings. For the philosophers in the back, intellectualism is also a fancy cousin to rationalism, the belief that knowledge comes from pure reason, not from our muddled emotional messes. 

Then there’s “lifelong learning,” which is the slightly less pretentious idea of not letting your brain rot after high school. It means continuing to educate yourself throughout your life. Still, even if you don’t think of yourself as intellectually gifted, it doesn’t mean you can’t put on your smarty-pants hat and pretend for a bit. 

Intellectualism isn’t even about being a genius, but instead being someone who, when asked for their opinion, doesn’t just regurgitate what their favorite pundit screamed about last night. It means seeking objective truth, not just piggybacking on whatever emotional rollercoaster your group chat happens to be riding this week. 

I was promised a world of intellectual pursuit when I packed my bags for college in New Hampshire. I would dream of vibrant debates, shared philosophical musings, and maybe even the odd spontaneous slam poetry reading. What I found instead was a bunch of overgrown toddlers pretending to be adults, who just wanted to get drunk, dabble in questionable substances, and experiment with certain aspects of their anatomy. 

After fleeing New Hampshire, I moved on to a state college in Massachusetts, thinking surely that would be different. Of course, it wasn’t. Higher learning, it seemed, was less about the “learning” part and more about the “how many Jägerbombs can you handle before your liver waves a white flag?” As a non-drinker myself, the “college life” that seems so widely celebrated clearly wasn’t for me.

But, in all fairness, not all universities are glorified party zones. Take Ohio State, for example. They’ve got a whole thing called “Intellectual Wellness” (which, I assume, pairs nicely with Emotional Wellness.) Here’s what they say on their Student Wellness Center website:

“The intellectually well person values lifelong learning and seeks to foster critical thinking, develop moral reasoning, expand worldviews and engage in education for the pursuit of knowledge. Intellectual wellness is achieving academic success, demonstrating learning, and using information well.”

See, now that sounds nice. It’s la vision of people walking around campus, furrowing their brows, and talking about moral reasoning instead of just trying to figure out which coffee shop they haven’t been kicked out of yet.

Seriously, though, intellectualism—when not being used as a bludgeon to make others feel inferior—is pretty important. Today, where everyone is so in touch with their emotions (I’m looking at you, Twitter.X), it’s refreshing to occasionally hit pause on feelings and think critically. Here are five reasons why I think everyone should jump on the intellectual bandwagon:

Reason #1: Approaching the world with an intellectual mindset cultivates innovation

It’s hard to innovate when you’re busy being led around by your emotions like a toddler on a leash. Intellectualism forces you to look beyond the immediate “how does this make me feel?” and into the realm of “what can I do with this information?” Imagine all the great inventions we wouldn’t have if people became too emotional about setbacks. Even Edison must have had a meltdown or two? Of course, he kept going—and here we are, able to binge Netflix at 2 AM because he didn’t give up on the lightbulb.

Reason #2: Being intellectually curious connects you with others who share your curiosity

There’s a special kind of joy in finding someone who knows that deep philosophical itch in your brain isn’t just dandruff. Intellectualism opens the door to conversations that transcend the daily “how’s the weather?” level of social interaction. If you’re lucky, these people might even know more than you. That may be terrifying, but also pretty exciting, if you think about it.

Reason #3: People who are well-read can better expand their horizons

Reading books, articles, and even the occasional academic paper doesn’t just give you new perspectives; it gives you intellectual ammunition. The more perspectives you gather, the better you are at dissecting complex problems—or at least making it look like you know what you’re talking about. Few things are more satisfying than shutting down someone’s ill-informed rant with a well-placed literary reference.

Reason #4: Lifelong learning helps you discover new passions

As unfortunate as it might seem, what you’re passionate about at 16 is probably not going to be what drives you at 40. Fortunately, lifelong learning ensures you keep finding new things to care about. Today, it might be a deep dive into the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence. Tomorrow, it could be turnip gardening. You just never know.

Reason #5: Intellectualism reveals our shared humanity

Despite all our differences — our conflicting beliefs, our wild emotions, and our vastly divergent tastes in pizza toppings — we’re all humans trying to figure this whole “life” thing out. Intellectualism helps cut through the noise and find that common ground, those universal truths that unite us. After all, perhaps none of us really understand how Wi-Fi works, but we’re all grateful for its existence.

If none of these reasons convince you, then just remember that it’s never too late to learn something new.

~ Amelia Desertsong, October 12, 2024