Intelligence of the Heart
Intelligence of the Heart
“Foolishly arrogant as I was, I used to judge the worth of a person by his intellectual power and attainment. I could see no good where there was no logic, or charm where there was no learning. Now I think that one has to distinguish between two forms of intelligence, that of the brain and that of the heart, and I have come to regard the second as by far the most important. I guard myself against saying that intelligence does not matter; the fool is ever as noxious as he is wearisome. But assuredly the best people I have known were saved from folly not by intellect but by the heart. They come before me, and I see them greatly ignorant, strongly prejudiced, capable of absurdest misreasoning; yet their faces shine with the supreme virtues, kindness, sweetness, modesty, generosity. Possessing these qualities, they at the same time know how to use them; they have the intelligence of the heart.”
George Gissing
taken from the introduction (by V. S. Pritchett) to The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, by George Gissing.
Painting: Unknown Title and Artist.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009