Limitations of the Intellect

The intellect is one dimension of “ego control” that dominates many individuals, particularly men. This form of ego control can be expressed as a kind of arrogance that believes that it is always possible to find an intellectual, scientific, rational answer that will give a sense of security. When the intellect provides a rational answer to what is going on, it creates a sense of being in control and, therefore, safe. Refuge in the intellect serves us to some degree but eventually becomes painfully inadequate. One man I know who suffered from this habit was able to use his intellect to rationalize every aspect of his emotional life in such a way that he had created an intellectual armor that was almost impenetrable. The challenge came when his intellectual defense began to show its limitations. As he looked through the cracks that appeared, he could see that in order to resolve his emotional and existential predicament, he would need to simply surrender his ego’s precarious position. Suddenly he could see that all of his Buddhist understanding was actually an obstacle to direct experience. He stood on the edge of a precipice and knew he needed to leap. His intellectual knowledge had pushed him up to the edge and left him stranded.

Rob Preece
from The Wisdom of Imperfection; The Challenge of Individuation in Buddhist Life
Chapter: The Time for Commitment