According to Osho, the fear of intelligence arises because society splits intelligence from innocence, equating 'intelligent' with crafty egoistic cleverness. True intelligence is childlike innocence and wonder; only when intelligence turns against innocence does it degenerate into mere intellect or cunning. Keep intelligence wedded to innocence—openness, receptivity, and awe—then there is nothing to fear; this union leads toward self-realization.
We only fear being smart when it feels sneaky; real smarts are a curious child’s heart—keep your wonder and there’s nothing to fear.
From the Discourses
Passages where Osho speaks to this question — each links to the complete discourse.
Beloved Osho, yesterday I was told that I am intelligent. I felt as if I had been called something terrible... As if it was even dangerous. Would you please shed some light on the fear of intelligence?
Avirbhava, to feel terrible for being called "intelligent" proves you really to be intelligent. The first and the most important part of intelligence is innocence. That's why you felt terrible -- because in the world innocence and intelligence have been divided, not only divided but put diametrically opposite to each other. If intelligence remains innocent it is the most beautiful thing possible, but if it is against innocence then it is simply cunningness and nothing else; it is not intelligence. The moment innocence disappears, the soul of intelligence is gone; it is a corpse. It is better to call it simply "intellect". It can make you a great intellectual, but it will not transform your life and it will not make you open to the mysteries of existence. They are open only to the intelligent child, and the really intelligent person keeps his childhood alive to his last breath. He…
Question: OSHO, ARE CHILDREN REALLY SO INTELLIGENT AS YOU ALWAYS SAY THEY ARE? Intelligence is not something that is acquired, it is inbuilt, it is inborn, it is intrinsic to life itself. Not only children are intelligent, animals are intelligent in their own way, trees are intelligent in their own way. Of course they all have different kinds of intelligences because their needs differ, but now it is an established fact that all that lives is intelligent. Life cannot be without intelligence; to be alive and to be intelligent are synonymous. But man is in a dilemma for the simple reason that he is not only intelligent, he is also aware of his intelligence. That is something unique about man, his privilege, his prerogative, his glory, but it can turn very easily into his agony. Man is conscious that he is intelligent; that consciousness brings its own problems.
Yesterday when you spoke of intelligence becoming meditation, there was such a rush inside, it felt as if my heart would explode. It was as if you had said something I'd been waiting to hear. Can you elaborate?
The question is from Krishna Prem. Intelligence is intrinsic to life. Intelligence is a natural quality of life. Just as fire is hot, and air is invisible, and water flows downwards, so is life intelligent. Intelligence is not an achievement; you are born intelligent. Trees are intelligent in their own way, they have enough intelligence for their own life. Birds are intelligent, so are animals. In fact, what religions mean by God is only this: that the universe is intelligent, that there is intelligence hidden everywhere. And if you have eyes to see, you can see it everywhere. Life is intelligence. Only man has become intelligent. Man has damaged the natural flow of life. Except in man, there is no unintelligence. Have you ever seen a bird you can call stupid? Have you ever seen an animal you can call idiotic? No, such things happen only to man. Something has…
What exactly is intelligence, and what is the relation of the intelligence of the heart to the intelligence of the mind?
A totally new kind of education is needed in the world. The person who is born to be a poet is proving himself stupid in mathematics and the person who could have been a great mathematician is just cramming history and feeling lost. Everything is topsy-turvy because education is not according to your nature. It does not pay any respect to the individual, it forces everybody into a certain pattern. Maybe by accident the pattern fits a few people but the majority is lost and the majority lives in misery. The greatest misery in life is to feel oneself stupid, unworthy, unintelligent. And nobody is born unintelligent; nobody can be born unintelligent because we come from God. God is pure intelligence. We bring some flavor, some fragrance from God when we come into the world. But immediately the society jumps upon you, starts manipulating, teaching, changing, cutting, adding, and soon…
Beloved Osho, can the intellect be a door to enlightenment, or is enlightenment only achieved through surrender?
And then there are great insights. A man who wants to be really awake, wants to be really a Buddha, has to live each moment in such intensity -- as you live only rarely, rarely, in some danger. The first meaning is opposite to sleep. And naturally, you can see reality only when you are not asleep. You can face it, you can look into the eyes of truth -- or call it God -- only when you are awake. Do you understand the point of intensity, the point of being on fire? Utterly awake, there is insight. That insight brings freedom, that insight brings truth. The second meaning of budh is to recognize -- as to become aware of, acquainted with, to notice, give heed to. And so a Buddha is one who has recognized the false as the false, and has his eyes opened to the true as…