10 Tips On Intelligence By Marcus Garvey
The Honorable Mr. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was an intelligent man who inspired some of the world’s greatest leaders like Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Bob Marley, Martin Luther King Jr., etc.
“Never forget that intelligence rules the world and ignorance carries the burden.” — Marcus Garvey
Here are Garvey’s 10 tips on intelligence.
1. YOU MUST NEVER stop learning.
The world’s greatest men and women were people who educated themselves outside of the university with all the knowledge the university gives. And you have the opportunity of doing the same thing the university student does — read and study.
2. One must never stop reading.
Read everything that you can read that is of standard knowledge. Use every spare minute you have in reading. Don’t waste time. Any time you think you have to waste put it into reading something.
3. Read history incessantly until you master it.
This means your national history, the history of the world, social history, industrial history, and the history of the different sciences; but primarily, the history of man. If you do not know what went on before you came here and what is happening at the time you live, but away from you, you will not know the world and will be ignorant of the world and mankind.
4. Never write or speak on a subject you know nothing about.
There is always somebody who knows that particular subject to laugh at you or ask embarrassing questions that may make others laugh at you.
5. You should read at least four hours a day.
The best time to read is in the evening after you have retired from your work and after you have rested and before sleeping hours, but do so before morning, so that during your sleeping hours what you have read may become subconscious, that is to say, planted in your memory. Never go to bed without doing some reading.
6. Never keep the constant company of anybody who doesn’t know as much as you or [is] as educated as you.
And from whom you cannot learn something or reciprocate your learning, especially, if that person is illiterate or ignorant because constant association with such a person will unconsciously cause you to drift into the particular culture or ignorance of that person. Always try to associate with people from whom you can learn something.
7. NEVER GO DOWN IN INTELLIGENCE to those who are below you.
If possible help to lift them up to you and always try to ascend to those who are above you and be their equal with the hope of being their master.
8. No one is ever too old to learn.
You should take advantage of every educational opportunity.
9. Always have a well-equipped shelf of books.
Try to have a book and own it on every bit of knowledge you want. Books are one’s best companions, try to get them and keep them.
10. Always have up-to-date-knowledge.
You can gather this from the latest books and the latest periodicals, journals, and newspapers. Read your daily newspaper every day. Read a standard monthly journal every month, a standard weekly magazine every week, and a standard quarterly magazine every quarter and by this, you will find the new knowledge of the whole year in addition to the books you read. Don’t keep old ideas, bury them as new ones come.
“Always have a thought. Always make it a beautiful thought. The world is attracted to beauty, either in art or in expression. Therefore, try to read, think, and speak beautiful things.” — Marcus Garvey
I hope you find these tips helpful and I encourage you to read more about Marcus Garvey.
