Languages are more than collections of words; they preserve the way people once understood the world. So, let me ask you this: How much can a language change simply because we failed to grasp the original idea behind its words?
While studying Arabic, I came across the word "عقل" that is mostly translated as 'Intellect, reason, or understanding,' but this is not the full idea early Arabs had in mind. Actually, "عقل" is not merely about books, IQ or how clever a person is.
Have you ever thought about how languages create new words? In most languages, words evolve from other words and عقل is no exception. It comes from the word "عِقال" which literally means "a rope or a cord". It was used to tie around the leg of one's camel at night to prevent it from wandering into the open desert.
So, the "عِقال" is a restraint that keeps a wandering animal from walking into danger in the darkness. Early Arabs took this image of a rope used for restraint and applied it to the human mind. They saw human beings as creatures driven by desires, ambitions, emotions, and impulses which are forces that can easily override sound judgment.
In this sense, عقل was not merely about intelligence, knowledge, or cleverness. It was about the ability to restrain oneself, to keep one's desires and emotions under control, especially in times of uncertainty.
To them, the wisest person was not necessarily the one who possessed the most knowledge, but the one who could exercise self-restraint and remain in control of themselves. Every culture, after all, has its own understanding of what it means to be truly wise.
Consider how society plays a huge role in shaping our minds. We meet people, make friends, and gradually learn about them and their habits. Some might be addicted to drugs; some might be cheating on their partners. Yes, that doesn't involve you. But did you notice that even if you are not involved in those things they try to explain and justify their actions, planting an idea in your subconscious, making you think, "If I had those reasons, I could do the same."
I chose this example because it illustrates how easily our minds can be influenced. Yet I still wonder whether I have truly grasped its essence or whether I am simply beating around the bush. Of course, everyone has doubts about many things and I believe confronting those doubts is the best way to understand ourselves and the world around us. As Socrates once said:
"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."