“All beings possess the same intelligence, which develops through the surrounding environment and through the manipulation, with intellect, of the material available to them.
They do this in order to survive and satisfy their needs during each stage of life, within the unique present moment of that stage and according to the evolution of their knowledge.
Since a person cannot physically transform all thoughts and ideas instantly, their practical development has to be limited. Some ideas therefore remain theories that may only materialize in the future. Later, such people may be recognized as having ‘had a vision of the future’ or as having been ‘ahead of their time.’
The mind, God, and nature, working together, develop the characteristics of human life—both in physical matter and in spirit.”
What it means
The central idea is that intelligence is not simply something fixed inside a person. It develops through interaction with the environment, experience, available resources, and the individual's ability to think and manipulate those resources.
1. Intelligence develops through the environment
The statement “la inteligencia… se desarrolla con el medio ambiente circulante” suggests that intelligence is shaped by surroundings.
For example, a person growing up in an agricultural environment may develop sophisticated knowledge about soil, rainfall, animals and crops. Someone growing up around technology may develop different practical intelligence.
So the argument is essentially:
Environment + experience + thought → development of intelligence.
2. Intelligence is connected to survival
The passage sees intelligence as fundamentally practical. Human beings use their knowledge to:
obtain food and shelter;
solve problems;
protect themselves;
satisfy their needs;
adapt to changing circumstances.
In this sense, intelligence is not merely academic knowledge. Practical intelligence is the ability to understand circumstances and use what is available to survive and progress.
3. The present limits what we can accomplish
One of the more interesting ideas is that having an idea is not the same as being able to physically implement it immediately.
A person may imagine something technologically possible but lack:
the necessary materials;
scientific knowledge;
technology;
financial resources;
social acceptance;
or the tools needed to build it.
Therefore, an idea may remain theoretical for decades or centuries before humanity develops the capacity to realize it.
That is why someone may later be described as “ahead of their time.”
4. Visionaries imagine beyond their present
The passage is particularly interested in the relationship between thought and future reality.
A person can conceive something in the present that society cannot yet build. Later generations may possess the technology to turn that thought into reality.
A simple example would be:
Idea → theory → technological development → physical reality.
This is an important theme in the history of science. Human imagination can sometimes anticipate technological possibilities before the necessary tools exist.
5. Mind, God and nature
The spiritual dimension:
“La mente, Dios y la naturaleza juntas desarrollan las características de la vida humana.”
This can be understood as proposing three interacting forces:
Mind: human thought, intelligence and consciousness
Nature : the physical environment and laws governing existence
God the spiritual or divine dimension
Together, according to the author, these shape human existence in both physical matter and spirit.
In simpler words
Summarized like this:
Human intelligence grows through experience and interaction with the environment. We use our minds and whatever resources are available to survive and satisfy our needs. Our ability to turn ideas into reality is limited by the technology and knowledge available in our time. Some people therefore imagine things long before society has the ability to create them, causing them to appear “ahead of their time.” Ultimately, the author sees human existence as the interaction of mind, nature and God, operating through both the physical and spiritual dimensions of life.
There is also an interesting philosophical question underneath the passage:
