What We Know vs. How We Feel: The Search for a Whole Intelligence.



Dimitrios A. Karras
Assoc. Professor at National & Kapodistrian University of Athens

He wasn’t just a genius — he redefined what being a genius really means.

Kim Ung-Yong’s mind worked unlike anyone else’s.
At just 6 months old, he was speaking full sentences.
By age 3, he could read in four languages: Korean, Japanese, English, and German.

At 4, he was solving calculus problems, writing poetry, and painting — all while most kids were still learning the alphabet.

Before he turned 5, he was attending university-level physics lectures.
By 8, he was invited to the U.S., where he worked on NASA-related research — a child among scientists.

Everyone expected him to revolutionize science.
But what he did next shocked the world.
In his twenties, Kim quietly returned to South Korea.
He enrolled in a small university, earned a Ph.D., and became a humble professor — far from cameras and global expectations.

Why step away? He found something even more important.

“You can master equations… speak a dozen languages…
But if you don’t understand your own emotions, you’ll never be truly whole.”

Despite his record-breaking IQ, Kim saw wisdom in the heart, not just the mind.

He chose peace over pressure, depth over display.

Kim Ung-Yong’s journey reminds us:

True brilliance shines brightest in a quiet, fulfilled life.

Like Kim Ung-Yong, I want to stay aware not only of what I think in my mind, but also of what I feel in my heart — and just as importantly, how I make others feel, whether in face-to-face conversations or digital exchanges.

In the end, intelligence isn’t only about what we know — it’s about the emotional energy we share and the resonance we leave behind. 🌱



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