“Homo Intellectuale Inhabilis”

On the fallacious separation of physical and general fitness

(Or the stereotype of the “homo intellectuale inhabilis”)

For most of my life, I have been wondering about this fallacy that seems so strongly anchored in our collective mind. We grow up with it, though, and it is perpetuated in the media, the literature and the anecdotal heritage left by the generations that precede us. At some point in our history, it seems, physical fitness has come to be regarded – and collectively agreed upon – as the domain of the “sportaholics”, the “fitness-freaks” and the “bodybuilders”. This distinctive and negatively connoted status of physical fitness is justified on no solid grounds and very lamentable. Lamentable, because it produces stereotypes that basically define intellectual people as non-physical or unfit and fit people as non-intellectual or, at best, not particularly smart. It is a dichotomy that serves as a formidable excuse for minimalists who claim that they “simply lack the time to work out”. More disastrously, it is a dichotomy that is, in many ways, drawn along socio-political cleavages, with the upper class being more “intellectual” and the working classes devoted to and concerned with the “physical”.

My argument, and a conviction I have upheld and fiercely defended for my entire life (once you talk about “my life” in retrospect, you are definitely getting older, by the way), is that physical exercise fulfils a purpose that is much greater than the mere development of one’s body and physical aptitudes. Instead, I believe that fitness signifies being “fit” for anything, be it a physical challenge, or an intellectual, a mental, an emotional or a social one. There is clearly a number of benefits we can derive from physical exercise, such as:

A greater sense of well-being, feeling good in our “own skin” More self-confidence, that will improve our image of ourselves and therefore the way other people perceive us Better health, i.e. less medical issues, sickness or and a less fragile immune system Better management of stress and tensions Ability to persevere through difficulties, obstacles and, especially, fatigue A greater understanding of the fact that “pain is temporary”. We are more likely to downplay its momentary negative impact, which allows us to be more forward-looking and optimistic A higher level of energy, which inevitably radiates onto those around us

More specifically, I have found physical fitness to be an essential resource in the following two domains.

The mental and the intellectual

There are, unfortunately, not enough examples of individuals who manage to excel in both the physical and the intellectual domain, which allows for the stereotype of the “homo intellectuale inhabilis” (“the unfit intellectual human”) to persist and contaminate the minds of entire generations. Intellectual tasks in fact require a lot of perseverance, patience and resistance to mental fatigue. Whether it is studying, writing or assignments that involve creative and critical thinking, it is crucial to have a fit and healthy body harbouring your brain. It is puzzling to me how we have learned to completely neglect the fact that intellectual work is, technically, only possible thanks to the physiological operations in our body and brain. Physical exercise undeniably enables us to perform better at intellectual tasks over an extended period of time.

Relationships and the social sphere

Few are the ones who deny that relationships take a whole lot of effort, time and patience. Whether it’s your girlfriend, your wife, your children, your friends or your colleagues – developing, honing and taking care of those relationships is a never-ending job with no schedule nor appointments. Empathy is a powerful skill that is crucial to understanding our loved ones, but we have all experienced the physical strain it implies and the fatigue that usually ensues. Being able to hold long conversations (often during late hours when you should be in bed), to withstand symptoms of fatigue, annoyance or emotional saturation requires us to be physically fit and able. It is again astounding how we have come to separate emotions and emotional work from our physical self. In fact, we have to be physically present (at least most of the time) for a functioning relationship and endure the physical impacts that those interactions have on us. And then, who can deny those butterflies we feel so clearly and distinctively in our stomach when we fall in love? Or the heartache when a love story ends? Or feeling worn out after a lot of emotional distress? The physical is tied to the emotional and the way we work this relationship has tangible repercussions on the success of our relationships and our “social fitness”.

Keystone habits and positive externalities

I would define physical fitness as a keystone habit with positive externalities. A keystone habit, as once you learn to exercise regularly, to push your physical limits and work through fatigue on a daily basis, you will find yourself making a whole series of other adjustments in your life. Working out regularly will require you to plan your time more efficiently, to be more productive and to develop more discipline. You may find that you will start to eat more healthily and therefore feel better and you may swap your car for a bike to go to work which will leave you less stressed and more balanced. Keystone habits have the magical ability to provoke significant changes – through a mysterious ripple effect we are usually oblivious to – that have the potential to completely revolutionise your life.

This keystone habit comes with a whole series of side effects, so-called positive externalities. As mentioned earlier, the positive effects of physical fitness tend to spill over into other areas of life, often without our noticing it. We feel healthier, we have more energy and are cheerier, which affects the way we deal with people around us and shape the attitude with which we start our days or take on tasks and challenges. We are more confident and less insecure, less fragile and less stressed by minor difficulties. All those positive changes will alter the way we see ourselves, and, inevitably, alter the perceptions those around us have of us.

Time misconceived

Hence, seeing physical exercise merely as a “time investment” or “sunk cost” does not do justice to those above-mentioned attributes. The positive externalities and ripple effects of the keystone habits of physical exercise will guide us towards a more efficient, more productive, and more successful performance at other tasks. Funnily enough, we may very well end up having spent less time for the same number of activities by *adding *physical exercise to our tasks. Physical fitness makes up for the time it claims in ways we can rarely foresee, let alone calculate or fully grasp.

Physical exercise is clearly about more than simply making you stronger physically. It’s about making you stronger and fitter emotionally, mentally, intellectually and virtually in all spheres of life. Physical fitness, if employed wisely, is probably the foundation for universal outstanding performance. It is time we finally abandon the fallacy of the “homo intellectuale inhabilis” and the nonsensical stereotypes surrounding the concept of fitness. The equilibrium between the physical and the metaphysical is not a zero sum game. I have made a lifelong commitment to re-establish the status that physical fitness really deserves, and I think it is time all of us do.