When I think of the word intellectual, I don't tend to stick the ideas that those people are only the ones that have an extreme intelligence within one area (ie. philosophers, scientists, writers, doctors, etc.). To me, someone that I consider an intellectual is a person that is able to converse with a variety of people on a world of different subjects. For example, having a technical discussion with someone that works as a technician in the computer field whil you are not in that field, but are also not lost. Partaking in discussions with people that have a differnt educational background then yourself. That's more of what I consider an intellectual.

When you have the personal drive to pick up books on a subject and learn about it, merely for the enjoyment of expanding knowledge on that area, or to be able to ask more indepth questions during conversations, that too is the sign of an intellectual, to me.

So, by looking at it that way, intellectuals become part of the 'masses' and the lines are blurred even more. Sure, you will still have those groups of people that concentrate on one area of expertise, but if they are unable to hold other conversations with others, then they have pigeon-holed themselves and turned away from a broader view of intelligence. And when they do try to have conversations with others along the lines of what they know/study, then an aire of class sneaks into the attitude and then walls get built up.

Again, in my opinion, having a conversation with someone that doesn't deal with knowledge being handed down from a plateau, but on the sharing level is more of an intellectual exchange rather then the conversation becoming a lecture.