It took me a long time to figure out that being “smart” isn’t just some all encompassing never changing truth about a person. Pretty much nobody is a complete idiot in all things and pretty much nobody is a genius in all things.
When I was a kid being “smart” was what I had going for me basically. It was the one good thing that everyone seemed to agree that I was, so I clung onto that.
But then I grew up a bit and realized that I’m kind of an idiot. There’s certain things I just learn slower than other people. Things my brain and body just won’t do. This realization kinda messed me up for a while. Surely being smart is something you’re supposed to be forever all the time.
No. Everyone is kind of an idiot, turns out. The human mind isn’t capable of calculating the best and most logical response to literally everything there is. If logic even applies to any given situation.
The flip side of that though is that pretty much everyone is smart if you take the time to get to know them. They’re good at different things than you are.
One of the things that made this really hit for me was when I was catching up with one of my cousins and I was like man you’ve got a career, you were in the marine band, you’ve got a partner and a house and here I am unemployed and going nowhere. But then my cousin was like what are you talking about you have a masters degree and I can’t stay in college for one semester without dropping out I’m an idiot compared to you I can’t commit to anything that long.
And that’s when it hit me. We’re both idiots failing to accomplish our goals and we’re both very smart and accomplished people. Our idiocy and accomplishments just fall into different places because we’re different people.
Yeah you’re an idiot. But you’re also so smart. Because you’re a human. You contain multitudes of shades of idiocy and brilliance. That’s what keeps the world going around. We can specialize. We can fill in each other’s shortfalls.
Moral of the story, don’t build your whole personality around being smart but don’t assume that you’re dumber than anyone else either.
germansingergirl
jacobvanloon
pixelskylines
