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Am I Smart?


American Heritage Dictionary defines smart:
Characterized by sharp quick thought; bright. See Synonyms at intelligent.

American Heritage Dictionary defines intelligent:
having good understanding or a high mental capacity; quick to comprehend, as persons or animals


Probably since the 9th grade, I have stopped calling myself "smart". I just stop believing that I was a smart person. I didn't think getting A's in school was the result of being "smart"; however, I was just doing my work.

When I got to college I continued to do my work. I also learned ways to get over...I don't want to go into detail about that because I don't want to promote it.
In my professional life, I never considered myself to be "smart" because I just believed that I had become skilled.

I've thought for a long time that most people definition of "smart" is very limiting. This excludes people from identifying themselves as being smart, and a lot of times this happens because they use someone else characteristics to define what smart is. Like my BF says, that is very unfortunate because they undermine their own potential. I think I have disassociated myself with the term for these reasons exactly. I don't want anyone to feel that they cannot accomplish what I have because they may not consider themselves to be "smart" like I am.

A little tangent...my BF is very intelligent...and I don't deny that at all (neither will he, lol)...I can say that it is intimidating. I guess because I've never been with someone who I considered to be so "smart." I think in turn, I may be doing exactly what I am trying to prevent others to do. I may believe that his intelligence is coming out a little arrogant, only because I feel like he is "smarter" than I am. So its like I feel that my opinion or my say doesn't sound as "smart" as his. This is very twisted, and I guess I am admitting to a major insecurity. However, I do want to say...that my disassociation with the word "smart" was not due to my smart BF but because of the reasons that I listed above. So anyways, I guess I need to deal with this somehow...and how, I am not really sure...Maybe I should start calling myself smart...because then I would at least be at some level of commonality with him...because its like I have a super smart BF, that knows it...and he has a girlfriend that "just does her work, and have skills"...can you see why this would be a problem? If you have any advice it would be helpful...

Anyways, so I listed the definition just so I can give myself a better understanding of what being "smart" or "intelligent" is. When I asked my BF whether it was a more fluid definition, he did not necessarily agree. However, when looking at the definition...it sounds very open-ended. Its like you can be "smart" or "intelligent" in anything. So why should I associate myself with a word that does not necessarily makes me unique. Anyone can proclaim that they can "quickly comprehend" any kind of concept.

I'M JUST SAYING!!


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Comments

  1. phoenixsoulNovember 13, 2008 at 11:20 AM

    That was well written

    ReplyDelete
  2. Clif SouloNovember 16, 2008 at 11:48 AM

    I defintely agree with the vein of thought you have about "smart". I have had this very same convo with my wife..

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 20, 2008 at 3:08 PM

    You know what really disturbs me about people whom are literate and have the ability to understand information. They won’t pick information up and read it wouldn’t you want to know that the hell is going on just to know. Being “smart” as you put it Raven, it comes from people paying attention of what going on around them. That’s the clue “paying attention.” We need to looking deeper then what is being given or being shown to us. Stepping outside of one surrounding and explore the unfamiliar. Now you know I have a limited of education in the traditional way but I have the wiliness to search for answers and to listen careful to what others are saying. Curiosity kills the cat but the lack of it for humankind kills the mind.

    ReplyDelete

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