What makes you smart, or at least think you are? This is in reference to intelligence mind you, not one of the other type of "smart's".
After following News 24 for a good few years now,
it has become clear to me that there are a number of really smart individuals out there.
This can be clearly gleaned from numerous comments such as -
My IQ is XXX, I have a degree in XXX, I attended XXX institute of learning, and further statements like - "you are wrong / misled / ill informed", indicating that at least one party is right, or better informed and thus indicating smarter. Or often used as a comeback "I believe... " indicating that you think you are right, thus surely meaning you are also smarter, or at least think you are.
Yes, I have done the same thing from time to time, especially when losing an argument with my wife...in a crowded shopping centre on the 25/26th of any given month. This does not make me smart however, this makes me an idiot and I suffer dearly the consuquences for such comments made...
What determines one as smart? I am not talking about "clever", ie. responding with a sharp, stinging or witty comment to someone rubbishing your post, I am talking about "real" smart.
Does the fact that one attended school, and then studied further afterwards make one smart ? Methinks not. Just having the piece of paper which has the word degree (or any other qualification) emblazoned on it does not quite cut it in my view. I am not knocking those that have obtained these qualifications, I am bemoaning how one finds the need to advertise just how "smart" you are.
If you are however a rocket scientist, or a medical doctor, then yes I feel you are smart...or should that read, just smarter than me !
Qualified "smart" certainly helps sometimes, especially when said degree or degree's is held by the doctor hovering over an operating table as I lay on the cold steel slab wondering where the hell my motorbike is, and what are all these really bright lights above my head...and why does every limb in my body pain so much.
But jokes aside, how is smart determined - the definition is courtesy of Google - (Im just to damn lazy to fetch a dictionary or thesaurus)
Adjective - Having or showing a quick-witted intelligence.
Verb - (of a wound or part of the body) Cause a sharp, stinging pain: "the wound was smarting".
Noun - Intelligence; acumen.
I have met a number of apparently "smart" individuals in my life, and yet not all appear to be smart, some of them in fact appear quite the contrary, judging by the rubbish (for want of a better word) that comes out of their mouth's on a daily basis...but that is merely my view, and no, I dont see my self as smart. I find it strange however that a good number of these "smart" individuals like to tell me how smart they are though...I would have thought that their intelligence or acumen would have spoken volumes by highlighting itself in any case.
Is it smart to tell the rest of society how smart you are ? Or at least how smart you think you are. Especially on a public forum ? This in a time when the South African education department celebrates 30% as a pass ? Surely all these new matric's are also "smart"!
So heads up all, unless you are a rocket scientist or a med doctor, you don't need to tell all and sundry how "smart" you are, or how smart you think you are. And if I somehow managed to offend you with this post regarding your "smartness" its because I am not "smart", so I apologise upfront for that one - the offending bit, not, the not smart bit.
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