Be smsrt, be smsrt, but be not too smart

Be smart, be smart, be not too smart
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Does the title look strange?It is real experience or anubhavam,

Many parents lament that their children are not very smart.But does smartness always pay?..Teachers may love or hate you for your smartness. Both can be uncomfortable.

Many people,other than the parents of smart children have an innate desire and love to see smart children go down the topper list.You feel like nobody understands you.Everyone will have high expectations for you.You are in the habit of over*thinking, over*analyzing and over*estimating –that stall the happiness.

Everybody is smarter than somebody else in some way. For all the hype that goes into how amazing it is to be smart, there are also some disadvantages which hit you on the way.You are informative. You are logical. You know what you are talking about. You can easily spot fallacies in debates and counter them effectively. That’s great! But people don’t like it.They don’t like their beliefs to be questioned, their reasoning to be invalidated, and their choices to be proven wrong.

It can prove yourself as a ‘know *it all’,but can be embarassing for the one who is being corrected.On many occasions smartness creates an impression that one can do it all alone without any assistance.. On many occasions in the office, smart people are denied assistance..

Smartness is not just IQ, or just wit, or just rote knowledge. It’s a combination of bits of intelligence, wisdom, good soft skills, and a pleasing personality..There is an Albert Einstein’s powerful statement which conveys that everybody is a genius and that one should not judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree



There is a misconception that being smart is a superpower to conquer the world. It’s a myth largely promoted by smart people themselves. There is a lot more to think of other than smartness--*emotional intelligence, social aptitude, empathy, compassion, spirituality; all these things and many others can get downplayed in the presence of awesome smartness..

But is being smart always to your benefit? Are there instances when stupidity works better? Stupidity can increase efficiency ,say the sociologists.. Critical reflection and shrewdness are sure positives, but when too many clever individuals in an organization start suggesting alternative courses of action or asking disquieting questions ,work slows down.Stupidity, on the other hand, seems to have a unifying effect. People content in an atmosphere,come to consensus more easily, and with that consensus emanates greater enthusiasm for concentrating on the job and achieving the goals.

Many of the bosses prefer to have mediocre but sincere officers under them. Super intelligent ones are more likely to become depressed when a job doesn’t yield satisfaction .. In some job situations, being smarter, faster, might keep you stuck in your current role longer than your peers. When you have a lower* level job, being exceptionally good at it is usually a deterrent to getting promoted. The boss will keep you on as an assistant as long as possible and earn a good name out of your sweat.



After all, there is a major difference between actually being slower on the uptake and acting as if you are a few cards short of a deck. The trick is not to play dumb, exactly, but rather to learn when to assert your superior intelligence and when to hide your light.

Those of us who don’t feel the urge to be acknowledged at every available opportunity, as to just how smart we are ,might be a great success. If you’re not worried about being perceived as a bit slow, you can ask better questions to elicit more illuminating answers. This is particularly helpful during negotiations. Asking “dumb” questions draws out more information that the opposing party may not have shared otherwise,.Some innocent questions may extrat valuable information.

There is a basic human psychology .If you just remain quiet, appearing ‘slow,’ the opposing party will take advantage of this situation and start revealing details that they shouldn’t.”Real smartness lies in knowing when to look smart and act smart. Stupidity works if you’re smart enough to know when not to be smart.

This is a practical lesson learnt in life.Friends, don't worry if your children are not smart by your standards.Let them 'be smart, be smart but not too smart.

Jayasala 42

 

Dear Akanksha,
You have said it.Many people don't have common sense approach or worldly wisdom, as we call it.What is the use of getting IIT coaching from Std 8th and clearing entrance exam , if the engineers that come out don't fit in a business.As you said,
emotional intelligence' and pragmatic outlook have to be in the main stream of education.

Jayasala 42

 

Dear Surekhap,
Many parents have to be blamed.They unnecessarily compare their children with others and engage their children beyond their capacity and start setting up unrealistic expectations.Smartlness connotes so many things apart from academics and extra curriculars.Leave the child to itself with good encouragement.The child will blossom .

Jayasala 42