Perhaps this is a continuance in a way from my last post.
So what is my bone to pick this time?
Well this time I am not articulating any argument I have heard recently in class from the words of some great theorist, rather it is because I have not heard this issue that I write.
Let me preface the rest of my blog by saying that I am probably of average intelligence, average work ethic, and average moral standing. The only non-average thing about me is perhaps my height, length of my tongue, and my love for cranberry juice and plaid. My few, yet ever faithful readers might well question whether this post is not just me manifesting my own insecurities of intelligence; they may well be right. Yet at the same time I feel some authority because I am average, or in other words I have experienced both sides. I see what it means to have people think your smart just because you're in graduate school, and at the same time I see people who might find me less than intelligent if they heard my Portuguese.
My question is why our obsession with intelligence. Perhaps I am hypersensitive being surrounded by university friends and foes, but there is something disturbing about the emphasis that is given to intelligence. While I believe intelligence is a gift of the spirit, I believe that our emphasis on intelligence within the Mormon culture has gone too far. Yes, we believe the glory of God is intelligence, but what does that mean? Does it really mean our academic success? Does it really mean our ability to memorize and regurgitate, or even to critique and analyze an argument? To be witty?
Or does it have something to do with following after the light and truth God gives us?
This blog is obviously classifying intelligence in the traditional sense of academic intelligence. I realize that there are arguments for other kinds of intelligence such as physical or spacial etc. I agree, and yet why do we have to make sure everyone is considered intelligent for legitimacy?
Perhaps simplicity in more than just our clothes isn't so bad.
While I am not by any means saying we should stop trying to be smart, I am saying that perhaps as a culture (of which I am a participating member) we care all too much about this when we should be caring about something far more important and of greater value.
The point: righteousness does not equal intelligence.
I have not written half of what I want to on this subject, but the rest will have to be saved for another day.
the end.
4 comments:
I just saw a quote that said, "Imagination is more important than intelligence." (something like that) It is supposedly Einstein who said that.
Anyway, definitely I agree that being kind is way more important but these days it is not always as respected as acting all smarty-pants.
I disagree, though, about you being average. As we say in Hebrew, "Eizeh shtyuot!" Which means, "What silliness." This post in itself was highly, highly intelligent. Sorry to break it to you.
Nice to visit your blog! I should stop by more often. You should try to post on fb when you put something up here to remind people. I'd appreciate that.
Finally, thanks for putting my name in your blogroll! That is how I came to visit today, because someone clicked from here so I decided to click back. I'm glad I did. I like your writing and thoughts.
Deena
I think one problem we have is that our society places a strong emphasis on certain kinds of intelligence (most often verbal and written). I.Q. and other tests place a strong emphasis on kind of intelligence. The thing is that
people have different kinds of intelligence such as artistic (Van Gogh), kinestetic (Michael Jordon), social (Obama), etc. For example, my daughter is advanced for her age in her language skills but her friend who is far behind her verbally has amazing athletic and fine motor skills. Another example would be the heart surgeons Jared works with who are highly intelligent by society's standards but who lack basic social intelligence in communicating with people.
I love your insights. You are above average in almost every good way, but of course, you would still be of tremendous worth even without those things. If anything, you just have more responsibility to do good. love you!
I think this is an above average blog post. I would love to hear more of what you have to say on this topic.
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