Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not – because the thing they were good at in school wasn’t valued, or was actually stigmatized. Ken Robinson
This is such an accurate statement. I was always smart and because of this, my parents thought I should be tested for the MG (mentally gifted) program. I failed. There was a common sense test and I answered a few questions wrong. One, in particular, had to do with ‘what to do if there is a fire’ and I wrote ‘leave’ when the correct response was ‘call 911.’
Okay… but shouldn’t you leave first? Well, I didn’t get into the MG Program like a handful of kids in my class did and it didn’t bother me too much except that from that point on, despite being smart, I carried the whole ‘lacks common sense’ thing around with me like a dunce cap. Because that was what they said.
In short, never let anyone tell you that you aren’t smart enough, good enough, talented enough, anything enough. There are some people who are born with natural talent and natural genius, but studying and hard work pay off just as well, if not better.
I guess I was smart enough to be in the smart classes; I was always in them. Just never the genius classes. It didn’t bother me much because back then – being cool was more important than being a genius.
Now I have a brain injury and can’t really be a genius, ever. But it’s okay… I’m smart (and cool) in other ways. And the areas that I’m not I just fake it until I am.
Faking brilliance, love
It’s the only way to live
Fake it and make it
Prompt: https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/brilliant/
This post speaks to me. In elementary school I was considered “dumb” at math. So I always felt less than the others and wondered why I couldn’t figure it out….it continued to leave a stain on my spirit and followed me for years after. So….i can relate. I love Ken Robinson’s work too. Have you read his book “creative schools”?
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Hi there… I stunk at math in school, too. I have not read ‘Creative Schools.’ I’ll look into it and add it to my list.
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This also reminds me of an Einstein quote: everyone is genius but if you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree it will always think it is stupid….love that quote!!
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