We live in a shallow world where one's physical appearance and material possessions can be the deciding factor in whether you get the job or the girl.
In my estimation, intelligence -- and that includes deep intellectual curiosity -- isn't assigned enough weight by most people.
The stereotype against "nerds" and "geeks" is one we are well familiar with. We might have been labeled as such in our youth if we always got good grades, or had a bespectacled overachieving friend whose work everyone looked to copy.
What I don't understand is this: Why can't being smart for its own sake be an it-thing?
While money can be lost and material stuff can rust, no one can take your intellectual prowess away from you. (Notice I said "no one" and not "nothing." I know there are terrible accidents and health conditions, like Alzheimers, that can rob you of your mental faculties. Some may argue, however, that you can deal self-inflicted wounds by taking drugs, not sleeping adequately, etc., which hasten mental decline.)
Once you graduate from college and enter the working world, most employers couldn't care less what your GPA was; they're only interested in your work experience.
Many people assume that reading books and watching educational documentaries ends the day you receive that diploma.
But does it?
Just because one chooses not to pursue further education doesn't mean they can't enjoy learning for learning's sake.
Who's to say you can't delve deeper into topics of which you merely scratched the surface in your school days -- from the American Revolution to plate tectonics to Shakespeare?
Learning should be a lifelong undertaking, with intellectual stimulation occurring on a daily basis. It not only keeps the mind sharp, but the knowledge you absorb can enrich your life as well as those of the folks in your orbit -- coworkers, friends, and acquaintances alike.
Now, to be fair, no one likes a Mr. Know it All.
You don't have to be interrupting or correcting others constantly. Being the smartest or most intellectually engaged person in the room doesn't mean you have to answer every question directed at the audience, let alone thwart others from getting their two cents in.
I'm much more likely to be impressed by a job candidate or blind date who is what I like to call "humbly intelligent" than one who thinks their intelligence makes them superior to me. I'm even less likely to be drawn to their looks or their clothes, jewelry, or cars if they betray an air of arrogance.
Mind you, I'm not saying you should leave your 4th grade trophies and medals on display at home forever.
Rather, you should embrace -- and never apologize for -- your abilities, whether they're God-given or cultivated on your own over time.
Being smart is a good thing. While there isn't necessarily anything wrong with good looks and wealth -- and I know being the authority on Plato or laissez-faire economics won't pay the bills for most of us -- we should reach for something deeper. Something more stimulating.
Indulge your intellectual curiosities by reading books and devising new ways to do things. Hitting up museums and libraries might not be feasible in the age of COVID, but you can still expand your knowledge through YouTube, online platforms like Coursera, and streaming content provided by Netflix and other providers.
No matter your interests or personality, there's always something new for us to learn -- whether it's a new language, a rare type of dance, or even how to play a musical instrument. With all the resources available to us, there's no reason to complain of boredom!
And though some of us may not have the same predisposition or time available to read and learn new things, once we commit to a new endeavor, we'll find a world of possibilities opened to us.
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