Comments on: Humility and Intelligence http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/ Túrin Húrinson speaks on philosophy, theology, literature, art, Orbivm, Wesnoth, and why he hates stupid people. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:18:59 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: e7th04sh (was kshinji) http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-1074 e7th04sh (was kshinji) Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:23:42 +0000 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-1074 I decided not to be false humble, but naturally admitting your positive traits might lead to real arrogancy. Now when talking about if i am good at something or bad, i just say 'that's the way the world works' and change the subject of conversation. I decided not to be false humble, but naturally admitting your positive traits might lead to real arrogancy. Now when talking about if i am good at something or bad, i just say ‘that’s the way the world works’ and change the subject of conversation.

]]> By: random person http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-893 random person Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:40:48 +0000 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-893 I know what you mean, but I always say things like that anyway, because I have a phlegmatic personality and I always feel the need to make people feel better about themselves. :) Plus, I suspect it's a subconscious effort on my part to keep myself from feeling bad about the fact that I am the laziest person I know. (I really am.) I can make As without studying in most academic classes, so that is what I do. That way I can put all my time and effort into art, which is where I really want to do well. Meanwhile, my friends work themselves to death for Cs and Bs. But the way I see it, I don't deserve to be intelligent. I didn't do anything to get my brains, just like I didn't do anything to get my health or my family or anything else in life. Any of that could be taken from me in a minute- I could get in a car wreck and suffer brain damage, or lose a limb, or any number of unpleasant things. So it's nice that people think it's nice that I'm smart, I often thank God that I am, and I sure wouldn't prefer to be less so, but I sometimes feel bad that my intelligence is just part of me and I didn't earn it. Maybe my SAT scores were great, but I didn't do anything more than sit in a classroom for a few hours to get them that way. I know what you mean, but I always say things like that anyway, because I have a phlegmatic personality and I always feel the need to make people feel better about themselves. :) Plus, I suspect it’s a subconscious effort on my part to keep myself from feeling bad about the fact that I am the laziest person I know. (I really am.) I can make As without studying in most academic classes, so that is what I do. That way I can put all my time and effort into art, which is where I really want to do well. Meanwhile, my friends work themselves to death for Cs and Bs. But the way I see it, I don’t deserve to be intelligent. I didn’t do anything to get my brains, just like I didn’t do anything to get my health or my family or anything else in life. Any of that could be taken from me in a minute- I could get in a car wreck and suffer brain damage, or lose a limb, or any number of unpleasant things. So it’s nice that people think it’s nice that I’m smart, I often thank God that I am, and I sure wouldn’t prefer to be less so, but I sometimes feel bad that my intelligence is just part of me and I didn’t earn it. Maybe my SAT scores were great, but I didn’t do anything more than sit in a classroom for a few hours to get them that way.

]]> By: Urs http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-520 Urs Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:28:56 +0000 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-520 Huh. Regarding the example of tests, I find it completly different in my school. People will openly admit if they found it hard or easy, and share their grades. Some people are definetly better than others in some subjects, but weaker in others. But anyway: We don't use the worked hard/didn't work hard mask. At least not to justify having a better grade, only to justify a worse grade. Probably that's because at my school tend to act a bit arrogant, while not actually being all that arrogant. Also, the school I go to is a highly academic school, so everybody is basically on equal level. Crap, now I feel arrogant saying that. |-: Huh.

Regarding the example of tests, I find it completly different in my school. People will openly admit if they found it hard or easy, and share their grades. Some people are definetly better than others in some subjects, but weaker in others. But anyway: We don’t use the worked hard/didn’t work hard mask. At least not to justify having a better grade, only to justify a worse grade.

Probably that’s because at my school tend to act a bit arrogant, while not actually being all that arrogant. Also, the school I go to is a highly academic school, so everybody is basically on equal level. Crap, now I feel arrogant saying that. |-:

]]> By: Baufo http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-519 Baufo Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:43:51 +0000 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-519 I can entirely confirm your observations. I am also supposed to blame my good grades on hard work (although it is well known that I definitely do not work hard or learn a lot) and people are really shocked if I break this taboo. For instance I once was asked by one of my classmates (who I know is not a very good student) how I found a test and I, not wanting to get him down because I knew he would find all tests hard, told him that I found the test easy, however I knew I usually did not set the benchmark of how hard a test is. So even though I was only indirectly claiming that I found the test easy because I was smart my classmate was totally outraged about my arrogance. And I also know the inversion of this phenomenon. When encountering someone who does something better than me I usually just tell me I could do that too if I only wanted to. So yes, I think you are describing how smart people are expected to act quite accurately. To judge if this good or not I think I have not thought enough about this problem though. PS: Have you noticed that sportsmen usually also say that they succeeded because of their hard exercises and not because they have a lot of talent for the sport they do? I can entirely confirm your observations. I am also supposed to blame my good grades on hard work (although it is well known that I definitely do not work hard or learn a lot) and people are really shocked if I break this taboo. For instance I once was asked by one of my classmates (who I know is not a very good student) how I found a test and I, not wanting to get him down because I knew he would find all tests hard, told him that I found the test easy, however I knew I usually did not set the benchmark of how hard a test is. So even though I was only indirectly claiming that I found the test easy because I was smart my classmate was totally outraged about my arrogance.

And I also know the inversion of this phenomenon. When encountering someone who does something better than me I usually just tell me I could do that too if I only wanted to.

So yes, I think you are describing how smart people are expected to act quite accurately. To judge if this good or not I think I have not thought enough about this problem though.

PS: Have you noticed that sportsmen usually also say that they succeeded because of their hard exercises and not because they have a lot of talent for the sport they do?

]]> By: Stephen Wang http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-493 Stephen Wang Sun, 11 Nov 2007 09:37:50 +0000 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-493 Interesting approach, really, but I'm totally not surprised hearing that from you... haha... I'm not going to say you're wrong or anything, since I haven't thought about the issue enough. However, one flaw, I believe, in saying "I am intelligent" is that the level of intelligence specified becomes pretty ambiguous. Some people might take it to mean you're absolutely intelligent, while some may have a more moderate understanding. When you use it around friends who know you better, then okay, we know how intelligent the speaker is and can understand and acknowledge what he means by intelligent. But not everyone will have the same perspective. Interesting approach, really, but I’m totally not surprised hearing that from you… haha… I’m not going to say you’re wrong or anything, since I haven’t thought about the issue enough. However, one flaw, I believe, in saying “I am intelligent” is that the level of intelligence specified becomes pretty ambiguous. Some people might take it to mean you’re absolutely intelligent, while some may have a more moderate understanding. When you use it around friends who know you better, then okay, we know how intelligent the speaker is and can understand and acknowledge what he means by intelligent. But not everyone will have the same perspective.

]]> By: aporia24 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-490 aporia24 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:09:44 +0000 http://turinhurinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/10/humility-and-intelligence/#comment-490 the thing is saying "i think im smart" in whatever causes a context-relative problem. If someone says, "You're smart" i seem to be able to get away with "Yea, but.." yet if i say, "yea i know im quite smart in that" it might make the listener think you really just haven't seen enough of the world to know any better. The whole to be humble i think is to let the other know that you Are aware of the even smarter ones :] /rant the thing is saying “i think im smart” in whatever causes a context-relative problem. If someone says, “You’re smart” i seem to be able to get away with “Yea, but..”
yet if i say, “yea i know im quite smart in that” it might make the listener think you really just haven’t seen enough of the world to know any better. The whole to be humble i think is to let the other know that you Are aware of the even smarter ones :]
/rant

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