this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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I thought I was smart. And I took a class in college called Critical Theory Since Plato. It was philosophy, although I was dumb enough not to know that. Every class there would be lively discussion on the reading material where everyone was involved. Except me. I had read the material, but it was beyond my understanding. I dare not open my mouth. I just listened to people who were obviously a number of levels more intelligent than I was discuss the assignments.
It was then that I realized that there were people in the world who had a quality of intelligence so much higher than mine that we might not even seem like the same species.
Just like a tall person can see above the heads of everyone in a crowd, they could see things that were impossible for me to see. And those were the "ordinary" smart people.
It gave me a new respect for not only intelligent people, who were very kind to me, but also for those who are on the other end of this spectrum, who through no choice of theirs struggle with daily tasks. And for myself, slightly above average, and happy.
Please please please, read "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, either the long or short version (preferably the long one).