As someone who finished in the top 1% of the bottom 25% of his High School class, I get to ask, just how the hell do we really know what smart is? I am pretty sure that grades in school are only an indication of just how well we turned in our papers and could regurgitate the crap they gave us to answer as what someone else felt was important. I supported a car and a girl friend in high school and think I turned out OK. I thought D stood for Denny most of my years in school and got the thing out of High School I wanted out of it. ME!
I think about the few short years ago that we didn't have the computers to help us conduct our daily lives. Just how easy would it have been for me to automate my schedule and stay plugged in if I had been able to automate prior to 1990.
Does the world really think that because a few children don't know what is in the constitution that they aren't smart? Are they partially educated or can they only absorb so much and the latest software version has a greater impact on their lives?
I am always amazed when I meet people that are street smart and not book smart. I would rather have a group of friends that can tune a 283 Chevy motor than ones that can quote poetry.
What is smart to you?
MUD
MUD, without getting too deep here, I think "smart" is "productive."
ReplyDeleteI have known some very intelligent people in my life that can get almost nothing accomplished.
And, I've known some highly intelligent folks that turn that intelligence in to productivity...doctors, scientists, inventors, etc.
And, I've got a couple of friends in mind that are not very smart (intellect-wise) that have succeeded wildly, because they used the limited smarts that they had to full advantage. Worked hard, got good advice (and took it), stayed steady at the helm, etc.
To me, that's smart.
And, I think you're right about kids just being partially educated. Heck, I know these kids...and it seems like they get here smart. I believe they could absorb more info, if challenged to do so.