Clever Becomes Smart
When It Develops Character
We’ve all come across people who impress us with their cleverness.
These people never lack for words and often sound quite sophisticated.
They read quickly and have instant recall.
They can be a whiz when it comes to math.
They always have an answer. Not just a response, but an intelligent sounding answer to open questions and they say what they think with confidence.
They are so good at this that they walk into every room mouth first. This may well be the motivation behind so many podcasts.
These are the people who easily made high grades in school and this apparent brilliance gave them a confidence, and occasional charm, that others find appealing.
This person is both easy not to like and difficult to resist at the same time.
We find them a little off-putting because there’s nothing more frustrating than working to get your head around a concept while they gloat. It also seems pointless to refuse someone who seems to have all the answers and constantly gets all the attention.
Teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites but we’ve all seen it. Clever kids realize early how charming their clever, cute responses are. And they use it well.
What Is Cleverness
This person, the person I’ve just described is thought of as smart but maybe not. Clever and smart are two very different things. The definition of one is not the same as the other.
Cleverness is the above average ability to process information. A clever person reads a document once and not only understands it, they remember the details. Some have a photographic memory.
Cleverness thinks on its feet well and spits out responses before anyone else has time to adjust.
Clever people are so easy for us pedestrians not to like.
But there’s a downside to cleverness. Clever people master the material in primary and secondary school so easily, and enjoy the adoration so much, that some fail to learn how to learn and go no further.
We’ve all seen it. The person voted most likely to succeed goes no where. Why? Cleverness gave the impression of greatness to come but was not catalyzed by smart.
Learning Is The Issue
Learning is a life-long pursuit that never ends.
The learning curve starts with a low trajectory that inclines more steeply as time goes on. Clever people glide through the first twelve years of education and then realize there’s no more gliding after twelfth grade.
The kind of work required for learning at the tertiary level is not what clever people are used to.
Some may have no wish to go further and that’s their choice. They settle into an average lifestyle and fail to fully use their talents.
Some may rest on their laurels and assume the world will come to them anyway. It worked in the early years so why not keep it going.
Some do the work and learn well but there’s a potential prima donna effect here. They continue to learn quickly and continue to draw recognition (adulation) but it can easily cause a sense of superiority.
After doing the hard work required to achieve higher levels of credibility, instead of being humbled by the opportunity, they act like they’ve arrived. At this point, everyone around them can do the work while they sit and give all the commands.
That’s not a good thing but it can very well be the motivating factor driving clever people to achieve. The more they learn, the more they achieve, the more power they have and the more superior they feel.
Smart People Know How To Learn
What is the real difference between clever and smart. In short, some people are born clever. Smart is a mindset anyone can adopt.
A smart person is someone who develops the ability to learn. They learn how to do research. Rather than rely on quick wit, they work to develop the ability to articulate significant ideas in clearly understood language.
A clever doctor will dismiss your questions. A smart doctor will take the time to explain and illustrate the issues.
Smart knows how to develop and test theories. Digging deep and focusing long are qualities common to smart people.
Less gifted individuals (the not so clever) begin developing learning skills early. Everyone starts by learning how to read but dyslexic kids must also learn how to overcome the mechanical obstacles of reading.
That is an extra level of learning that clever people never engage.
A clever person can be smart but it isn’t automatic. Smart requires work and discipline, two things that clever people aren’t accustomed to.
Pythagorus popularized his famous theory because he was committed and focused, not because he was clever. Smart people are thinking people. Clever people easily get what they are given but may never develop the ability to find the answers we’re all looking for.
Clever Makes A Poor Teacher
When a clever person becomes a teacher, it can be a disaster. Not always, but sometimes.
Everything cames so easily to clever people its hard for them to understand why everyone else can’t easily get it. They fail to develop the skills to help others understand what they see so clearly.
Clever makes you responsible, not better. If you can’t explain concepts to others in a way they can understand it, then cleverness is nothing but self absorption, an opportunity to show off.
Students are neither receptacles into which knowledge is dumped nor fans thrilled by the brilliance of teachers. They are potential needing to be tapped, capabilities needing to be realized.
Cleverness, instead of giving anyone a free pass or making them better or more deserving, makes you more accountable. The more easily one learns, the more good they are expected to do.
If you’re not clever, not to worry. You can still be smart. Never stop thinking, learning and developing. That’s what smart people do and you may end up doing more than the clever.
THINK!AboutIt
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