I was with a group of women the other night and a conversation woke me up to the plight of some of us who seem to believe our quotes or thoughts would be better received if we attributed their origin to someone else. Someone smarter than us maybe? So-and-so thinks …
I think boldly acknowledging your own insights is perceived as arrogant, equivalent to blowing your own horn, when you stake a claim on your own wise observations. When you contribute advice when something is lacking, then you're saying you're smarter than the others who didn't think of that. There is definitely prejudice towards smart people unless they are dead (Moses, Plato) or certified by a group (the city council, Harvard). I was brought up to hide my intelligence, made to be ashamed of it or I "would never get a man." I am so grateful to Dick Bayer, my accountant when I lived in New York, who acknowledged my intelligence and wasn't afraid of it. He said I was way smarter than him IQ-wise, but he could beat me in tennis any day. So, I look for the balance to honor others and to notice and curb my own unwitting prejudices. We have all been blessed one way or another. I look for the blessings. ♥
I think boldly acknowledging your own insights is perceived as arrogant, equivalent to blowing your own horn, when you stake a claim on your own wise observations. When you contribute advice when something is lacking, then you're saying you're smarter than the others who didn't think of that. There is definitely prejudice towards smart people unless they are dead (Moses, Plato) or certified by a group (the city council, Harvard). I was brought up to hide my intelligence, made to be ashamed of it or I "would never get a man." I am so grateful to Dick Bayer, my accountant when I lived in New York, who acknowledged my intelligence and wasn't afraid of it. He said I was way smarter than him IQ-wise, but he could beat me in tennis any day. So, I look for the balance to honor others and to notice and curb my own unwitting prejudices. We have all been blessed one way or another. I look for the blessings. ♥