Question of perspective?
I have been mulling over this for some time
How tolerant are we towards those who have greater difficulty grasping concepts and understanding facts?
Yes, I do mean those who We Perceive as "not as smart".
Are there stupid people or only stupid questions?
I dont believe either exists.
Any one with children will know that they can ask a zillion questions, each one logically/illogically connected to the previous one. Yet from their perspective and from their grasp of reality they have every right to ask
and clarify. My daughter is an eternal questioner, and some of her questions defeat my cognition. The only answer I give her at these times is that "I am not a walking/talking Encyclopedia"( that reminds me this summer I plan to get her onto some serious Googling for her answers besides the many encyclopedias she keeps reading!)
Questions are a way of learning/ exploring/ understanding.
What if an adult asks questions?
I find asking questions and saying that you dont know is perceived as a lack of intelligence. Even as adults asking questions is such a healthy way to get a grasp of the situation. However obvious the answer may be, when we voice/vocalise the question, I am surprised how often that in itself gives me the answers. Yet as we grow older and wiser we stop asking questions, slowly we lose that sense of curiosity and interest that children have and which we easily destroy in the name of maturity and growth.
For me maturity and growth is all about asking more creative and diverse questions. It is not about having all the answers.
Going by Gardner's theory of Intelligences, every person operates best from his level of intelligence. So I am high on Lingusitic and Interpersonal skills (that means I can jam you to boredom and enjoy every minute of it, and expect that you will too!!). Yet my logical-analytical skills are pathetic, to say the least. So that means I am "duh" when it comes to finance, fixing things and problem solving!
Yet we dont give credit to such differences. Humans and especially in our culture, we value logical analytical skills/ Interpersonal skills very highly and cannot associate success with any other field or vocation. By that I mean either one should be brilliant in the IQ department, or know how to market themselves!
Although times are changing, I believe the dichotomy and the divide is deepening. On one side we have Intolerance and Impatience spreading its talons into people, as we strive to be smarter, be better, know more, and gain more. Trying to bury our ignorance in one up-man ship and in the name of success.
While we have another set of people who gather those around them in their quest for learning and discovery. Like a wind that carries the seed for dispersal, they carry us along and disperse us in the sea of knowledge. These people truly etch their names in the sands of time.
As I write this I think of all those people who I personally know and who operate in this manner. I salute them.
Sharing Knowledge, respecting and valuing Equality without a thought or consideration to your status/ sex/ abilities/ intelligence. Is this an Utopian thought?
It may be, but once we start operating from this thought process, then humankind can only have 2 classes: the Good and the Bad, The Haves and the Have Nots.
With this it will be easier to bridge the gap and work towards equality.
With this there is no question of stupidity in the question or stupidity in the person, only a question of perspective.
How tolerant are we towards those who have greater difficulty grasping concepts and understanding facts?
Yes, I do mean those who We Perceive as "not as smart".
Are there stupid people or only stupid questions?
I dont believe either exists.
Any one with children will know that they can ask a zillion questions, each one logically/illogically connected to the previous one. Yet from their perspective and from their grasp of reality they have every right to ask
and clarify. My daughter is an eternal questioner, and some of her questions defeat my cognition. The only answer I give her at these times is that "I am not a walking/talking Encyclopedia"( that reminds me this summer I plan to get her onto some serious Googling for her answers besides the many encyclopedias she keeps reading!)
Questions are a way of learning/ exploring/ understanding.
What if an adult asks questions?
I find asking questions and saying that you dont know is perceived as a lack of intelligence. Even as adults asking questions is such a healthy way to get a grasp of the situation. However obvious the answer may be, when we voice/vocalise the question, I am surprised how often that in itself gives me the answers. Yet as we grow older and wiser we stop asking questions, slowly we lose that sense of curiosity and interest that children have and which we easily destroy in the name of maturity and growth.
For me maturity and growth is all about asking more creative and diverse questions. It is not about having all the answers.
Going by Gardner's theory of Intelligences, every person operates best from his level of intelligence. So I am high on Lingusitic and Interpersonal skills (that means I can jam you to boredom and enjoy every minute of it, and expect that you will too!!). Yet my logical-analytical skills are pathetic, to say the least. So that means I am "duh" when it comes to finance, fixing things and problem solving!
Yet we dont give credit to such differences. Humans and especially in our culture, we value logical analytical skills/ Interpersonal skills very highly and cannot associate success with any other field or vocation. By that I mean either one should be brilliant in the IQ department, or know how to market themselves!
Although times are changing, I believe the dichotomy and the divide is deepening. On one side we have Intolerance and Impatience spreading its talons into people, as we strive to be smarter, be better, know more, and gain more. Trying to bury our ignorance in one up-man ship and in the name of success.
While we have another set of people who gather those around them in their quest for learning and discovery. Like a wind that carries the seed for dispersal, they carry us along and disperse us in the sea of knowledge. These people truly etch their names in the sands of time.
As I write this I think of all those people who I personally know and who operate in this manner. I salute them.
Sharing Knowledge, respecting and valuing Equality without a thought or consideration to your status/ sex/ abilities/ intelligence. Is this an Utopian thought?
It may be, but once we start operating from this thought process, then humankind can only have 2 classes: the Good and the Bad, The Haves and the Have Nots.
With this it will be easier to bridge the gap and work towards equality.
With this there is no question of stupidity in the question or stupidity in the person, only a question of perspective.
I believe someone is an 'idiot' (i prefer this term over stupidity) when they ask questions just because they are lazy to find the answers themselves (given the time).
ReplyDeleteLet me give you an example I boarded a train yesterday and I found my seat # 38 and sat down. A man(he looked like an educated man) comes next with a ticket in hand and looks at my seat number and back to his ticket and asks me 'Where is 45'. D-uh!
I have been an idiot many times and kicked myself for that. But my preference is to try and find answers myself for anything and everything unless am in a class where being an idiot is acceptable.
questions are a way of learning/exploring and understanding. absolutely. and if we seek the answer ourselves dipping into the world of information.. perhaps that is knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts are well laid. Agree with most of your thoughts. May your thoughts be realised.
L_F, you have a point there..definitely laziness is irritating...
ReplyDeleteand no doubt we all have shared the idiots platform many a time,
seeking answers is knowledge (tx asha!)
asha, thanks: as yu see I am an Idealist..:)
Just to add my two bits to your concluding thought: It is the perspective of many that needs to change. To acknowledge and appreciate that every one is different. And in being different they need neither be superior or inferior. Wish more people would mull on thoughts such as the one you did. Enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDelete