This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
I will call you out
A construction worker then gestured toward my sibling, implying they were stupid.
Nah, bro.
As we drove past the construction worker, I rolled down my window and told him that my sibling was intelligent.
And then we drove off.
Was it necessary? To some, it might not be, but I felt it was.
Sometimes, we’re too quick to judge people’s level of intelligence because they make a mistake, and this behavior isn’t okay to me.
But don’t we all make mistakes?
I would love to walk into a stadium of people and find one person in that crowd who’s never made a mistake.
And it wasn’t even my sibling’s mistake; it was mine.
Does a mistake make me less intelligent? Nope. It only helps me learn and increase my intelligence.
I Recall When People Call Me Stupid
One guy told me I was stupid because I didn’t understand how to read a complex graph at first sight. Yet I also saved this same person thousands of dollars on an imprudent trade.
Another guy told me I was stupid because I didn’t fully understand how to work the cash register on my first day.
Like why?
A woman at work told me my entire process was inadequate and dumb in front of my entire team, followed up by tearing all my hard work apart in front of them.
I’m so thankful that I don’t listen to people who tell me I’m stupid, or I probably wouldn’t be on this platform writing today.
Even my fifth-grade teacher said I was highly inept at writing – even if I was, I could continue writing to become better, as I doing today. The more you write, the more you improve.
Stop Calling Or Implying That Others’ Are Stupid
One thing I never call people is stupid. I might joke about other things, but I never insult people’s intelligence – even as a joke.
You should follow suit.
Repeatedly telling people they are dumb or stupid can affect them over time. I chose not to allow people’s words to become my narrative through action, continuous education, and affirmation.
I will always be an intelligent woman. Will I know everything? No. Will I be an expert at everything? No. But I will always be intelligent. And intelligence comes in many different forms.
1 Example: The Perils of Judging Others’ Intelligence
We see more certain races of people in higher income brackets and white-collar careers versus other races because society judges others’ intelligence based on their skin color, income, or background.
We should stop doing this.
The Rise of the Black Quarterback: We Can Finally “Think” and Be Athletic
Super Bowl 57 was looking mighty colorful this year
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