Is it possible to be intelligent even though you aren't a Math person?

helloel
Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:31:45 +0000

preamble1176: Yeah, I mean just be grateful that you can study hard an obtain even a decent grade. Many people can’t even do that. But whether math just isn’t your thing or a subject in which you do very poorly, it’s not the end of the world. Not succeeding in a subject is not the end of the world. Somebody telling me that they are in Calculus as a freshman will not completely blow my mind. Sure, I think ‘wow, he/she is good at math’ but I don’t think ‘I’m so insignificant and unintelligent’. Trust me, people will not think you are entirely unintelligent if you don’t excel in math. I’m pretty sure my classmates think I’m smart, and most of them know I’m not good at math because anytime I get asked for math help my initial response is “I suck at math” but then I try to help the best I can. Whether you aren’t good at a foreign language, math, english, history, science, don’t let it get to you, because they truth is you are probably good at something.

And this has nothing to do with math but it reminded me that I really have started to become more impressed with people that don’t come off as so smart proving to me that is more impressive is what you do with your life not your IQ because it’s something that’s not even under your control. Yes I know, intelligence is often a big factor in what you can accomplish, but it isn’t a limiting one. We all like to hear the compliments, “oh she is so intelligent in this subject, one of the smartest students I’ve seen” but think about it, isn’t it a better compliment to be told you are one of the most diligent, tenacious, and respectful people a person’s ever met? It’s something you’ve accomplished, not something you were born with. Has anyone else ever thought about this?