What makes someone smart

Mermaidinexile

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 9:30 am

WitchKitty wrote:

Funny, I always think the louder people are smarter. The quiet people seem at first glance as if they don't have anything smart to say.

Lol definitely not. סייג לחכמה שתיקה. To me loud people seem full of hot air and inevitably will say something stupid

peekaboo

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 9:41 am

Im the OP

In 2 separate occasions recently I was told I'm smart. I never thought of myself as exceptionally smart, but I do have certain talents that could make me look smart to people. I was wondering what these people meant by calling me smart, but I'd obviously never ask.

It's so interesting to see how people perceive the word smart differently.

Zahava94

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 9:45 am

WitchKitty wrote:

Funny, I always think the louder people are smarter. The quiet people seem at first glance as if they don't have anything smart to say.

A classic misconception that results from living in an extrovert-idealized world.

doodlesmom

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 10:08 am

Some of my relatives have fantastic memories
Others are quick learners and grasp things quickly.
Some are good at piecing together information and analyzing stuff
Some are just deep thinkers.
Some are people savvy and while not geniuses they do come across as overall smarter because of it.

Jeanette

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 10:14 am

Chochma--insightful, creative, can come up with brilliant ideas

Binah--מבין דבר מתוך דבר, can read between the lines, inductive reasoning, can take an idea and develop it

Daas--practical knowledge, hands-on experience, knows how an idea will play out in the real world.

5mom

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 11:10 am

ap wrote:

What is the difference between smart and wise?

As the expression goes - being smart means knowing that a tomato is a fruit, being wise means knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

BrisketBoss

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 11:11 am

giftedmom wrote:

I really hate the word, because I heard it a lot growing up in a negative context. As in “she’s too smart”.

So strange. I have never heard someone called 'too smart.' What does that mean?

To the OP, my understanding is being smart means being able to learn quickly/easily. It's a pareve trait. What matters is what you do with it. In my ideal world, "I'm pretty smart" wouldn't sound much braggier than "I'm pretty tall."

Last edited by BrisketBoss on Fri, Mar 24 2023, 11:20 am; edited 1 time in total

BatyaEsther

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 11:24 am

I think people are perceived as smart if they are

Articulate speakers with a great vocabulary.
Able to quote and relay information be it pesukim and sources or names of countries, politicians, dates and events.
Technologically savvy/can code/understand the stock market

OceanRider

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 11:49 am

peekaboo wrote:

Smart people usually don’t believe they are exceptionally smart. And usually also believe they “come across” as smart but are not necessarily so.

You do seem smart.

#BestBubby

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 1:28 pm

ap wrote:

What is the difference between smart and wise?

Smart = book smart, good in school

Wise = good social skills

Good executive function, responsible

Responsible with money

Just One

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 2:48 pm

BrisketBoss wrote:

I was called "too smart" throughout childhood. School was often boring, I frequently intimidated adults, and there was definitely a mismatch between my age appropriate EQ and my IQ that was often a cause of anxiety. Now that I've grown into myself I can tell you that it can be difficult to have an adult brain in an immature mind.

I believe that what makes people call me smart is my ability to quickly and thoroughly understand and remember concept, ideas, and situations. I have my weaknesses though; I have a hard time with remembering names and numbers, I've always been clumsy and uncoordinated and have a terrible sense of direction.

Last edited by Just One on Fri, Mar 24 2023, 3:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

Laiya

Fri, Mar 24 2023, 3:25 pm

WitchKitty wrote:

Funny, I always think the louder people are smarter. The quiet people seem at first glance as if they don't have anything smart to say.

I've found that many teachers seem to have this bias. They automatically peg the more outgoing students who participate, as smarter than the quieter ones who hate being called on.