No judging.

[Sunbourn]

People have a tendency to perceive anybody who can't do something that they are good at to be stupid or unsuperior in general. You see this everywhere you go, even sometimes on SS. Not to name any names but this post was specifically triggered by some threads on here where users came for help with their math homework and received ridicule just because they had asked for help.

Just because somebody isn't good at one thing does not make them stupid, nor does it mean they deserve to be ridiculed. Some people simply aren't good at math, and / or don't even care enough about it to develop the skills required for more advanced mathematics. But that same person may be a brilliant writer, a talented musician, or even run a successful business. There are many different ways people can express their intelligence, and mathematics is just one of them.

As an example, my dad frequently failed classes in highschool, on one report card even receiving straight Fs. He simply didn't care enough to work through the system and had things that were to him more important to worry about, such as the jobs he had. Despite only barely graduating from highschool and not attending college, he runs two very successful tire businesses in the area and is very savvy in making ends meet monetarily. He didn't need to know anything he was taught in high school to do this, yet these are things that may lead you to be considered stupid if you don't know. Like solving equations, History that's largely irrelevant to our lives, and high school diahreah writing.

Myself, I can't even write cleanly. I have issues with the muscles and tendons in my hands which make many tasks difficult and cause me to randomly drop objects. What it is that's wrong with them specifically I'm not sure of, it could be one of many things - but given the pain that I deal with in both hands and the trembling of my thumb in my writing hand it is safe to say that there is something seriously wrong. When people see my handwriting, they think I'm retarded, but if I type it out nobody would guess.

So when you see somebody struggling with a subject, concept, or even a normal task, don't think any less of them for it. Help them, if you can, or leave them alone.

[SoulRiser]

Amen. Also, this:
Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid. - Einstein

[Miller0700]

I find myself doing it as well. True though.

[LOON_ATTIC]

You're right...

(12-19-2011 11:35 AM)Derchin Wrote:  I find myself doing it as well. True though.

>Blatantly copies.

[UltraRobot]

[IamNoone]

I couldn't agree with this more.
The key is to catch yourself - and think before you speak.
Seems like everyone was brain-washed into thinking that to climb the social ladder you have to break all the rungs below you.
[/u]

[Sunbourn]

(12-19-2011 12:40 PM)IamNoone Wrote:  I couldn't agree with this more.
The key is to catch yourself - and think before you speak.
Seems like everyone was brain-washed into thinking that to climb the social ladder you have to break all the rungs below you.
[/u]

The sad reality is that in school that's true. You do. :|

[UnschoolShqiponjë]

Children face this problem every single day because of their innate lack of knowledge.


I agree with you 55555. I probably do this from time to time but I try and catch myself.

[Absnt]

Truefax.

I lack some very basic mathematical abilities. I never memorized the times tables lol. I'm in algebra two, and I get by pretty easily, but it's just so boring and uninteresting that I can't be arsed to get good at it. My handwriting is atrocious. I'm not artistic at all. I suck ass in social situations, and my thought process is by no means fast. On the other hand, I'm very, very good at the things I focus on.

Judging people is just plain stupid. Even if they do fucking suck at everything you enjoy and are apt at, it doesn't make them "stupid" or worthless. Hell, I know this one dude that sucks monstrous amounts of dick at anything intellectual in nature, but if you wanted to throw a party or have a good time, he's the motherfucker you'd want to hang with. Always living in the present, never giving a fuck about the past or future. While I think very highly of intellectual pursuits, I have respect for this motherfucker. He is good at what he does, and has fun all the time. Sometimes I'm envious of that shit.

[Miller0700]

(12-19-2011 01:43 PM)Absentinsomniac Wrote:  ...I get by pretty easily, but it's just so boring and uninteresting that I can't be arsed to get good at it. My handwriting is atrocious. I'm not artistic at all. I suck ass in social situations, and my thought process is by no means fast. On the other hand, I'm very, very good at the things I focus on.

Are you my twin?

[Absnt]

Probably lol, we seem to have a lot of similarities.

[Sunbourn]

(12-19-2011 01:49 PM)Derchin Wrote:  

(12-19-2011 01:43 PM)Absentinsomniac Wrote:  ...I get by pretty easily, but it's just so boring and uninteresting that I can't be arsed to get good at it. My handwriting is atrocious. I'm not artistic at all. I suck ass in social situations, and my thought process is by no means fast. On the other hand, I'm very, very good at the things I focus on.

Are you my twin?

We be triplets.

[gore goroth]

This thread:

[Prince Rilian]

If someone isn't good at something, I think it's usually because they went to school and their brainz got destroyed. It's not their fault. And if someone isn't interested in something, like math, I don't think they're stupid to not care about math, I just say it's their choice and I respect it.

[Land Of The NotSoFree]

Yeah I just try not to judge people lately. But when someone can't spell a simple word I cant help but raise an eyebrow

[Efs]

OP is right niggahs!

[.Manicrose.]

I agree completely. I hate math this year, it's boring as fuck and it's by far my worst subject, and my math teacher must think I'm retarded from the way she talks to me. My parents even started hinting that there was something wrong with me because I don't like algebra. But yesterday I bowled over my mom with my knowledge of politics (she didn't even know about the detention bill) which far surpassed hers, simply because I AM interested in that stuff. So I guess I'm a fish that can't climb a tree made of math, while I can swim in the oceans of politics, or something.

[IamNoone]

“‘In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves." Orson Scot Card

If people took two seconds to see things from other peoples' point of view, things would be a hell of a lot better for everyone. Understanding people allows you to deal with them, whether that be circumventing their bad parts or being a good friend to them and knowing what to say and when. Its nearly impossible to do, but once you train yourself life becomes so much easier.

[SoulRiser]

Interesting quote, that. *adds to collection*

[Aya]

ITT: Fail fags and whiny bitches

Lol, seriously though, I'm dyslexic as fuck. My brother in law saw the font size I had my e-reader set to and he nearly pissed himself laughing.

[Story and Myth]

I try SO FREAKING HARD not to do this.
When you consistently score near-perfects on standardized tests, you tend to develop an inflated view of your own intelligence. I realized fairly quickly that even though I am ridiculously gifted in academics, that does not mean I am the best person ever, nor does that make me invincible. Having a fear of balls used in sports does not help matters. (To date, I have been hit by: 2 baseballs, 6 soccer balls, a softball, 9 basketballs, 3 volleyballs, 37 dodgeballs, 4 ping pong balls, 2 footballs, 8 inflatable beach balls, a golf ball, and the same globe twice.)
Somewhere along the line, I realized that the best way to stay in perspective was to realize that everyone is a different person, and is both better and worse than me at different things. So I put my actions where my ideals lay, and volunteer in the classroom at my school for the "Special Education" students. It's a lot harder to stay conceited when you realize how powerless you are to help classmates who can't even remember how to spell their own names.