False Humility

People are really funny about certain topics. One such topic that brings out some attitude has to deal with any notion that you might quite possibly think you're better in some way than someone else. Nothing does this quicker than some kind of intelligence comparison.

First, let's make sure we know what intelligence is. Intelligence is not a massive catalog of information. If you know a lot of stuff, that does not necessarily make you intelligent. That just means you know a lot of stuff. Intelligence is the ability to assimilate a lot of information to the point that you can reasonably use it. Yes, spy movies talk about "intelligence" as information, but the compilation and use of that information would be the actual intelligence.

In my day job, I use my intelligence to interpret scraps of information I gather from what people tell me, link those scraps to information I already possess, and extrapolate an answer. The more information you have, the better you can do this. Genius level intelligence can link almost random (and even abstract) pieces of information together to form answers very quickly, and really, it is the speed that defines it. Naturally, there's quite a bit more to it than that. Sherlock Holmes would be a genius. Not because he possesses a lot of random knowledge, but because he can categorize and access that knowledge when it is needed for an answer based on some possibly very abstract facts.

I suppose a could say that for the average person, 1 + 1 will always equal 2, and under no circumstance would it ever equal anything else. A genius level person could give you several ways for 1 + 1 to equal something else.

Anyway, I was just standing around at that meeting yesterday minding my own business (read: speaking to no one) when a conversation next to me indicated that someone was glad to have me around because I'm a genius. The overseer of the meeting said something that I don't recall, but I responded that, "Well, I am a genius." The person gave what is probably the most common response to anyone giving themselves this level of a compliment. She said, "At least he's humble about it." (Ok, or something to that effect - you get the idea.)

I indicated that I was just being honest about it, and that when you hear something enough, you tend to believe it. I was not being flippant or anything. In fact, I was kind of jovial over it where I spoke with a shrug to say that's just how it is much like I would if someone commented that I only had one eye to my name. The amusing part is that my rather forthright declaration over my own intelligence made this person uncomfortable. People don't like it.

Now, if I'd said I'm an author or I play the piano or any number of other skills I possess, there wouldn't have been any big deal over. In fact, if I said I'm really good or even completely the best piano player ever, no one would have batted an eye. But as soon as I note that I am really exceptionally clever, I might as well have added "and you're an idiot," because that's what people hear.

The Japanese culture downplays compliments, and it's definitely human nature to want attention, but turn it down as soon as its given. Or it's at least the social nature of the people I know to do this. They'll all want you to pay attention, but as soon as you do, they want you to look away. Point a camera at anyone and see what happens. People don't handle differences very well, so someone who embraces attention is odd to them, and when you laud something that someone else has, they don't hear you say that you're good at something, they hear you say that they suck at it.

I know when to be humble about stuff, and really, the response didn't bother me. During that same meeting, I got a second compliment of the same nature in front of the entire group. They wanted examples of something related to what we do, and I gave one. Someone in the front commented that "he's brilliant." I decided that this was the time for a minor deflection, so I told my table that "my momma thinks I'm special."

That was effective.

Meeting Nonsense

Long time, no type. Today, I have the wonderful "priviledge" of spending my entire day in a meeting. Not just any meeting, but basically, the company is having everyone go through the training that the new hires go through since the new hire training has significantly improved to the point that even tenured people wanted to know what was in it.

I managed to sit at a table of die hard workaholics who are the most boring group of people I've had the misfortune of sitting with. I'm basically stuck in the middle of contract chatter and meeting scheduling chats. It's no wonder people feel so tired since they can never seem to turn it off and relax.

But of course, these are the same people who obsess over conference calls and the need to "talk it out" instead of allowing one to process their rapid fire and type it out in a concise and storable manner.

And to make it worse, we are only half way through it. At the very least, I can honestly say it is meeting my expectations. I expected to learn a thing or two that I didn't know, but figured that none of it would have any value in my day to day job.

So far, so good.