Well Dr K, here's something from the Peanut Gallery. I appreciate the thoughtful and heartfelt piece, btw.
I think that everyone is given the same number of intelligence points. They are distributed across the different types of intelligence. I think of it as 15 points distributed across informational intelligence, relational/emotional intelligence, and physical/spatial intelligence. It gets back to the question of whether we are all gifted.
I heard someone say one time in the past, that “you never know, one of these kids might be a Hemingway!”. The comment illustrates one aspect of our fixation on giftedness. That intelligence, as with other aspects is a measure of worth. Other aspects would include attractiveness, social ability and fame, accomplishments, and wealth. What about the kid who isn’t a Hemingway? He sits in the second chair from the back, in the third row over, and much of the time he or she is invisible. How is his or her worth to be measured? I am not saying these attributes don’t have value. I am saying that all of these attributes hold value only in part. And what I’m saying is that all of these values which are only in part find their proper place ONLY when made subordinate to the singular immeasurable source, the immeasurable worth of “being”. Now you will probably say I’m saying something that does not need to be said, you might say it is obvious, and I would agree, it IS obvious, but also nearly always forgotten. And what I will always find thrilling about your own story is that within this early story of your youth, within the vulnerability of it, the immeasurable worth of your inward being emerges, and it I tend to laugh with joy. That is my 2 cents worth. And I tend to feel there are many shades to intelligence, but at the same time we, all of us, will always be only somewhere on the dial, never the smartest, always in part, but all the while, in every waking moment, we are sentient beings, how do you measure that?
I heard someone say one time in the past, that “you never know, one of these kids might be a Hemingway!”. The comment illustrates one aspect of our fixation on giftedness. That intelligence, as with other aspects is a measure of worth. Other aspects would include attractiveness, social ability and fame, accomplishments, and wealth. What about the kid who isn’t a Hemingway? He sits in the second chair from the back, in the third row over, and much of the time he or she is invisible. How is his or her worth to be measured? I am not saying these attributes don’t have value. I am saying that all of these attributes hold value only in part. And what I’m saying is that all of these values which are only in part find their proper place ONLY when made subordinate to the singular immeasurable source, the immeasurable worth of “being”. Now you will probably say I’m saying something that does not need to be said, you might say it is obvious, and I would agree, it IS obvious, but also nearly always forgotten. And what I will always find thrilling about your own story is that within this early story of your youth, within the vulnerability of it, the immeasurable worth of your inward being emerges, and it I tend to laugh with joy. That is my 2 cents worth. And I tend to feel there are many shades to intelligence, but at the same time we, all of us, will always be only somewhere on the dial, never the smartest, always in part, but all the while, in every waking moment, we are sentient beings, how do you measure that?
Fantastic piece, Dr. K.!!! It is so important (and refreshing) when I read something that puts the entire picture together. Thank you.
Thank you for writing this!
Well Dr K, here's something from the Peanut Gallery. I appreciate the thoughtful and heartfelt piece, btw.
I think that everyone is given the same number of intelligence points. They are distributed across the different types of intelligence. I think of it as 15 points distributed across informational intelligence, relational/emotional intelligence, and physical/spatial intelligence. It gets back to the question of whether we are all gifted.
I heard someone say one time in the past, that “you never know, one of these kids might be a Hemingway!”. The comment illustrates one aspect of our fixation on giftedness. That intelligence, as with other aspects is a measure of worth. Other aspects would include attractiveness, social ability and fame, accomplishments, and wealth. What about the kid who isn’t a Hemingway? He sits in the second chair from the back, in the third row over, and much of the time he or she is invisible. How is his or her worth to be measured? I am not saying these attributes don’t have value. I am saying that all of these attributes hold value only in part. And what I’m saying is that all of these values which are only in part find their proper place ONLY when made subordinate to the singular immeasurable source, the immeasurable worth of “being”. Now you will probably say I’m saying something that does not need to be said, you might say it is obvious, and I would agree, it IS obvious, but also nearly always forgotten. And what I will always find thrilling about your own story is that within this early story of your youth, within the vulnerability of it, the immeasurable worth of your inward being emerges, and it I tend to laugh with joy. That is my 2 cents worth. And I tend to feel there are many shades to intelligence, but at the same time we, all of us, will always be only somewhere on the dial, never the smartest, always in part, but all the while, in every waking moment, we are sentient beings, how do you measure that?
I heard someone say one time in the past, that “you never know, one of these kids might be a Hemingway!”. The comment illustrates one aspect of our fixation on giftedness. That intelligence, as with other aspects is a measure of worth. Other aspects would include attractiveness, social ability and fame, accomplishments, and wealth. What about the kid who isn’t a Hemingway? He sits in the second chair from the back, in the third row over, and much of the time he or she is invisible. How is his or her worth to be measured? I am not saying these attributes don’t have value. I am saying that all of these attributes hold value only in part. And what I’m saying is that all of these values which are only in part find their proper place ONLY when made subordinate to the singular immeasurable source, the immeasurable worth of “being”. Now you will probably say I’m saying something that does not need to be said, you might say it is obvious, and I would agree, it IS obvious, but also nearly always forgotten. And what I will always find thrilling about your own story is that within this early story of your youth, within the vulnerability of it, the immeasurable worth of your inward being emerges, and it I tend to laugh with joy. That is my 2 cents worth. And I tend to feel there are many shades to intelligence, but at the same time we, all of us, will always be only somewhere on the dial, never the smartest, always in part, but all the while, in every waking moment, we are sentient beings, how do you measure that?