5 Things That Don’t Make You Intelligent

We conflate intelligence with certain things that really don’t have much to do with it and it’s quite unfortunate. Here are 5 things that don’t make you intelligent.

1. Being a man

Okay, so you are a man. Good for you. Society has probably fed you with the you are a ‘natural born leader and are imbued with wisdom’ juice that could have you feeling you are smarter than any woman simply based on your genitalia. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to come to the realization that this isn’t the reality. Or even sadder, perhaps you are still under the illusion that this is the case and you don’t need to argue based on facts or prepare for an argument coz you somehow just know stuff. Your feelings and second-hand experiences are not equivalent to facts. Also, using ad hominem attacks among other boring tactics to discredit women that challenge your weak arguments will not make you any smarter.

2. Being an atheist

Okay, so you are an atheist. Good for you. Yes, religion has had a chequered past and we are all quite aware of this. However, disbelief in a supreme being is not equal to being smart. Your arguments still have to be coherent and you will still be called out when they are not. To resort to the same fallacies in your arguments you accuse religious folk of employing is quite dishonest. There are smart Atheists, smart Christians, smart Muslims, smart Buddhists etc as well as some not so smart ones. Belief or lack of belief in a supreme deity(ies) is not equal to an individual’s level of intelligence.

3. Being rich

Okay, so you are rich. Good for you. Money is awesome and can get you in the door of some hard to get in places. Whether this money was acquired through hard work, theft, sexual transmission or the birth lottery, congratulations on having it. Unfortunately, being rich doesn’t make you the epitome of wisdom. Yes, people want to hear from you as they have been led to believe that you know better but it doesn’t mean that you do. Thankfully because you have the money, you can use it to acquire knowledge or pay someone to acquire it on your behalf.

4. Being educated

Okay, so you are educated. Good for you. The value of education cannot be belittled. Education is a universal right and we must continue to push for affordable and accessible access for all. However, being highly educated doesn’t mean you know everything or that your arguments should not be subjected to scrutiny based on your level of education. Formal education is not equivalent to intelligence.

5. Being famous

Okay, so you are famous. Good for you. Fame has some amazing benefits and hopefully you’re reaping them regardless of how you came to fame. Being famous however, doesn’t increase your intelligence, no matter how much people want to listen to what you had for breakfast and attach value to it.