Thoughts on smart people

Today is Tuesday. Which means that I went to Bible study this evening.

After we finished, our group leader came over and asked, "How have you been?" I said, "I've been good." And then he said something that I have heard countless times in my life, "You didn't say much tonight." My answer was, "The more other people talk, the more quiet I get." "I noticed that," was his reply. He then started saying that I should have spoken up, and he would have liked for me to speak up, because I usually have good things to say. I hear that a lot, too.

True to form, my mind kicked into gear after that, and I was lost in my thoughts for at least the next several minutes. And I started thinking about smart people.

As dumb as I feel sometimes, people still insist on saying that I'm smart. And if you want to take into account academics, I do well in school, so I guess that's smart. And if I'm being entirely truthful, I do consider myself to be fairly intelligent. So for the sake of this discussion, let's say I'm smart. So I am one of these "smart people" I was thinking about.

And here's what I was thinking: smart people always have something to say, and yet you often don't hear much from them. At least for smart people like me. And this is the thought process that led me to that conclusion:

When a question is asked, a smart people always have an answer. It may or may not be right or relevant, but an answer is usually to be found. It's in their nature. Because smart people are always seeking knowledge and understanding. They're always thinking, trying to figure out things. Asking theirselves questions, in order to find out answers. So when a question is asked by someone else, they likely have an answer. And if they don't have a ready answer, upon spending a moment in thought, they usually come up with something in their vast store of wonderings.

So...I'm one of those smart people. I usually seem to find an answer for everything, some conclusion to any given situation. So it's a given that in a discussion, or when a question is asked, that I will have some kind of answer/knowledge/idea/opinion that I can share. So I could spout things off forever. Theoretically.

And where does that leave everyone else? What about their opinions? Their ideas? Their perspectives? Their knowledge? If I were to always talk when I had something to say, nobody would get a chance to open their mouths. But they should. They deserve to have their chance to be heard. They know different things than I know. They have different experiences than I do.

So I sit back, close my mouth, and listen. The more people are around, the longer my mouth stays closed, and the more I practice opening my ears. In this way, people are allowed to let their voice be heard, and I further satisfy my hunger for knowledge and understanding.

When in a group discussion, there are two things that usually get me to open my mouth, besides directly asking me a question: 1.) nobody having anything to say, and 2.) me feeling that what I have to say is so important that it HAS to be shared, and so I will try my hardest to shove my way into the conversation. When neither one of those things happen, the result is what happened tonight in my Bible study, my mouth remaining largely closed.

So if you really want to talk to me, or more precisely, have me talk to you, and share what I have to say, talk to me alone. And be prepared for (and try to be comfortable with) awkward silences. Because another characteristic of the smart person is being lost in your head. So I often have to find my way out before I can speak.

And I do encourage you to do that. I really love one-on-one conversations. They're much more intimate. And I feel like I and the person I'm talking to are able to make a much more substantial connection. And until I change my habits in group interactions, they're one of the few chances I get to say much. And as content as I am to be quiet most of time, it's good to mix it up.