Sometimes it appears that we are so unsure of ourselves that we are all the time trying to prove ourselves to be smart. We are unsure of ourselves because, like a lost baby, we have forgotten what we are. We just keep trying the whole of our lives for somebody to adopt us and in the process, we keep complying with the standards of different social groups. Since the present day society gives a lot of premium to smartness, we try to prove to be smart.
I feel that there is no problem in being smart but the problem lies in pretending to be smart. Since we have lost connection to our true selves, we feel quite insecure and restless. This restlessness gives rise to anxiety and anxiety in turn gives rise to pretensions. Each one of us is different. That is the beauty of nature. Some seeds take two weeks to grow into a plant while certain others take months and even years to grow. If they try to fasten the process in order to compete with the faster-growing seeds, they will end up landing in a disaster.
Every seed grows into a different type of plant. Some bear fruits, some flowers, and some have beautiful leaves. An apple tree has no competition with a palm tree. All have their own place in the world. Sometimes I feel that few ambitious individuals in this world try to set the social norms and others blindly follow them. Smartness is one such syndrome. I have observed this syndrome in many organizations and societies. People take pride in somehow avoiding the hard work and somehow getting rid of the work with the smallest of efforts. The ones doing hard work are considered to be donkeys and made fun of. They do not know how to "manage". I have never seen such a pervert interpretation of the word "manage".
I find some serious problems with this mindset. We do not realize how we fall into the trap of insecurities. The more we pretend to be smart, the more we shy away from asking stupid questions and working hard to know and understand things. That makes us spend more and more energy on pretensions. Each time we feel that we are not able to manage the image we have created, we start feeling insecure. What a shallow and painful life that is when one can not behave what he really is.
The root cause of smartness syndrome lies in disconnection from our true selves. After losing that connection, we become insecure and try to cling to one or the other identity. Society appears to be the safest heaven and therefore one becomes quite uncomfortable if he does not fit into the standard model of the society. Smartness is the buzzword and one tries to prove to be smart and in the process gets into the trap of smartness syndrome and becomes more insecure and vulnerable in the process. I don't know how many more syndromes this dissociation with the self creates. I also do not know why we keep looking for medicines when we can work on immunity.
Comments