The Stupid, The Inept, and The Self Confident

Over the last 3-4 weeks I have had the opportunity to spend time with a number of individuals who in one form or fashion are exceeding me in position, responsibility and power (and, I assume, money as well). I tend to be a creature of the system, assuming that people have reached their positions (and continue to hold them) due to their knowledge, intellect and keen decision making abilities.

What I've been reminded of is a truth that I have known for a long time: they're not really any smarter than I am.

I don't know why this shocks me. I (of all people) am well aware that there are people far more brilliant than me in all walks of life. I guess I've always believed that it translated into moving up the ladders of success.

Instead, the lesson again has been that this is no necessarily true.

I don't write this morning out of the sense of decrying a system that rewards this - indeed, the system simply exists (and has existed) probably since the invention of any hierarchical human relationship. Instead, I write first to myself and then to you, gentle reader, as a reminder that in fact, most boundaries are simply those of our own making.

Too often we come under the spell that others ahead of us are more intelligent, more talented, more __________ (fill in the blank) than we are. We start to pull back on our efforts, settling for a lower level of achievement because we believe that those ahead of us are simply light years better - and that we will always be behind them.

The reality is this: maybe that is true. On the other hand, skills other than intelligence and talent allow some to rise to the top of the pool.

Have faith in what God has given you. Have faith that He has given you abilities far beyond what you think you are capable of (all of us, at any level, do far less than we can). Believe yourself to be as intelligent, as competent, as potentially talented as any of the competition?

Feel like you're lacking? Train yourself. Educate yourself. Stretch yourself. Yes, there is a limit above which we all cannot go personally, but we will more likely than not die long before we reach it.

Learn what you can where you are - but if The Stupid and The Inept continue rule where you are, at some point move on. Don't fall into the trap of believing "Because I don't have X, I can never get to Y."

Maybe that's true. Probably not - there's always a road to the brave traveler who knows their destination, even if they don't see the road to get there.

But never - never! - settle for the thought that "I can't, because I'm not _____". There's another word for this phrase, one that will follow us down to the grave with its mocking laughter:

Mediocre.