There’s a question that I’ve been mulling over recently that I, had I been some years younger, would have had no trouble answering. Now, however, I find the query far murkier than I first thought. I postulate the same inquiry to my readers now:

Is it better to be dumb or smart?

My much younger self, a straight-A nerd with the hobby of correcting other peoples’ grammatical solecisms, would have immediately and ardently insisted upon the latter. When you’re smart, you can do anything. You have a greater capacity for learning, more opportunities for recognition, and your intelligence can change the world when you’re smart. You understand the world’s problems and come up with brilliant solutions to correct them. Schoolwork is a breeze and you beg for a greater challenge. There’s nothing to be gained from being perceived as ‘dumb’.

As I sit here writing this, I reflect now that my younger self may have been a bit off-base. Oftentimes when I reflect on my level of academic prowess, I wonder if it wouldn’t be far easier to exist in society if I were dumb. Well, perhaps ‘dumb’ isn’t exactly the term I’m looking for…perhaps ‘ignorant’ is the lingo that I seek. Would it not be better to be blissfully ignorant of the violence and devastation that continues to plague the majority of the known world? Would it not be easier to complacently exist without the knowledge of thousands of ideas to improve lives coupled with the frustration of inability to carry out those plans? Wouldn’t it be simpler to hear others’ conversations and not understand them, but also not possess the presence of mind to care?

Maybe it is easier to just be dumb.

I’ve met a lot of smart people in my life, and plenty of dumb ones as well. I’ve also had the fortune (or perhaps misfortune) of coming across dumb people who pretended to be smart and smart people pretending to be dumb.

The first and second groups of individuals are obvious. People who, for whatever reason, possess mental acumen and people who do not. The third ilk I understand. A lack of knowledge couples with a desire to be recognized for nonexistent cerebral capacity, thus a flimsy hunt for attention ensues. Petty and annoying, but understandable. It’s the last group, however, that catches my attention.

A smart person who pretends to be dumb. At first, I would think that situation is completely inane. It’s a waste of a superior brain specimen and an absurd lie to the rest of the world who are mindlessly being misled.

But on second thought, maybe it’s not such a bad idea.

If you are smart, you cannot change it. It’s who you are on a biological level that pervades your everyday life. But you can drastically alter how others perceive you by acting like everyone else around you. Being loud and obnoxious and using short words fools even the smart ones who aren’t under a guise akin to a masquerade, and you have the luxury of relating to everyone you come across, regardless of their level of intellect.

Being intelligent can sometimes be a burden. More pressure is put on you and high expectations are your normal. But for your own sake, dear reader, wear the burden like a crown. It’s a no-brainer to take the easy route, but it’s far more difficult to choose the path that’s infamous for being arduous.