We Shouldn't Have to be Scared to be Smart.
Unfortunately, I learned very young that there is a stigma surrounding intelligence. When I was six years old, I was given an IQ test to determine if I belonged in the category of "gifted." When the test concluded that I did indeed have a gifted IQ, I was ecstatic. I thought this was something to be proud of and happy about, until I was taught otherwise by my peers. I was endlessly taunted for having a sharp mind, and now that I look back on it, that disturbs me. Why should intelligence be such a problem? At what point did it become taboo to be smart?
Being called a nerd is not a bad thing.
Movies, TV shows, books and magazines all encourage this idea that intelligent people are to be looked down upon and bullied. There's always been the stereotypical portrayal of smart people: you know, the nerds with glasses and suspenders who get "swirlies" in their high school bathrooms. And everyone buys it. I've even known people with gifted IQs to fake exam scores by purposefully putting down the wrong answers, just so they wouldn't get made fun of for getting all A's. This is despicable; no one should have to feel inferior just because their mind works a different way than anyone else's. I don't find anything wrong with intelligence; it is what keeps this world turning and evolving. So thank you to the bully in sixth grade who endlessly called me a nerd. I will take that as a compliment from now on, and so should everyone else with a gifted IQ.
Being eager to learn is a good quality.
Believe it or not, in the past I've even had teachers mock me for being academically involved. In my freshman year of high school, I took a sophomore level class because I had already mastered the material that was needed as a prerequisite. My teacher for this class constantly made condescending comments to me about my love for learning, and about my good grades. Why? Is it jealousy? I'm not sure, but it needs to stop. It is not fair to everyone who puts value into learning, and it's not fair to everyone to whom learning comes natural. It is a good thing to be eager to learn. It will be good in college and it will be good in a job. So be proud of your intelligence; don't let anyone tear you down for how you were born.
Schools should focus on the good just as much as they focus on the bad.
I'm not sure if this is the case for every high school, but I know that mine focused way more on the troublemakers than the good kids. Most academically excelling students passed under the radar, while the "party kids" were noticed by all of the school's administration. In fact, some of the administration took these kids under their wings and, in a way, excused the bad behavior. Meanwhile, the intelligent, hard-working kids were lacking the education and academic support they deserved. This severe lack of attention to the smart population is just encouraging people to further exclude intellectuals. And it needs to stop.
Smart is good.
I, for one, am done falling prey to this stigma, the stigma that intelligence is bad, or something to make fun of. So no matter which side of this stigma you've been on, remember that there is nothing wrong with anyone being different. Don't let anyone change who you are; intelligence is not a downfall. Keep on learning, bring light to stigmas like this and most importantly: keep on being yourself.
