Often, at gatherings real and virtual, I hear talk of illustrious siblings, cousins and other relatives and friends. We love to talk about their intelligence in business or politics. Their smart thinking becomes a subject of case studies and eventually, the stuff legends are made of. Even children are not spared. At gatherings, one hears talk of a child doing well in some examination or the other, or a child that has a rare gift in some art.
But how often do you hear of a person who’s not intelligent? I had an uncle who was not intelligent. He failed college several times until a kindly sister-in-law helped him out with his studies. Later on, he wasn’t really a star performer at work either. With his brother’s help, he found a job as a junior field engineer in the state Public Works Department. There, he had ample opportunity to earn a lot of money ‘under the table’, but he did not “make” any money. He would hand over all his meager earnings to his wife. He didn’t really climb his way up the professional ladder.
He accepted the general opinion that he was simply not intelligent enough to convert opportunities or to climb ladders.
However, I remember him for the following reasons:
As a hard working man who never shirked an honest day’s work.
A man who never cheated his employers.
A man who was content with what he had…a stable job, a loving wife and a child that he adopted.
I knew him as a man who spent time with his family, watching his little girl grow up.
A simple man with few wants.
A man who was not very intelligent but was definitely more content than many others who were far smarter than he was.
Is intelligence everything? Or can we admire someone for qualities of personality such as Integrity, hard work, simplicity and above all, contentment!
