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The brilliance of humility

I often tell my students that there are more ways to be smart than the manner we have traditionally measured intelligence in the classroom.
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I often tell my students that there are more ways to be smart than the manner we have traditionally measured intelligence in the classroom. If one is good at reading, writing and mathematics, one generally has little difficulty effectively navigating our education system.  The problem is that many of us struggle in these areas, but that doesn’t mean we are not brilliant.

According to psychologist Howard Gardener, we can also be gifted athletically or in interpersonal skills, we can have tremendous insights about ourselves, be talented with music or art, have an understanding of nature, or be gifted in grasping the deeper mysteries of life itself.  

It is important to note that Gardener’s theory became popular more than 30 years ago, and it has been expanded on by numerous educational theorists. Others have been somewhat critical of his work. The general consensus, however, is that we are all different, and this is something that needs to be celebrated.

In many ways, what Gardener is talking about is a healthy understanding of the principle of humility. We often consider the humble person one who thinks they are less important than others, but the word has a more profound meaning as well. One wise person once told me that humility is simply understanding the truth about ourselves and others.  

I may be highly intelligent in several areas, yet struggle in others. For example, I am very comfortable reading and synthesizing new information to use in my classroom, but I struggle to sing in key. I am able to serve others in many ways, but I need to ask for help from others to perform tasks I am not good at. This is something that makes life beautiful. No one is an expert at everything. We really do need each other.

One of my own children once taught me a lesson of how different our talents can be. When working on a simple building project in our home, I was amazed that he did not need to use a level to make straight lines. I did not know such skills existed and he found my amazement bewildering. The truth is, we all have extraordinary gifts which we tend to think are nothing special.  

As a teacher, I have never met a student who is not amazingly gifted. The challenge is getting students to recognize and celebrate their abilities.

It is also interesting to note that there are many tools we can use to assist us in the areas where we struggle. At times, we are reluctant to accommodate others, fearing we are giving them unfair advantages. It is important to remember that we all use tools to assist us in our areas of difficulty. I need to use a tuner if I have any hope of playing my guitar in key. Is this any different from a person needing to use a computer program to assist them with their writing?

One of the great things about the world we are living in today is that we are finding better and better tools to help us do the things we want to do. Educational technology has come such a long way since I began my teaching career in the 1980s. It is truly wonderful to see these tools allow a young person to develop and draw out their giftedness.

Each of us is brilliant, yet we all have our struggles. Sometimes technology allows us deal with our challenges, and sometimes we need to ask for help from our neighbour. Being able to recognize this is and embrace it is one of the joys of life, and it is the celebration of true humility.

- Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place.  For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com