The Difference Between Smart People and Really Smart People

Smart people like to hang out with other smart people in the hope that the intelligence of the other smart people will rub off on them.

Really smart people tend to be able to learn from anyone -- and tend to hang out with anybody who treats them with respect.

Smart people tend to make a big deal about whatever book, record or movie that is currently fashionable.

Really smart people tend to realize that fashions come and go and choose to develop their own tastes in books, records and movies.

Smart people tend to look down upon people who can’t afford the same things that they can -- and pride themselves on being early adaptors.

Really smart people realize that some people can’t always afford the same things that they can -- and take little pride in being early adaptors.

Smart people look scornfully at people who live in certain neighborhoods.

Really smart people know that a person’s character matters a lot more than where he or she lives.

Smart people tend to believe that other smart people ideally look and talk the same way they do.

Really smart people tend to know that smart people can look or sound like anybody. And that only a dumb person makes assumptions about the intelligence of a person they don’t know that well.

Smart people pride themselves on knowing things other people don’t know and tend to tease others about their ignorance.

Really smart people tend to know that everyone is ignorant about something at one time or another and that it does little good to tease other people about their ignorance because such teasing only reveals how insecure one is about one’s own knowledge -- and worse yet, such teasing discourages others from learning.