6|24 Aren't We Clever!

Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. 
Cato the Censor

I, like you, am a genius. I know I am a genius because regular rules do not apply to me. I ignore the warnings on lawnmowers that caution the simple folks to keep their hands and feet away from the moving blade (my finger is nearly back to normal after only five years). When I started driving, I pitied the poor fools who did not know how to speed (4 tickets in a little over a year). And, most impressively, I can watch the news on any topic, no matter how technical or lofty, and tell my wife exactly where the experts are wrong as well as the precise solution to the problem (you can only imagine how blessed my wife must feel just to be in the same room with such a brilliant mind).

It is a burden... being a genius.

One of the greatest lessons we geniuses will ever learn is that we are not nearly as smart as we think, nor are others as dumb as we imagine. In fact, if we genuinely appreciate the expertise that others have, rather than dismiss it out of hand because we have already had deep thoughts on the matter, we might not only learn something of value but also be more enjoyable to be around.

Part of the problem with recognizing that we are wise is in the failing to realize that the wisdom might only exist in our imagination. It is when we admit that we might be able to learn something from others that we actually begin to read the instructions, ask for directions and listen to the advice of our peers. It is then that we begin to earn the respect of others and learn those things that are truly worth knowing.

The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Prov. 12:15, NIV