Know How Stupid You Are
“If you are very, very stupid how can you possibly realize that you are very, very stupid. You’d have to be relatively intelligent to realize how stupid you are.” – John Cleese
Often times in the work place folks get promotions or even hired in to positions that make everyone else in the company scratch their heads. Now, it’s obvious that not everyone is going to like how a person does their job, there will always be detractors. But on occasion, a person is put in a position that they have no business being in. This ultimately can lead to failure, for either the individual and/or the company.
It’s always good for us to have goals and achievements to aim for. What isn’t good is to have unrealistic goals and achievements. That can lead to disappointment and can derail a career if it goes on for too long.
Every person has a responsibility to know how intelligent they are. That, as John Cleese points out, might be a tall order for some. Having confidence is not the same as being delusional though. Just as everyone should know how intelligent they are, everyone has a responsibility to be humble and be able to receive criticism. Even true intelligence can be rendered useless when it is accompanied by arrogance.