What Are You Grateful for Today? My Mother's Unapologetic Intelligence

September 13, 2015

What Are You Grateful for Today? My Mother's Unapologetic Intelligence - September 13th (WAYGFT)

What Are You Grateful for Today? - September 13th (WAYGFT)

I'm grateful for my mother's unapologetic intelligence.

Recently in a facebook post/update I wrote the following:

From my experience most men ego's can not handle women who are more intelligent than them and are honest about their intelligence by not receding it in communication or holding back. (By intelligence in this context I mean someone who is a deeper thinker than them and is able to let logic and science guide them better than them.)This is how less most men see women; this is how potent misogyny is. So when men say they want a woman who is intelligent they are talking about they want a woman who is smart enough to get the box he is stuck in; not that they want a woman that has broken the roof of that same box he is in and is constantly tackling bigger boxes she has found.

This was provoked after having a conversation with a man, who like too many men I converse with on 'deeper' topics can not handle that I am unapologetic with my intelligence when speaking with them. So they do the usual passive aggressive (could be consider emotional abuse) which is try to make a joke of my responses, insult me indirectly, ignore my response and have had some even try to get other women to join in picking on me so they can feel comfortable in their insecurity, etc. If I don't know anything about a topic or if I'm not familiar with it enough to provide and answer I am honest about my ignorance or my level of understanding. If I do have an idea, perspective or know something about it, when I speak on it although I do invite questions and a counter argument, I am not self doubting nor do I baby step exposing my intelligence to make him feel comfortable. I speak directly to be clear, (I thank my mother's bluntness for this), courteous to be respectful and use layman terms to be understood, this is how I express my unapologetic intelligence.

In a world were women are shunned for showing unapologetic intelligence, being honest about your intelligence feels like an act of bravery. Growing up I never remember my mother having a conversation with someone and wondering who she was in that moment. I never was confused because I knew she knew something and if it was just us talking I know she would have said xyz. She never came off ashamed of her intelligence and by watching her I became the example she provided. With me being my mother's daughter I have gained admiration for my confidence from other women. However more importantly my confidence have inspired other women to be confident as well. My mother has caused a beautiful ripple with the example of being unapologetic intelligent, that it is okay to be confident with what you bring mentally to the table and for that I am grateful.

Take one minute to answer, What are you grateful for today?
The video (above) is timed at one minute (and some change) and surely you have one minute to do this gratitude exercise!

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