I Know What I'm Talking About
A couple of nights ago at work, I had an issue arise in which I felt my understanding (i.e. intelligence) was doubted.
It happens a lot when you work at Wal-Mart (a topic I will be including in a college discussion board this week). When people think "Wal-Mart" and certain positions such as "cashier" or "stocker" or "maintenance," among others; it seems they automatically assume "unintelligent or you would be doing something else."
I have to admit the feeling that people feel I am stupid is one of my biggest internal issues. As I have written about before, I was often called "stupid" or "lacking in common sense" when I was growing up. Then when people discovered I was homeschooled, strangers automatically felt they could begin quizzing me. It still happens today. Homeschoolers are often judged by more stringent standards in society than others. It is okay if a public school kid does not know the history of the Roman Empire, but let a homeschooler not know it, and it is a very different story.
This background really makes me feel the need to prove myself. Still today I become so frustrated, irritated, angry, defensive when people automatically assume certain positions equate lack of intelligence. I find myself defending myself and my intelligence by giving specific examples - much the way I did when I was quizzed and tested by strangers.
Maybe one day I will get past it.
It happens a lot when you work at Wal-Mart (a topic I will be including in a college discussion board this week). When people think "Wal-Mart" and certain positions such as "cashier" or "stocker" or "maintenance," among others; it seems they automatically assume "unintelligent or you would be doing something else."
I have to admit the feeling that people feel I am stupid is one of my biggest internal issues. As I have written about before, I was often called "stupid" or "lacking in common sense" when I was growing up. Then when people discovered I was homeschooled, strangers automatically felt they could begin quizzing me. It still happens today. Homeschoolers are often judged by more stringent standards in society than others. It is okay if a public school kid does not know the history of the Roman Empire, but let a homeschooler not know it, and it is a very different story.
This background really makes me feel the need to prove myself. Still today I become so frustrated, irritated, angry, defensive when people automatically assume certain positions equate lack of intelligence. I find myself defending myself and my intelligence by giving specific examples - much the way I did when I was quizzed and tested by strangers.
Maybe one day I will get past it.
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