What will you call a pseudo intellectual who accepts being a pseudo intellectual?
If your answer to this question is ‘a pseudo intellectual’ then the pseudo intellectual may say, “Judging a book by its cover are we? You are taking things at face value my friend.”
If you answer ‘a legitimate intellectual’ then the counter to this judgment will be “Do you have a concrete metrics system in place to decide who is an intellectual or a fake? If we have IQs and EQs to measure intellectual balance & maturity, is there a concensus to check that those who are top ranking on these two quotient parameters are truly content individuals? Who’s to say?”
Conundrum?
My old man told me this story about the world and it’s opinions.
“A father, son and a donkey are walking on the road traveling inbetween cities for business. The passers-by see them and comment ‘Look at those two idiots. They could mount a saddle on the donkey and put it to good use.’
Hearing this feedback, the duo place a saddle on the animal and the father lets the son ride.
Another group of travelers observe them and remark ‘What a disrespectful son! Clearly he should prefer walking being young and take care of his aged father by making him comfortable’.
Hurt by the gesture, the son lets his father sit on the donkey and they continue their journey.
After commuting some distance like this, again another group voice their disapproval ‘He is surely a terrible guardian. What sort of selfish parents cater to their own needs without thinking about their children!?’
Angered by this judgment, both the father-son duo sit on the donkey and move on.
But then again they are hit by criticism. ‘Poor animal. These days people have no compassion for those who serve them without question. Such barbaric brutes!’”
The grass may appear greener on the other side but what they don’t tell you is no matter where you look, you have to mow to keep it like that.
‘I know that I know nothing.’ ~ Socrates.
‘A life lived unexamined is not worth living.’ ~ Also by Socrates.
