In a previous post, “In Response to ‘Smart,'” I responded to a TED talk given by Will Stephen. In his presentation, he talked about how he would be talking about “nothing” but would make it seem like he was giving an insightful and knowledgeable by using certain techniques. He mentioned one specific technique where he says that he wore glasses to “look smart.” I ended the article with the question:
Do you think one’s intelligence can be linked with one’s physical appearance?
My response: I disagree completely.
The notion that one’s physical appearance can be linked to one’s intelligence is an absurd thought because there isn’t a direct relationship between the two. One could argue that “smart people” all dress a certain way or have a certain style, and therefore, it is fair to assume someone is smart because of the way they look. However, this is just stereotyping “smart people” and expecting them to look a certain way. This indirectly causes people to label those who do not follow this stereotype to be labeled as “not smart.” Stereotyping in general is not accurate and does not apply to all individuals, which does not make sense to link physical appearance and intelligence.
It is upsetting when I type in the word “smart person” into Google Images, only images of older white men in glasses, kids in glasses, and Albert Einstein appear. There are many people that are excluded from the search. The fact that society is emphasizing and publicizing this imagery of a “smart person” excludes other from this category and makes it difficult for society to accept others as “smart.”
For example, if you saw a black woman wearing a stylish outfit on the street, you most likely would not think she is a smart individual because of the negative stereotype associated with them. Same goes for a skinny, white male wearing faded jeans and thick lens glasses. You would think he was a genius because of the stereotype associated with “smart people.”
I think our society needs to stray away from the notion that physical appearances justify internal characteristics.
I personally believe that everyone is smart in their own way and that society should be not the determinant of one’s intelligence or lack of it.
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