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The Expectations Of Intellectuals : Why We Hate The Smart Kids

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The expectations of Intellectuals
For the most part, intelligent people are not appreciated for their astuteness. This often tends to hinder their emotional development as they rarely find someone who can think on their level or have mutual emotions towards things. Which can make intelligent people feel more sad, depressed, or even lonely at times. Having this information brought to my attention has intrigued me in the recently read and discussed paper on “Anti-Intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids.” When I had finished reading that paper I had found myself interested in the part where he states, and I quote, “This argument, however, merely accounts for the perpetuation of…feelings. Those feelings must also originate somewhere…ignoring intellectuals both in school and later on in life crushes its victims” (NFG 755-757). That part left me questioning, how do people earn the title of intelligence or are there different types of intelligence? Does that mean our society reveres more standard or emotional intelligence?
I found it important to understand what types of intellectuals there are and how they feel, so that we may have a better understanding of why we tend to hate the smart kids. In Grant Penrods paper “Anti-Intellectualism: Why We Hate the Smart Kids”, he talks about how intellectuals constantly see their efforts trivialized and society’s distaste for intellectuals. He provides evidence to his statement through stereotypes of geeks and nerds, public figures, and

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