Really A Genius?

It’s amazing that in this day and age, people easily forget that while you can be smart in certain areas, you can be just as foolish in others. Being a genius in mathematics doesn’t mean that you’d be a genius in Biology or Chemistry. Just because you’re well-versed in the topic of language doesn’t mean you’ll know something substantial in history.

You can only be an expert in really limited fields. You can have base knowledge, but not more than the common man. But if you try to compete with the professionals, you’ll end up making a fool of yourself. There is a reason why electricians fix up wiring in the house, but they don’t do anything about plumbing. They don’t even help you fix your broken TV simply because that’s not their job description.

But then, for some reason, some people equate being good in one subject with being good in all subjects. There are people who just can’t accept the fact that they are simply not good at something. It’s as if the very idea is alien and insulting to them. As in, they would rather lead people to their destruction than admit that they don’t know what they’re doing.

One area we see this a lot is in places of worship. Religious leaders are known for the theology that they preach. They can be considered geniuses of the bible, and they can break down the holy scriptures until they are totally understood by the followers. But then, I believe for this same reason, many of them also believe that they’re excellent counsellors and therapists.

I don’t know about other countries, but here in Nigeria, they always double as that. And most of the time, it never works well for those who follow them. Yeah, there are those pastors whose advice has helped couples, but there are also couples who have gone through the advice they gave to members, which has led to the breakup of their homes. And most of the time, things like this have no spiritual base, it’s all purely physical.

A lot of the advice that pastors give doesn’t come from a place of experience. They come from a place of telling you what they assume will work for you. It’s not an expert opinion, it’s not an educated one, it’s just them telling you because they believe it will work. Sometimes, a problem that will simply require communication or personal reflection, they’ll make it a thing of prayer. Praying while the problem festers.

I’m not saying that there aren’t Pastors who actually give sound advice, there are. There are even those who take an interest and make sure that they see the problem with you until the very end. I once heard of a pastor who was approached by a youth, the guy was battling addiction, and he was also finding himself getting attracted to cult-like activities. He became worried and asked the pastor for help. The Pastor didn’t just pray, but counseled him and even helped him find a rehab center, specifically for the addiction.

The truth is, when you know that something is not your forte, it will be easy for you to outsource it and let people who own that field take over. If not, thinking you’re grounded in it will only end up making you regret your choices. My mom had a toothache, and she went to a clinic, hoping they’d have a dentist there. They didn’t have one, but they assured my Mom that they could treat her. In the end, they simply recommended a painkiller.

Some people would rather bite off their tongue than admit that they don’t know something, they go around making everyone think they’re knowledgeable in that field. And they get people to trust them. And how does it all end? In tears.

It’s just painful. We need to be more truthful with ourselves. Being a genius in one or two fields doesn’t mean that we know everything about the world. There will still be topics that will humble us.

And that’s a fact.