The concept that we are discussing today is kind of tough to understand upon hearing its name: ignorant intelligence. While this is a confusing name, the concept isn’t complicated, and it is something with which we all likely have an experience. Ignorant intelligence is the idea that we don’t know that we cannot do something because someone has not told us we can’t do it. Because someone hasn’t yet told us that we cannot do something, we continue to try to do that thing. 

We likely all have an experience in our past where we did not realize a limit until someone else placed it on us. Maybe you used to have a passion for art until one day someone else told you that you had no talent. Comments like that can completely shake a person’s confidence and cause him to give up the pursuit of something he really loves. That feeling before someone else limits you is so pure and rare, and it’s something I wish people could experience more frequently. 

This ignorant intelligence is seen most often in children and adolescents. Because we protect children (to an extent) from adversity, they get to spend some time in this blissful ignorance, free of negative commentary. While this feeling sounds idealistic, it’s so healthy for children to experience it. A great example of this concept happened a few weeks ago in our elementary school. Every student in our kindergarten class prepared a presentation on a notable African American person in history for Black History Month. Not only did they prepare the presentation, but they also traveled from classroom to classroom giving their presentation in front of older elementary students. Several teachers commented on how confidently these children spoke. They also correctly used and pronounced vocabulary words that were way above their level. Overall, they did a great job and showcased a command of the subject matter that you would not expect from five-year-olds. 

This is a great example of what kids can do when they don’t know that they are not supposed to be able to do something. Public speaking is a very difficult skill, and they covered a serious topic with advanced concepts and spoke in front of older students. It did not shake them. There were no tears, no stage fright, just thorough, well-delivered presentations. I think that is so amazing. So what happens between kindergarten and middle school that makes public speaking so terrifying? The ignorant intelligence is lost somewhere during that time. 

By the time students reach upper elementary, many would not be able to give this level of presentation. We see confident students develop stage fright and begin to add fillers throughout their sentences like, “uh” and “um.” Students give nervous, anxious, and in some cases physically sick before having to speak in front of their peers, let alone older students. The shift in this scenario is an outside opinion. Somewhere along the way that student was told he wasn’t a good speaker, or he didn’t know what he was talking about, or he saw another student go through this and internalized that feeling. Whether or not the student is aware of that, that opinion is now with him in the back of his head every time he gets up to speak in front of people. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have great advice for overcoming this once it has occurred. Obviously, you can look at the facts and focus on past successful moments. But one thing that you can definitely do is make sure you do not do this to someone else. You don’t need to give children an inflated ego, but think twice before you criticize. If your younger sibling shows you a drawing of an alligator that looks more like the swamp than the animal, the first thing out of your mouth shouldn’t be, “Wow, that’s terrible. I can’t even tell what I am looking at.” You don’t have to lie to them and tell them it is the best alligator you have ever seen, but you can find something positive to say. Maybe you compliment his creativity or his color choice. Criticizing his realism will not make him better, it will just make him insecure to show you his next masterpiece. When you see ignorant intelligence in people, do what you can to preserve it. It’s amazing what people can do when they don’t know that they aren’t supposed to be able to do it. 

-          Bria