You can let other people think that they’re the smartest person in the room unless you think that’s you. However, if you believe that, I hope you interact with patient people who allow you to keep that belief. The following letter is one I would have liked to have received a lot earlier in my life. Enjoy.
Hey friend,
I hope you’re doing great! I was thinking about something the other day that I just have to share with you—about patience, especially when dealing with people who think they’re super smart. You know the type, right? They’ve got their opinions on EVERYTHING, and boy, do they love hearing themselves talk. Sometimes, it’s like watching a peacock fluff up its feathers. It’s very entertaining, but not always enlightening.
So, the other day, I found myself cornered by this guy who was absolutely convinced he had cracked the secret to time travel—through meditation. No joke. He said, “If you just focus hard enough, you can visit the dinosaurs.” And I’m standing there, trying to decide if I should ask him what he saw in Jurassic Park or if he found out what really happened to the pyramids. But instead, I just nodded and smiled. Why? Because patience, my friend. Sometimes, you just have to let people have their moment. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll figure out how to bring a T-rex to happy hour.
But it’s not just the crazy theories. Some people act like they’ve read one Wikipedia page and now they’re an expert on quantum physics, world politics, and how to bake the perfect soufflé. I once had a guy explain to me how airplanes work—as if I had never flown before in my life. “Did you know airplanes stay up because of air pressure?” Really? I thought it was magic this whole time. But instead of pointing that out, I just listened, because sometimes it’s not about the facts. It’s about letting someone feel like the smartest person in the room—for five minutes.
Honestly, it’s kind of freeing when you stop trying to argue with people who are convinced they’re intellectual giants. It’s like letting a toddler think they’re faster than you when they “race” you across the yard. Why crush their dream when it’s not hurting anyone?
That’s why I think we should adopt this strategy more often—patience, with a sprinkle of humor. Life’s too short to get into debates with self-proclaimed geniuses about why the moon landing wasn’t faked or why “the earth is actually flat if you think about it the right way.” The world is full of opinions, and some people are way too excited to share theirs. The best thing we can do is laugh it off, let them have their spotlight, and move on with our lives.
Anyway, I’m off to focus on my own time-traveling meditation now (who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and get tonight’s winning lottery numbers). But seriously, let me know if you’ve run into any “geniuses” recently. I bet you’ve got some stories!
Talk later.
