English is a language... not a measure of intelligence
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Have you ever pre-judged someone’s intelligence or competence based purely on how well they speak English?
Confession time. As a young man I used to think less of people who didn’t speak English fluently. Sadly, I would question how smart someone could be if they had a noticeable accent or made grammatical errors.
Thankfully as we grow up life gives us opportunities to update our beliefs. As my worldview expanded, I learnt a critical truth:
English is a language... not a measure of intelligence.
My former attitude was immature. Ironically, how harshly you judge people who are using a 2nd language would be a more accurate reflection of your IQ.
So why did I have such a stupid mentality? Probably the biggest reason is us humans like to feel better than others.
English isn’t my 1st language either, but I excelled at it from an early age. It was an area of relative strength and looking down on others stroked my ego. It made me feel secure.
Of course, the ability to clearly and confidently communicate in English is still a valuable skill in the business world. Here in South Africa, and in many countries around the world, English is the main language of the workplace.
So if you’re young, intelligent and want a great career, my advice is to invest in your English skills. Not because it will make you smarter, but because you‘re smart enough to understand human nature.