Self-Discovery Question: Know Thyself 10.14.09

“Resolve to find thyself; and to know that he who finds himself, loses his misery”

--Matthew Arnold

So sometimes I just put random phrases into Google, hoping that whatever I find will inspire me to blog. So a few weeks back I was pondering what is Akili Means Wisdom? really about? I blog about anything and everything. Whatever comes to my mind. This is not really thematically organized. For me Akili Means Wisdom? is about self-discovery. I'm essentially talking out loud via this blog about anything and everything--my personal life, pop culture, fashion, relationships, etc. When I wrote my admissions essay for law school I wrote about all the positive attributes journaling has brought to my life--sharing my feelings via this blog [and getting feedback] has added another dimension to my love of journaling. But I digress.

Once I concluded that I was blogging for self-discovery, I [like the dork that I am] put 'self-discovery' into Google. I came up with a bunch of websites that have 'Self-Discovery Questions' that people should ask themselves. I decided to start a series of posts entitled Self-Discovery Question: Know Thyself in hopes of just talking aloud, figuring some sh!t out...So here goes nothing--question numero uno--

What excites + energizes you? 

Intelligence excites and energizes me. Period. I remember once when Pseudo Boyfriend and I first started dating, he asked me what attracted me to him and frankly, it was his mind [he was a cutie, too--but honestly I'm not a "looks" kinda chick]. We would just talk and talk about everything. He never just accepted what I said as bible--he challenged me on what I thought I knew, what HE knew, what he didn't know. Some nights we'd just sit up, talking about EVERYTHING. To me there's nothing sexier than some intelligent conversation. Seriously. [Sidenote: I can't believe how re-hung up on PB I am. He called me last night and I eeeeeek'd like a 12 y.o., Definitely gotta work on that (sigh)]

I hate when people placate and just accept what you say as truth--who am I? One thing I love about law school is that it encourages you to think critically--and its a thought process I've applied to every aspect of my life. I love to learn. I love to be around intelligent people--people who know MORE than me, people who are willing to challenge me, people who are opinionated and knowledgeable on a series of topics.  Intelligence turns me on in a sexual sense but more importantly just spiritually. It makes me happy.

I think that's why I like to read blogs--its like stepping into the mind of someone else. Learning what its like to be in their world. Its invigorating. I feel the same way about books. Regardless of whether its reading fiction or nonfiction, reading offers me an opportunity to step into the mind of someone else--see what they're all about and then form my own opinion on the issues presented within the book.

I always say, "I'm prejudice against stupid people" which is largely true. Frank says I'm judgmental and he's right, I do judge dumb-ass people. But that's because I believe every person is born with SOME intellectual skills. Granted, some of us are Einstein's; others are not. But we all have a God-given ability to think. Like the old proverb says, "To not know is bad; to not WANT to know is worse." And THAT mentality is what sparks my prejudice. I remember in undergrad when I used to tell people that my major was History they'd always turn their nose up and say, "I hate history." How can you hate history? Its who/what we are. Its where we come from and it explains WHY we are here, now. Granted, you may have had a shitty history teacher [a lot of people did, especially in high school], but people don't even like to understand the past on their OWN. Hell, a lot of people I know don't like to read period--history or anything else for that matter. That is a damn shame, in my humble opinion.

So to wrap this up: intelligence [or maybe seeking knowledge] energizes and excites me and is a quality I seek in others in my life. You can say anything about me or my friends, but none of us are dumb asses. I need to find a tee-shirt that says, "Read a M*therF*ckin' BOOK!" Seriously.