BE THE SMART GIRL
Learn How to Be the Smart Girl and Stand Above the Rest
 | | A long time ago in a universe all too close by, girls would pretend to be dumb to attract guys, feigning ignorance over issues from politics to foreign countries so that the males could “teach” them and feel vastly superior intellectually. This supposedly would lead to a first date, then wedding bells, and finally the perfect ending of happily-ever-after. | |
Thankfully the times have changed and now a good head on her shoulders is the most prized possession any girl could have. Playing dumb went out with racism and homophobia, and now women around the country can express a love of philosophy or fine arts without driving every man around for miles further away.
Be the smart girl. While it is true that some men are still threatened by a woman who knows the difference between Alaska and Africa and are only looking for a female who will never challenge them in a game of Trivial Pursuit, you don’t really want a guy like this, now do you? Any man who bristles at your knowledge and walks away isn’t worth your time anyway, no matter how cute or charming he was. He just sorted himself out for you and saved you the time of doing it yourself instead. Relationships are no longer about one person taking care of the other; today we are looking for partners to share our lives with on equal footing- not barefoot and pregnant.
Being a smart, savvy woman is much less about an IQ number and much more about a thirst for knowledge and a hunger to learn about this life and these crazy friends we call humans. In many parts of the globe, females are still vastly undereducated and would give up their right arms to be able to go to school. Please do not do them the injustice of giggling stupidly when someone brings up geography or the next election. You owe it to the history of womankind to take advantage of every learning opportunity at your fingertips, for the generations and generations of women who never even had a chance.
HOW TO BE THE SMART GIRL
Knowledge is power, and the truth will set you free. We all know this, although there are a few ways you can rev up your brain and be able to better welcome new information into your life.
Read, anything and everything. While classic literature will no doubt increase your understanding of the English language, even reading fashion magazines or tabloid fodder will get your neurons firing. Find something that is interesting to you, and read about it. Carry a book with you to read while you are waiting in line, eating lunch, or on the bus- you will be surprised at how many pages you turn.
Be open to new ideas. Don’t be the girl who always orders the same restaurant meal because she is scared she might have an uncomfortable experience. How will you ever learn what tabouleh tastes like if you always have a hamburger? Be prepared to stretch outside the boundaries of your comfort zone.
Ask questions. There are no stupid questions, and asking them does not make you look stupid- it makes you look like someone who wants to learn more about her world and is willing to speak up to find out.
Go to the library and check out any books that pique your interest. Bookstores work great for this too, but new novels are pricy and the total can add up quickly.
Do puzzles. Crossword puzzles or Sudoku are easy challenges that keep the brain warm and buzzing with energy.
Travel. Exploring your world is one of the best and most complete ways to learn. Expand your horizons, and you will develop your mind.
Talk to senior citizens. Ask them about life when they were young, and listen.
Watch only educational television programs. Most TV rots your brain, and another half-hour sitcom rerun is adding nothing to your life except perhaps for an inch or two on your derrière. Just say no to mind-numbing, pointless TV programs. Find your entertainment in books, music, art and human interaction.
Explore your interests! Whether you want to know more about making feather hair clips, ancient Egyptian architecture or the fashion choices of Michelle Obama, research your interests. Once you find your passion, learning more about it becomes second nature and fun. You will want to know more and more until one-day…voilà! You are the smart girl!
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Shilo Urban is a freelance writer who has just relocated to Los Angeles after her previous homes of Seattle, New Zealand, Paris, Maine, and Austin. She is an active member of the West Coast electronic music community and lives to promote the art that she loves and the people who create it.
