I have friends all over the intellectual aptitude radar. I love all of them. But I can’t lie. I have a fondness for my smart friends and here’s why:Ever ask a smart person for advice? If not, try it sometime. The wise don’t just spout off the first thing that comes to mind. They think. They might pray. Their words have weight because they’ve learned from experience what prudent choices look like. Smart people give excellent advice. (Please, for the love of Einstein don’t bombard your smart friends with questions now. Be discerning.)
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Smart friends make me feel smarter. Oh yeah. I wrote it. Being around those with high IQs fools me into thinking I might actually be as smart as they are.
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I love a challenge. My intellectually gifted friends challenge me. They motivate me not to stay status quo, but to keep learning and growing. To keep reading.
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I happen to think the way we empty our pocket books reveals a lot about our character. My smart friends tend to make wise spending decisions. They model good behavior and for the love of Donald Trump they don’t go around flaunting their money (if they haven’t given most of it away to charity). Pure class.
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If want to get your Solomon on you’ll notice your tendency to complain will diminish. Smart people tend not to complain much. They know it’s useless. It’s fun to be friends with people who don’t make a habit of complaining. They are brilliant, really.
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Smart people don’t only talk about themselves. Often they are others focused and they have a wonderful curiosity about the world around them.
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Women get jealous. I get that. I’ve been that. But one thing my smart friends teach me time and time again is how to reshape jealousy into gratitude. Instead of harboring envious feelings about another person’s intellect, why not learn from them. Be grateful they are engaged in the friendship. Be grateful for what you do have. For what they have. Uplift your smart friends. Women, we need to stop being so threatened and start learning to become more encouraging toward one another.~~~
Saved the best for last. My smart friends know how to fire up some magnificent conversations. They give great book suggestions and actually enjoy hearty book discussions. Finally, I acquire a diverse vocabulary from my smarties. They’re like walking dictionaries.
What do you appreciate about your smart friends?
*photos by flickr
I have some really smart friends who recommend THE BEST books that get me out of my "light and fluffy" rut. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I just love hearing their opinion or take on things when I ask.
They inspire me to try harder and look deeper. Fun post! :O)
ReplyDeleteI love the questions they ask me. I also love it when someone with a simpler approach confounds me with her wisdom.
ReplyDeleteOh, Wendy, what a beautiful tribute to those who sound wise...in the Holy Spirit.
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of verses to back up seeking of godly counsel. Thanks for the emphasis on wisdom...which trumps smart any day!
www.pattilacy.com/blog
I love learning new things, but mostly I love changing the way I think to embrace Jesus' mind. That's what my smart friends do for me--they lift me up higher.
ReplyDeleteWhat a smart post! Thanks for making me think. You always do.
Love
Jen
my smart friends try to get me to stop drinking coffee - that's why I think they're ... dumb? :)
ReplyDeleteLOL - more seriously - smart people push me past my limits. They make me contemplate new ideas or attempt to understand concepts I might normally pass by.
What a fun post. I love hanging with smart people, hoping people will think I'm guilty by association. :)
ReplyDeleteI like your analysis of smart friends here -- you are spot on. When I think of my smart friends, they all possess the attributes you list.
ReplyDeleteMy smart friends recommend good reads.
They also tell me how it really is, without sugar coating or telling me just what I want to hear. I appreciate their candor.
Great post! You are absolutely right. Smart friends base their decisions on what is right or wrong through a consicous evaluation with what Christ would direct them to do rather than what is popular.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Melanie
~ melscoffeebreak.blogspot.com ~
I don't have any friends. But if I did, I'd rather them to be beautiful than smart. Unless the friends were male. Then I'd want them smart.
ReplyDeleteYour comments about jealousy are so true. I suspect it comes from our own insecurities. Great thoughts as always!
ReplyDeleteI love my cerebral gal pals and you're one of them! I tend to gravitate towards intellectually written books as well. Not so much the ones that read like encyclopedias yet the better, smarter written novels.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I appreciate about my smart friends? Is that they are my friends. :)
ReplyDeleteMy smart friends keep me humble ;)
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think about a conversation I had with my husband lately about how much we love having "smart friends" to dinner for meaningful, non-gossipy, intelligent conversations that inspire us to think and be better people.
ReplyDeleteThat they care about me even when I really don't deserve it:)
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is very street smart, and she can do math in her head which ups her grade in my book. I've never cared for doing math in my head, so I never practice. Although I probably should because I'm sure one day I'm going to be shopping at a sale or out to eat by myself and need to be able to do percentages in my head - or at least estimate. But, while mind calculations is well and good, my best friend is smart in a variety of other ways. She's taught me a lot about giving and forgiveness, not holding grudges, and trusting God - even though worrying is still one of my hardest feats.
ReplyDeleteI met her when I was in high school, and just from the past three years of knowing her I feel like I've grown a lot as a person - as an adult - even though I know I can do better at this point. She's still there to teach me, and I'm still here to learn.
This might be my favorite entry of yours. It is so true- some people are such a benefit, that to be in their presence changes me. I have some of those friends- in fact, tomorrow I am headed to the lake with a few of them and because of this I will appreciate them even more.
ReplyDeleteI love having wise friends...getting to discuss serious issues and not just the silly means a lot. It is challenging (in a good way).
ReplyDeletehi visiting and dropping on your blog..
ReplyDeleteso to be frank do u like my blog..if so follow and drop a comment ..if u dont like means just dont drop a comment ..
Love this post.
ReplyDeleteWise friends are such a precious gift. I love mine :)
This is great! I think you'd like my blog, and I'd love to get your feedback!
ReplyDeletewww.heartonpaper-bela.blogspot.com