#005: How do we perceive intelligence?

Kim Namjoon, cassava cake, poetry clerb sessions, and more tiny yet precious life moments

Apr 11, 2021

Hey, friend! Thank you for being here. This is a Sunday newsletter! It may be or may not be every Sunday, but this OK to BE email will arrive in your inbox anytime on a Sunday. At the moment, you will receive musings about relatable everyday adventures, more silly than serious stories, and some tiny yet precious moments of life (well, mine, mostly) in between. If anything here touches you in any way, I encourage you to write back or leave a comment—and I shall reply! Also, this is a public dispatch, so feel free to share with a friend or two. Enjoy! :)

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“How do you know or decide if someone is intelligent?” was a question I posted on social media last week, after watching this Jubilee episode on YouTube about perceived intelligence. In the video, six people ranked one another based mainly on educational background and work experience, which felt all too familiar because the same criteria is usually what a lot of us in this country use when it comes to deciphering one’s intelligence.

For example, people tend to respond differently when they find out where one graduated from, what their highest educational attainment is, or what job titles they have had or currently have. (I'm not even going to begin discussing how some people automatically assume someone who speaks in English with an American accent [whichever one] as intelligent.)

There’s also appearances, i.e. how you look, what you wear, how you present yourself. I remember in high school, I was one of those few who started wearing prescription glasses, and if my IQ level gained a point every time somebody called me or any other bespectacled classmate “genius,” I would have not only graduated valedictorian, but also overtaken the faculty, restructured the whole government, and resolved world hunger (and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist) all on my own.

(Joke’s on them; I just had, and still have, myopia with astigmatism. Joke’s on them, part 2: I’ve seen some of their online profiles and they now also wear glasses! Geniuses.)

But many of us, thankfully, also know that intelligence is not just limited to these criteria. As in the words of one person in the video, what constitutes intelligence is on a spectrum. Here are some of the answers I received (some of you are subbed to this newsletter; thank you!):

“Kim Namjoon, that’s the answer.”

“They stay quiet in the middle of a chaos and will only talk when asked.”
“It’s usually seeing them at their craft. When they’re really shining!”
“Wit!”
“As long as he/she knows what he/she’s doing since there [sic] many types of intelligence”
“Creative, logical, sees multiple perspectives, high EQ!”
“High EQ! At alam ko weird pero feeling ko pag super mabagal magsalita di matalino looool”
“When they talk about a certain topic passionately”

“Someone who can critically question things as they are, with the intent to clarify and provide other viewpoints”

I agree with all of these, and as I was a once proclaimed high school genius and as this is my newsletter, please allow me to share my definition of intelligence: it is the ability to learn, understand, and adapt to anything or anyone at any time or any place. And I, thank you! *confetti waterfall* When I observe that a person exhibits all that, I'm inclined to perceive them as intelligent.

How about you? How do you gauge your own intelligence and other people's? Also, did you know that when you reply to things like this, your intelligence level gains an extra point??

Faith

It was recently Holy Week here in the Philippines, and what did I do? Wake up in the morning and straight up utter “Lord, ano na?” To think I’m already privileged enough (in good health, has sources of income, can entertain needs and wants), and yet there’s a weariness in me that no prayer, balanced diet, active lifestyle, complete hours of sleep, kilig-riddled stories, or even x number of BTS content can fully shake off. It’s this pandemic, of course; this is what needs to go away. And that’s why most of the time, I’m like, why would God make us suffer like this? Every now and then that question comes up even in Sunday school sessions, and the discussions become extra hard. I don’t doubt God is real; it’s just His plans are too complicated to comprehend. How do you cope?

*NEW* Friends

(I have some?! Groundbreaking.)

Have you heard about that superstition about how spraying something fragrant on your pillowcase will give you sweet dreams? Now you have. My friend, Janelle, recently launched Grounding Collective, and one of their products is this room and linen spray line, which I purchased right away. The scents are Fresh Lavender, Fresh Bamboo, and White Tea, which I’ve been spritzing alternately not just on my bed, but also around the house, our guesthouse, and my brother’s library x bookstore. If you want to give it a go and help support local and small businesses, buy here.

The perfect formula to stay grounded

Food

Some days ago, I missed a VLive session of V, Suga, and JHope (of BTS, of course, hehe) because I went out for some fish balls (and well, to fetch my mother). It was worth it, though! Street food is something I crave from time to time—there’s just something about the air, the dust, the dirt, haha!

Also found out about this newly opened cassava cake shop that’s on the other side of the city. But for the love of kakanin, we had to go. Theirs was heavenly! Idk when you’ll be able to do so, but if you ever find yourself here, then make sure to ask me where this place is.

What’s your favorite street food? What’s something I should check out and eat in your hometown?

Fiction

As promised, here’s a continuation of Joon x Ami. These fics are from my weekly writing exchange with Isa, where I write different stories every week, but they all seem to be from the same timeline and same universe. Idk yet where this, or everything else, is going, but even at this raw point, I’d appreciate any feedback!

Also sharing here the most recent poem I wrote for my poetry clerb session last Saturday with Isa (again), Marielle, and Marla. The prompt was ‘mention body parts’ and I chose hands. I’m not much of a poet (my elementary knowledge shows in this very rhyme-y piece), but I would love to learn to write poems even just a little better. What do you think of this one?

life on hand
light hits
hands clench
some warmth
palms stretch
first touch
arm flex
grip much
wrist checks
hard times
good chimes
fingers tap
veins pop
knuckles fail
bones, frail
last hold
stay bold

Speaking of becoming better, I completed my children’s lit workshop where I actually finished a story. Granted, it’s below 300 words. But then again, the tighter the word count, the more challenging it is… well, anyway! I don’t think we can share any of our stories yet but once we can, you better be ready to cheer me on.

What was your favorite book as a child? Any poems you love that you want to share?

⭐ Featured

...Word of the Week — Binisaya: kalipay, which means happiness or joy. In a sentence: “‘Di mabangbang iyang kalipay pagdungog niya sa balita tungod sa Pfizer vaccine.” (“[Pronoun here] couldn’t suppress [possessive pronoun] happiness when [pronoun] heard the news about the Pfizer vaccine.”)

...Words of the Week — Ilocano: busor, which means irritated or annoyed. In a sentence: “Ideppem diay TV; makapabusor ti news!” (“Turn off the TV; the news annoys me!”),

...Sign of the Week — Filipino Sign Language: I can sign but it’s best to learn from someone within the community or from an expert. Because it was just the Day of Valor here in the Philippines, click here to learn about the sign names of some of our national heroes. (starts at 2:00; not sponsored, not connected).

...Books of the (Week) First Quarter: I haven’t been the best at updating my reading tracker on twt/IG, and I will fix that soon, but, if you want early access to my book journal* and other creative things I get up to, you’re welcome to subscribe to my Patreon! You can also follow my reviews on Bookbed.

*which I call #KBookJo, because why not

Here are all the titles I read from January to March this year:

Filipino Prehistory by F. Landa Jocano
Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim
I Wrote This To Remind You That... by Arli Pagaduan
I Must Belong Somewhere by Dawn Lanuza
Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women
I Met You for a Reason by Layla S. Tanjutco, illustrated by Carla de Guzman
Girlhood: Teens Around the World in Their Own Voices by Masuma Ahuja
The Sprite and the Gardener by Joe Whitt and Rii Abrego
I Can Say No by Jenny Simmons
The Girl from Jakarta by Hester Keegan
The Philippines Is Not A Small Country by Gideon Lasco
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
What Is Your Cat Really Thinking? by Sophie Johnson
The Tropetastic Kindness Bundle by #romanceclass

That’s it for now! Thank you for being here. I hope you picked up something fun or useful! See you in the next one. ☀️

If you enjoyed this newsletter or have any questions, I hope you let me know. I appreciate your effort in growing our connection!

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