My kids are all smart. I used to think that they inherited that smartness from me – but I’ve come to realize that my wife is smart, in a broader way than me. (Maybe I’m not as smart as I think I am…?)
The way I view things now, is that: — I’m smart in some directions very narrowly, and my wife is more broadly smart than me.
Some examples (me);
- I once won first place in a statewide math contest
- I have a ’problem solving / engineer’ head — and can view something, understand it, and determine the best path to fix or improve it (if needed)
- I took way too many classes in college, but still ended up with an OK GPA
- I worked in the tech industry for decades, was successful, but was a bit of a dork – so I never really bumped up the management ladder at any company
My wife:
- Is more generally sensible
- She might not be able to ‘out math’ me, but she has a broader perspective – and generally knows the best path forward
I’d like to think that our children got a combination of our capabilities. Maybe they have a ‘math capable / engineering’ head like me, but also have more common sense than me — and can have a more-successful career than I had.
We’ll see how this all turns out.