A New Life's resolution - Day #53 (Intellectual)

If you're just joining us, check out the explanation of my "New Life Resolution"

Day #53 - Intellectual

According to www.definitionofwellness.com, "The intellectual dimension of wellness encourages creative, stimulating mental activities. An intellectually well person uses the resources available to expand one's knowledge in improved skills along with expanding potential for sharing with others. An intellectually well person uses the intellectual and cultural activities in the classroom and beyond the classroom combined with the human resources and learning resources available within the university community and the larger community."

This week, we've been discussing how I find health when I'm feeling illness in a certain dimension of wellness.

I must admit that, for me, the area of Intellectual wellness may be my Achilles' Heel.  During my life I have most definitely gotten the most positive feedback and attention because of my intellect and I have to say I've bought into it.  Unfortunately I may have bought into it so much that I've become an intellectual snob.

I'm not proud to admit it, but there are times when I regard people with some disdain if I think they aren't intellectually involved in what's going on around them or curious about what makes the world work the way it does.  When I called my parents during the presidential debates in 2008 and they weren't watching them, I wanted to reach through the phone and throttle them.  When I went on a trip with some friends to Dallas and they wanted to go shopping rather than learn about the Kennedy assassination, to say I was extremely disappointed is putting it mildly.

Like I said, these may not be some of my finer characteristics, but they are all part of me none the less.

So, whether it's because I've deluded myself into thinking I'm smarter than I am or simply because my intellectual self-esteem is healthy, I am happy to say that I don't often feel intellectually ill.

The downside to that is when I do, my ego takes a massive hit and I can be down for the count.  Luckily it's nothing that a good dose of Jeopardy! can't cure.