Dr. Ben Michaelis What Does It Mean To Be Smart

In Dr. Ben Michaelis’ piece “What does it mean to be smart?”, he explains the elaborate depths of intelligence and what that means for specific people. For Michaelis, being smart is having adaptability skills but he does not impose the idea that everyone cannot develop adaptability at different times during their life. Ben presents his argument using two clear examples, the lives of two people named John and Angie. Not only does he hone in on the fact that being smart is being adaptable but also how applying those skills to all life’s challenges and unexpectancies is smart.

Ben’s two examples expressed one person to who used adaptability and another who hadn’t realized adaptability was needed yet, leading them to be unsuccessful. Some of the

Michaelis’ argument, there are many pieces of evidence that can assist his beliefs. The argument that being smart is defined by adaptability is something I withhold. I have faced many trials and tribulations which were detrimental to my life but here I am working my hardest, to this very day. I strongly relate to Ben's argument in “What Does It Mean To Be Smart?” because he states that being smart comes with adaptability. As life goes on you have to adapt to your circumstances whether that be experiencing something different than usual or even changes in plans or even stability. That can range from financial stability to mental stability, it all can be put back into a comfortable place with a sufficient use of adaptability skills. It all comes down to using these circumstances to better yourself. Take myself for example, something I had to adapt to was the workload that came along with being involved in many beneficial activities. I used my intelligence and time management skills to better organize myself in the long run, rather than letting myself slow down and fall behind on work that I complained about. In this case, I would attain Dr. Ben Michaelis’ criteria. I would be considered smart because I am adaptable and have faced things such as deaths of close family members, new schools, awry plans, and much more, all of which I persevered through. Notwithstanding the many pieces of evidence presented, people still don’t reach their potential of adaptability in order to be