When I was in tenth grade, there was a friendly competition among a few of my classmates to see who could complete the mathematics homework the fastest. Our reward? A “Good” remark from our mathematics teacher. I was one of the top contenders, frequently earning that coveted “Good.” Despite my enthusiasm for math and my consistent efforts, I only managed to score 75 out of 100 in the board exams.
My Struggle with Logic
Unfazed by this setback, I chose to pursue Science in my pre-university education, a decision that only worsened my situation. My decision-making skills clearly needed work. Eventually, I shifted to Arts for my undergraduate studies, followed by a postgraduate degree in English literature.
Meanwhile, I developed an interest in soft skills training and completed a five-day “Train the Trainer” certification from a consultancy. Driven by the desire to get more professional opportunities, I repeated the same course with another consultancy, this time adding training in Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. After three months of hard work, I came to the inevitable conclusion that math wasn’t for me, once again.
Heredity Doesn’t Matter
On one side, my heredity felt like a betrayal—my father had scored 95 in math in his pre-university and was an engineering graduate. On the other hand, my personal interest alone didn’t seem to be enough to yield results.
Even today, I enjoy solving puzzles and teaching mathematics, and I’m confident I could teach simple concepts up to the plus-two level. But I can’t claim to be an expert.
Pursuit of Creativity
Another aspect of my journey is that I didn’t see the inside of a library until I joined college. Before that, my reading was limited to pulp fiction, and newspapers were not part of my routine. When I chose to major in English literature and journalism, my reading habits expanded to include more substantial literature and daily newspapers.
I never imagined I could write regularly, and I found the task quite challenging. Though writing remains a creative endeavor, my confidence has grown significantly, even though I know I’m not perfect.
Intelligence: Inborn or Nurtured?
Now, the question arises: Is intelligence and personality inborn, or is it nurtured? Two schools of thought support both sides of the argument. From my observations and experiences, I believe it’s a mixture of both.
A person with high inborn intelligence but lacking passion or proper guidance may still lead a decent life but will always underachieve relative to their potential. On the other hand, someone born with average or lower intelligence but with the right guidance in a field they are passionate about can excel.
The Importance of Career Alignment
As a career counselor, I strongly believe in aligning one’s career with their natural intelligence. If your passion matches your intelligence, you can achieve wonders with just a bit of support. Conversely, if your intelligence is low and your interest is uncertain, it takes a great deal of energy to succeed. Therefore, it’s wise to focus on your natural strengths and choose a path aligned with your innate intelligence.
2 comments
Nice sir…
Really informative article. Kindly keep writing.