The other day I heard someone saying how dumb the average person is and how half the population is even dumber than that.

This is arrogance infused with ignorance.

Emerson said it best: “Every man is my superior in some way and therefore worthy of my respect.”

(Aside: If Emerson were alive and writing today my hope is he would have actually said: “Every man and woman…”)

Don’t ever think you’re smarter than the average person because you’re not. At least not in many ways. If she’s a plumber, she knows a lot more than you about how to fix a broken toilet. Or maybe it’s an electrician who knows how to keep your house lit at night and the furnace running. Modern life wouldn’t move forward without either.

Remember this: You are far, far more ignorant about the world than you are knowledgeable.