If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room: Difference between revisions

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If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room (view source)

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{{a|shitmaxim|[[File:wrongroom.png|450px|center|thumb|It’s not you. It’s me.]]}}We are indebted to Confucius, Jack Welch, or Marissa Mayer, to one of whom — the smartest? — the internet attributes this golden nugget of wisdom:  
{{a|shitmaxim|{{image|wrongroom|png|It’s not you. It’s me.}}}}We are indebted to Confucius, Jack Welch, or Marissa Mayer, to one of whom — the ''smartest'', presumably? — the internet attributes this golden nugget of wisdom:  


{{shitmaxim|If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room}}.
{{Quote|{{shitmaxim|If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room}}.}}


At first blush, it seems rather appealing: we should constantly strive: never satisfied with our own size, being relative, as it is, to the pond in which we swim.  
At first blush, it seems rather appealing: we should constantly strive: never satisfied with our own size, being relative, as it is, to the pond in which we swim.  


Only when you reflect on the downward spiral this aphorism incites does its counsel of oblivion become plain. For if “[[Mayer’s Law]]” reveals true facts about the world — as it may, for that would explain a few things — they are chastening ones for a few constituencies:
But only when we reflect upon the downward spiral this aphorism incites does its become plain: ''it is a counsel of oblivion''.  


'''Clever people''': It is bad news for brain-boxes, who must now continually absent themselves from rooms they probably quite enjoy being in. But braininess, here as elsewhere, is relative: you needn’t be ''that'' much of a brainbox to have to [[get your coat]]. For it follows that ''at least one person in every occupied room in the world is in the wrong place''. Now, since a good portion of the world’s rooms only have one occupant, this is a manifesto for perpetual disruption.
For if “[[Mayer’s Law]]” reveals truths about the world — as it may, for that would explain a few things — they are chastening ones for all of us, whatever group we best identify with:


'''Stupid people''': It is little better for we of the great, face-slapping mediocrity. Even if we do manage to make our own way to the right room, by some kind of fluke, we will be faced with an insidious brain drain as soon as we get there. “Wait. Where are you going? Who will tell me what to do?”
'''Clever people''': Bad news for brain-boxes. They must now continually absent themselves from rooms they probably quite enjoy being in. But braininess, here as elsewhere, is relative: you needn’t be ''that'' much of a brainbox to have to [[leave|get your coat]]: just brainier than anyone else. It follows that ''at least one person in every occupied room in the world is in the wrong place''. Now, since a good portion of the world’s rooms only have one occupant, this is a manifesto for perpetual disruption.  


'''Teachers''': Ms. Mayer’s news will also be disappointing for teachers, implying as it does that ''none'' of them are where they should be: they disqualify themselves from their environs either by being ''too'' smart — per [[Mayer’s Law]] — or ''not being smart enough'', it being a founding proposition of modern educational philosophy that one has no real business educating one’s intellectual superiors.
'''Stupid people''': It is little better for we of the great, face-slapping mediocrity. Even if we do manage, by fluke, to get ourselves to the right room — and what are the odds of that? — we will be faced with an insidious brain drain the moment we get there. “Wait. Where are you going? Who will tell me what to do?”


'''Lavatories & similar''': It also means lavatory cubicles, phone booths, priest-holes and small apartments are just wrong, on principle.<ref>There may be an exception for those high tech self-flushing ones you find in Japan, for uncommonly dull people.</ref>
'''Teachers''': This will also be disappointing news for teachers, implying as it does that ''none'' of them are where they should be: they disqualify themselves either by being ''too'' smart — per [[Mayer’s Law]] — or ''not smart enough'', it being a founding proposition of modern educational philosophy that one has no real business educating one’s intellectual superiors.


From there, readers, it gets only worse. Ms. Mayer seems to urge those in wrong rooms to get out of them. But, since each of the world’s occupied has, by definition, a smartest occupant, ''no'' room on the planet has a stable equilibrium. Occupancy will dwindle, tending quickly to zero. It is as if the world should be engaged in a perpetual, collective, fire-drill, calmly evacuating and reassembling in a blustery square somewhere near the office.
'''Lavatories & similar''': It also means lavatory cubicles, phone booths, priest-holes and small apartments are just wrong, on principle. (There may be an exception for uncommonly dull people in hotels with those high-tech self-flushing loos you find in Japan, but even here someone really ought to be calling a plumber to get the can out of the room).


Indeed, on this topic I have just had an argument with my daughter about who should leave the kitchen. We agreed [[Antagonista Contrariana|Antagonista]] should go. But, dilemma! The minute she left ''I'' became the smartest person in the kitchen,<ref>Lucille, our retriever, is not allowed in the kitchen.</ref> so I had to leave, too.  
And from there, readers, it gets only worse. This maxim urges those in wrong rooms to get out of them. But ''no'' room on the planet has a stable equilibrium: occupancy must dwindle quickly to zero. It is as if the world should be engaged in a perpetual, collective, fire-drill, calmly evacuating and reassembling itself in a blustery square somewhere near the office.


Now I could hardly go into another unoccupied room — what would that achieve? — so, I joined [[Antagonista Contrariana|Antagonista]] in the laundry.
Indeed, on this topic I have just had an argument with my daughter about who should leave the kitchen. We agreed [[Antagonista Contrariana|Antagonista]] should go. But, the minute she left ''I'' became the smartest person in the kitchen, so I had to leave, too.  


“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DAD?" she yelled at me. “Now ''I'' have to leave the laundry.”
Now I could hardly go into another unoccupied room — what would that achieve? — so, I joined [[Antagonista Contrariana|Antagonista]] in the laundry where I would be safely not the smartest person in the room.
 
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DAD?" she yelled at me. “Now I have to leave again.”


Being the stupider one, I don’t see how I was meant to know this? Plus, I don’t think she should have gone in there by herself in the first place, but her presence at least gave ''me'' some cover. But as soon as she left I had to leave as well.
Being the stupider one, I don’t see how I was meant to know this? Plus, I don’t think she should have gone in there by herself in the first place, but her presence at least gave ''me'' some cover. But as soon as she left I had to leave as well.
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Just when this was getting really annoying for both of us, traipsing in and out of all the rooms in the house, we worked out what to do. (It was my daughter’s idea: she’s the smart one.)  
Just when this was getting really annoying for both of us, traipsing in and out of all the rooms in the house, we worked out what to do. (It was my daughter’s idea: she’s the smart one.)  


So, finally, we can sit down. As luck would have it, it is quite a mild evening for December, though it looks like it might rain.
So, finally, we can sit down. As luck would have it, it is quite a mild evening for November, though it looks like it might rain.


{{Sa}}
{{Sa}}
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*[[Condorcet paradox]]
*[[Condorcet paradox]]
{{Ref}}
{{Ref}}
<references />{{C|Paradox}}
{{C|Paradox}}
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