"The Giftie Gie Us"

Robert Burns wrote that "It wad frae many a blunder free us" if we were "to see oursels as others see us".

I'm sure that he was right, - however 'others' have so many different views of the same subject. Years ago, when a salesman entered the office I thought 'there's a jolly chap, bit overweight maybe'; but, on his leaving, another person said aloud "Who does he thing he is? Coming in here as if he owned the place!" Same man, same situation, two opposing views.

Could it be that the view is from where the observers are positioned in life? A mountain seen from right and left looks different. Should the viewer become horizontal the mountain appears to grow in height but viewed from above that same mountain can change from a Munro to a hillock!

Recently, someone was pointed-out to me as being 'the most intelligent person'. 'No they're not!' I wanted to reply, - blinding people with Science and technical jargon is surely not a sign of intelligence. Someone who has learnt a foreign language doesn't usually go around speaking it to those with no understanding of it, - that's intelligence!

Neither is it very bright that this proclaimed intellectual was unable to hold a straightforward conversation, - it was either jokey, facetious or in the realms of fantasy, - so what was all that smokescreen hiding? Maybe the fear that one day they would be 'found out', - or simply an invisible defence to prevent close contact, another form of the visible solid high wall around their property.

Back to the one who proclaimed 'the most intelligent person' - 'compared to whom?' I wondered. If they were using themselves as a yardstick, the field was wide open! But then, that's only my view!