Have you ever thought you were dumb and then found out later you weren't so dumb?

@SW-User It seems judging yourself either as dumb or smart requires some kind of comparison on some level--if there were nobody else around, how would you determine how clever or otherwise you are?

@Andrew19EightyFive I wouldn't. It becomes meaningless without comparison.
And when we compare it should be something humbling.
A lot of people get arrogant or self bashing.

@SW-User Humility does seem so much better than arrogance. Excessive self abasement doesn't look so pretty either, I can imagine.

@cherokeepatti Intelligent birds. Looks like he figured you weren't meaning him harm and remembered.

My dad told me a story, something like this: he shot a stone or something with a catty in the direction of a bird (not sure what bird it was exactly), not expecting to hit it, but he did and injured it, rendering it unable to fly. So he decided to nurse it back.

He and the bird would go on these exercises where the bird would fly to him or down to him from somewhere, and I think he'd repeat. Eventually the bird was able to fly and it was with him one last time as though it were saying goodbye before flying off. If I'm not mistaken, there was another bird, a female perhaps that he flew over to.

@Andrew19EightyFive I know it's easier to get close to young birds when they get out on their own and are looking for food. There was a blue jay at my aunts that was eating the small round pieces of dog food on the deck. I took the pan and made sure every piece of dog food was off the floor of the deck and the blue jay came down looking for the food and it wasn't there. I'd toss a single piece to the bird and he'd take it and eat it, and I made sure each piece he was closer and closer to me. In a few days days I had that bluejay eating from my hand, never did let me hold it though. I had watermelon one time and he flew down to the picnic table and looked at me like he wanted some. Had to hold it up and squeeze the juice so he would drink it...

@cherokeepatti I can imagine I'd love to do that; like being close to them and hearing their sounds. They make me smile and/or laugh!

I especially like this bird's sounds:

http://www.hbw.com/ibc/video/common-fiscal-lanius-collaris/adult-male-fiscal-shrike-song

Doves and wag-tails also!

@Theexpert I don't agree that you're dumb, but do you seem like an endless optimist in your eyes? 🙂

@Andrew19EightyFive i dont think ao

@SageWanderer I endured abuse myself and thought I was kind of dumb. Then later I found out it was quite different.

@CereBellum Why "dumb"? Looks like you don't compare yourself with others that much in terms of intelligence.

@Andrew19EightyFive I "don't do dumb"! That's what makes it so ironic.

@ThaGemiini In other words, doesn't factor in your thoughts so much?