I am not clever

[windygates]

Does anyone else worry about their intelligence?

As I get older I become more aware of the fact I am not very bright.

School was difficult but more that I missed a few years so my grades were very poor, I did go to university and left with a degree but actually I know so little about life things.

I have tried to read more to be able to understand but I have huge gaps where I have no knowledge at all.

My grammar and writing skills are shocking and when my children ask me things I generally have to google the answer.

How can I change this?

Socrates I mean. Would have helped to get his name right! oh the irony!

OP your posts on here are well written and clear - clearer than plenty I've seen.
Give yourself a break!
How do you enjoy learning ? Maybe develop an area of deep knowledge that gives you confidence ? Research all about Egypt or something that intrigues you.

Like PP I think you are doing yourself a disservice!

The fact that you know you don’t know everything shows that you have a high level of intelligence - some people truly believe they know everything!

Secondly, you google & learn and help your kids to learn so not only are you intelligent you can solve problems.

The way we perceive ourselves to be can be very different from reality and how other people perceive us.

I regularly admonish myself for not being very bright but know based on evidence and logic that I am above average.

Do not put yourself down👍

I agree with the resounding consensus that it takes intelligence to realise you don't know something and look it up, and most clever people do it.

The older I get the more I think that the really stupid people are those who refuse utterly to admit they don't know something. Not even necessarily in a stubborn 'dammit, I cling to this pet theory about aliens way'. But just people who've never questioned anything.

I have a family member who can't wrap her head around the idea she might ever have a wrong idea. So she comes out with the most bizarre stuff - like, chemicals are bad for you so folic acid in pregnancy is bad for you, or the banks are out to get you so you must always type in your pin backwards if you suspect fraud, or the Muslims are all secret paedophiles because she read it somewhere.

She doesn't actually intend to be an awful person, but she just has no capacity to challenge what she hears and figure out whether or not she can trust the source.

I wish she'd learn to google things!

Well, for a start off, you write really well! So stop worrying about that.

I know what you mean though, I've had to get DH to do my work for me today 🙄 I cannot do Excel for the life of me.

I'm also having trouble 'connecting' with information - it's tough sometimes. I feel like I can't think quick enough. Harder as I'm getting older.

The University of Bristol have some good grammar quizzes and explanations - I’ve used them for my gcse tutees in the past. Methods of teaching English and maths will have changed since you were at school. I had to teach myself a lot of English grammar as an adult - and I already had an English degree.
There so many online course you could take - have a browse and pick something fun. If you want to remember what you have learned you would need to make notes and maybe learn some memory techniques.