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THE
"BRILLIANT"
EPIDEMICbyKewhoMin

3 THINGS TO ASK
YOURSELF BEFORE YOU
CALL SOMETHING OR
SOMEONE “BRILLIANT"
IsEveryone(andEverything)
ReallyBrilliant?

IN EUROPE, “BRILLIANT!” IS THE
COLLOQUIAL RESPONSE OF
AGREEMENT, THE EXCLAMATION OF
SHARED ACCORD. IT’S WHAT YOU
SAY WHEN YOU HEAR GOOD NEWS
OR CELEBRATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
—OR ANY OTHER DISCLOSURES THAT
ARE AT LEAST MODERATELY
AGREEABLE.
ReallyBrilliant?

BUT HERE’S WHAT “BRILLIANT” IS
NOT: A CATCHALL TERM TO
DESCRIBE EVERYTHING AND
EVERYONE WHO IS SMART AND/OR
TALENTED AND/OR INNOVATIVE.
ReallyBrilliant?

AS AN ADJECTIVE, “BRILLIANT” HAS
BECOME ONE OF THE MOST
OVERUSED WORDS WHOSE
FREQUENCY ALONE HAS BEGUN TO
UNDERMINE ITS SEMANTIC VALUE.
ReallyBrilliant?

MY RECOMMENDATION?
SELF-INTERVENTION.
ReallyBrilliant?

YOU CAN PREEMPT
YOUR NEXT CALLING-
THINGS-BRILLIANT-
THAT-PROBABLY-
AREN’T OFFENSE.
ReallyBrilliant?

JUST ASK YOURSELF
THREE QUESTIONS.
ReallyBrilliant?

QUESTION #1
ASK YOURSELF,“AM
I TALKING ABOUT
PRINCE?”
ReallyBrilliant?

IF THE WEEKS FOLLOWING PRINCE’S DEATH HAVE TAUGHT ME NOTHING
ELSE, IT’S THAT PRINCE IS, AMONG COUNTLESS OTHER THINGS, AN
AGREED UPON BENCHMARK FOR BRILLIANCE. SO, IF YOU’RE SECONDS
AWAY FROM CALLING SOMEONE OR SOMETHING BRILLIANT AND YOU’RE
NOT TALKING ABOUT PRINCE OR ONE OF HIS SONGS, THEN THINK AGAIN.
IS THAT SO-CALLED BRILLIANT PERSON OR THING THAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO
EXTOL IS NOT AS BRILLIANT AS PRINCE? PROBABLY NOT.
ReallyBrilliant?
WHY PRINCE, YOU ASK?

ReallyBrilliant?
QUESTION #2:
ASK YOURSELF,“AM
I JUST BEING LAZY?”

TOO OFTEN, PEOPLE SAY BRILLIANT, WHEN THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY MEAN
EXCELLENT OR SPECIAL OR TERRIFIC OR INSIGHTFUL OR INNOVATIVE OR
TOP-NOTCH OR SPOT-ON. MOST HUMAN BEINGS ARE SLUGGARDS WHEN IT
COMES TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORDS TO SAY WHAT WE MEAN. DIG A
LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE NOMENCLATURE OF POSITIVE APPRAISAL.
ReallyBrilliant?
WHY LAZY, YOU ASK?

ReallyBrilliant?
QUESTION #3:
ASK YOURSELF,“HAVE I ALREADY
CALLED SOMEONE OR SOMETHING
ELSE ‘BRILLIANT’ TODAY OR THIS
WEEK?”

ReallyBrilliant?
FREQUENCY COUNTS.
YOU’RE PROBABLY BEING TOO LIBERAL WITH THE WORD IF
YOU’RE SAYING IT 20 TIMES A DAY AND YOU’RE NOT ATTENDING
A TED CONFERENCE OR A MENSA MEETING. MONITOR FREQUENCY
WITH THE GOAL OF BEING MORE SELECTIVE AND SINCERE ABOUT
WHEN YOU USE IT.

ReallyBrilliant?
SO PLEASE,
PEOPLE, TAKE A
BREAK FROM
SAYING
‘BRILLIANT.’”

THEEND
Thishasbeenapresentationby
KewhoMin

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