Brains

ORACLE: You're cuter than I thought. I see why she likes you.

NEO: Who?

ORACLE: Not too bright, though.


People tend to describe a person using one overarching adjective. Rarely is it two.

‘I saw Denise last night.’

‘Oh, I like Denise. She is so smart!’


Denise might have placed second in a beauty pageant, but she’s only known for being ‘smart’. Hard to be both.

Men can be 'funny', 'tall', 'loud', 'cute'. Women, on the other hand, are usually identified with either smarts or appearance. I’d probably be described as ‘smart’. More book-smart than street smart. I’d function well in a glass bubble. Folks at work consult me on spelling but never geography.

Recently I walked home from work when it was still daylight out. I passed a man who was standing on the sidewalk. He called out, ‘You’re really pretty, but you’re too serious!’

I guess it could have been worse. He could have said, 'You look smart.'


Photo by Jorenobniano. For more great images, click here.