I found “Hidden Intellectualism” to be an interesting read. I could relate to a great deal of what the author said, such as the difficulty in forming an identity at school, based on whether it is more credible to be academic or ‘tough’. Usually people fall into one or the other category, and therefore it is difficult to be popular with both factions. This division is present across the world, and the topic deserves attention.
1. Graff’s discussion about his conversations about sports provided an interesting example for his point. However, it must be remembered that Graff is, now, well-respected in his academic field. Consequently, his views, and perhaps memories, are likely to be tainted by his adult perspective. If he had grown up to discover that his academic background was not helpful in life and that he would have to reinvent himself, he may not look back on his past conversations about toughness and sports with such nostalgia.
2. There is weight to the theory of sports being intellectual. Similarly, the construction industry contains intellectual elements, which is interesting as construction workers are sometimes, rightly or wrongly, considered to be unintellectual. Constructing a building requires mathematics, logical thinking, and a number of different skills, aside from the physical strength required to actually place bricks on top of one another. On the other hand, the ‘intellectual’ world is different from team sports and other some examples, in many ways. Perhaps most noticeable is the critical thinking which is required in the former. Although team sports requires analysis, a person does not need to critically assess it in order to master it.
Works Cited
Graff, G. “Hidden Intellectualism.”
