"I have a friend who often makes me wonder: How has she survived this far? Not because she's malicious, not because she's done anything terrible, but simply because she lacks the kind of intelligence that helps you live life. And it's made me realize something fundamental: being smart in school doesn't mean you're smart in life."
At school, she was an excellent student. High grades, meticulous literary analysis, mathematical exercises solved with frightening ease. The girls called her "an example to follow," her parents were proud, and everyone thought she would have a bright future. But once she faced the real world, everything changed.
She didn't know how to manage her time. In school, schedules were predetermined, assignments were given, and it was enough to follow a system established by others. In life? No one tells her when to send an email, when to make payments, or how to organize a trip without getting lost. The result? She misses deadlines, spends more money than necessary, and often ends up in situations that anyone else would have avoided with a little more logic.
Then there's the issue of human relationships. In school, being a good person and working hard is enough to get noticed. In life? Not so much. It's not all black and white. She doesn't know when someone is taking advantage of her, doesn't understand when a boss is manipulating her, and believes that people are always honest. This has gotten her into some uncomfortable situations, making her realize that academic smarts don't teach you how to read people.
The same goes for decision-making. In school, everything is clear: there is one right answer and one wrong answer. In life, most choices are gray. She is often reluctant to make decisions because she wants absolute certainty, but the real world doesn't work that way. Not every decision has an instruction manual, and sometimes you have to take risks, try, make mistakes, and learn.
The biggest irony? She understands that she is not prepared for life, but she does not know how to change this. Because school does not teach you how to deal with failure, how to protect yourself from the wrong people or how to build a life that is not based only on rules and theories. And to be honest, many people fall into the same trap.
So, the next time someone tells you that being smart in school is everything, remember my friend - the girl who knows every math formula by heart, but doesn't know how to find an apartment to rent without cheating. After all, life is not an exam with correct answers, but a labyrinth where you have to know how to move. And this, unfortunately, is not taught in textbooks.” - written about Anabel by a sincere friend.
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