16/06/2025
BÀI HỌC BỚT NGU but in ENGLISH (with juicy Ielts vocabs🗿)
THE LESSON OF BEING LESS DUMB
— Written by Teacher Kiệt to you —
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Hello, dear reader of this article,
First of all, let me refer to myself as “teacher” if I may.
Because I want this writing to feel like a classroom—a space where we’re allowed to start over, be a little clueless, and stay a little curious.
I just want to tell you:
You’re pretty dumb, you know that? 🥸
Ahem. Don’t get mad—because the angrier you get, the… less you’ll un-dumb yourself. 🗿
Haha, just kidding 🗿
Not a funny joke?
Exactly—it might be because I suck at joking, or… you’re too dumb to get it. 😏
Wait! Don’t sulk just yet. Keep reading a bit longer and let’s see—am I saying something wrong here? Who’s the actual clown? Me or you? 🗿
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Main question of the day:
~ Who’s really “dumb” here? Me, or you? ~
First, let’s both take a look at the one person in history no one dares to call dumb—Albert Einstein.
Have you ever wondered what Albert Einstein’s thought process was like?
Like… where the heck did he even dig up those mind-blowing ideas and world-shaking discoveries?
The kind of stuff that makes all of humanity stare blankly at textbooks and still not get it?
Was it because his IQ was off the charts? Was he just born a genius?
Or… maybe he had to be born from that exact legendary mother to be smart enough?
At this point, I don’t know…
Who’s the dumb one—me, or you? 🤔
I mean, which one of us got the “premium birth package”? 🤔
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Honestly though,
Those IQ tests—they only measure how fast you solve a certain type of logic puzzle, not the full scope of human intelligence.
And if we blame everything on being born with it, then what? Just sit there and wait for greatness to fall in our lap? 😼 No need to study anymore?
Let me say this straight, and don’t take it personally:
No one escapes dumbness.
Not even Albert Einstein.
You don’t believe me? Fine. Then tell me—between Einstein and me, who’s dumber at Vietnamese?
Exactly. It’s him, obviously.
But when it comes to Physics or universal theories or that brain-busting stuff… you’re definitely dumber than him 🤓 I’m not involved 🤓
Joking, joking. Don’t take that seriously.
Okay, let’s toss in another example.
Who’s top dog in humanity right now? Elon Musk? Presidents? Your boss? Your parents? Your siblings? Your idol? Or you?
Who’s the smartest of them all?
— Truth is: dumb across the board 🗿
Yup, I’m in that bunch too 🗿
I sincerely apologize if that rubbed you the wrong way, but what I really mean is—whether it’s your parents, your idol, or even ourselves—we all make mistakes.
Not because we’re useless, but because everyone’s trying to figure out life for the first time, while pretending like we were born in the same genius league as Mr. Albert Einstein.
Now don’t get me wrong—I acknowledge that in different areas, some of these figures surpass others. But what if we stopped looking at just those specific areas? 🤔
Or even with those areas, what happens if we compare them to someone even more brilliant—can they truly escape the label of “dumb”?
A few years ago, Teacher Kiệt was a total newbie in English.
Now Teacher Kiệt has an IELTS score of 8.0. Am I done being dumb yet?
🤓 What if I get a 9.5 in two months? Doesn’t that mean my 8.0 self was obviously still a bit dumb? 🤓
I know you’re probably smirking thinking, “IELTS doesn’t go to 9.5.”
Well—I’m smirking at you for thinking I’m dumb enough to fall for that like you just did 🗿
Ahem. Sorry, my keyboard slipped. 🗿
Anyway—let’s get to the point. Why did I risk writing this whole controversial piece and stretch my keyboard to its limits?
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What’s The Actual Point Of This Post?
Truthfully, I just want to find the answer with you to this question:
When will we stop being dumb and become great?
When will we finally become extraordinary? 🗿🚶♂️
I think—just maybe—I’ve caught a glimpse of the answer once.
And now I genuinely want you to take a look with me, to see if this answer can make us wiser.
That answer I glimpsed was this:
No one will ever, at some point, become a perfectly enlightened, all-knowing, godlike being.
Even though I’m a huge fan of Nikola Tesla—and I believe he came very close—but you know what?
The world still tossed all that aside and said he was “dumb” for not doing anything to Mr. Thomas Edison. 🥹
But you know what?
Never once did I think that made Nikola Tesla any less brilliant — in fact, it made him even greater.
Not because he was noble or forgiving to those who wronged him,
but because he was simply too deeply in love with what he was doing
— and indifferent to anything outside of that realm.
A passion so fierce it was almost ruthless. A perspective so grand it bordered on cosmic.
Now let’s bring it closer — you and me.
If we try to “group ourselves” with folks like Einstein and Tesla,
then in truth, we’re just members of the same species —
Hairless primates, walking upright, scientifically labeled Homo sapiens —
aka “the species that thinks.”
Yeah yeah, I threw in “thinks” to make it sound smarter,
but don’t forget the part about “hairless upright primate,” okay? 🗿🚶♂️
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The Answer You’ve Been Waiting For 🤔
Here’s the deal:
Humans, when all is said and done, come in three kinds —
the foolish, the slightly less foolish, and the barely foolish.
Because once we talk about being smart or not,
you can’t just cherry-pick one or two aspects.
You have to look at the whole package — a complete human being.
And when you do look at the whole thing, objectively…
We’re all just out here trying to make ourselves a little less stupid every day.
And that’s the truth.
By the end of our lives, after all the learning,
all the experiences, all the missteps…
we’ll still be stupid.
Just… at a different level. 🗿
Parents — sometimes blame themselves for not being wise enough to fully care for their kids.
Celebrities — still worry that they haven’t shined enough, haven’t lived up to fans’ expectations.
Saints — may sigh, realizing they haven’t yet understood enough to save the masses.
Even those so-called wise men, like Tesla or Einstein — they’d probably wish for a few more decades, just to be a little less dumb.
There were surely still hundreds of things they hadn’t grasped yet, problems they couldn’t solve in time.
No one escapes it.
The journey of becoming a little less dumb is a lifelong one.
It’s never enough.
(But hey, that whole “enough or not” topic — I’m saving that for another big essay. Don’t forget to read it. 🗿)
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The Most Crucial Thing I Want You To Know
So let’s wrap it all up — I just want you to remember this:
All beings are equal — and all beings are equally dumb. 🗿
So hey…
Stop being scared already! 😤
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This Post Of Teacher Kiet Has A Conclusion 🗿
Why I Wrote This
Not just for you and me to acknowledge how incomplete and naïve we still are —
and how that will always be the case
until we can no longer fool ourselves into thinking we’re smarter than others.
But also, so you’ll realize something even more important:
When everyone is learning…
When everyone has made mistakes…
Who really has the right to judge you?
The mocking looks, the whispers, the insults or criticisms — even the empty hateful words - usually come from those who don’t yet understand enough.
And sometimes, even from… ourselves.
Of course, constructive feedback is always a gift — as long as you’re sharp enough to tell the difference between genuine advice
and ego-driven criticism disguised as concern.
So just try it. Don’t be afraid.
Try what, you ask?
🤔 Try being a little less dumb, what else? 🤓
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The Handbook for Being Less Dumb
Written by Teacher Kiệt —
for you, and also for Teacher Kiệt.
Being dumb is… kind of wonderful.
It’s a human privilege.
Because only when we “don’t know,”
only when our heads are empty,
can there be room to put new knowledge in.
If your head’s already full, what’s left to squeeze in?
And you know what?
Every time you manage to stuff a little more wisdom in,
you’ll feel that sweet, sweet superiority over your best friend:
“Bestie, I ask you… are you still smarter than that flying pig at this point? 🐷🗿”
So now, let’s seek answer for this:
Where exactly do we start being less dumb?
Can we even choose what part of ourselves to improve?
Or, to put it plainly —
What the heck should we start learning now?
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What to Learn to Be Less of a Fool?
Let’s go ask Einstein real quick.
What did he choose to study? 🤔
Should we just copy him and aim to be “the least dumb person in history”?
But wait — here’s a better question:
Why did Einstein choose to study what he did?
This, I do know:
Because he liked it.
Because he was curious.
He dove deep into what he loved, what he truly wanted to understand.
And once someone is both passionate and curious — they go all the way.
Did you think some alien being implanted a holy mission into his brain like:
“You must invent the theory of relativity, my child!”?
If that did happen… well, I’m too dumb to know.
And if you truly believe that’s the case… then you might be even dumber than me. 🤓 Hahaha 🗿
Okay okay, I’ll stop joking.
Let’s be fair: we’re equally dumb.
It’s more balanced that way. 🤓
From a “normal human” perspective —
his brain was structurally the same as ours.
The difference?
If you look at his whole life:
He was more curious.
He followed his curiosity to the end.
He gave his entire life to the field he wanted to understand.
Why?
Who knows? Maybe:
• He had too much free time and made it a habit
• He got lucky and chose a field that matched his natural talents
• He was competitive and wanted to beat the other smart guys in his village… 🤔
Or maybe, just maybe — He really wanted to find the answers to his burning questions. 🤔
I’m not sure.
But I am sure of one thing:
He was deeply committed. And he was sincere.
Sincere?
Yes. He sincerely wanted to be less dumb,
to solve the questions that bugged him.
He didn’t do it for anyone else.
He did it for himself — because he needed to know the answers.
He lived his life immersed in the joy of gaining knowledge.
And that life — was a great one.
A glowing point of light for all of humanity.
And thanks to many others like him — curious, wholehearted, determined, and honest — you and I now get to live in a world of science, technology, convenience, color, and connection.
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So What Now?
So here we are. You and I.
What should we study next? 🤔
Maybe start thinking about the things…
that you’re curious about.
The things you most want to understand,
to be less dumb about.
Technology?
Look at your laptop, phone, the websites and apps you use.
Ever wanted to know how they’re made? Or how to master them?
How the world works?
Why are countries like the US, China, and Russia at the top?
Why are the Nordic countries so livable?
Why isn’t Vietnam top-ranked — yet still so peaceful, beautiful, and worth living in?
How did it all come to be?
Human relationships? Psychology?
Look at your friends.
What are they thinking?
What about your parents, your crush?
Are their actions just random?
How to make money?
Curious about when you’ll achieve financial freedom?
Or how to make more money than me? 🗿
I’m still trying to figure that out too — that’s why I’m reading books like Rich Dad Poor Dad. Top-tier stuff.
How to become successful?
And what is success, really?
How does biology, physics, chemistry work?
What’s happening around us? Why?
How to get an IELTS 9.0?
How to bake? How to cook bún bò Huế, Saigon style?
How to love some poor, helpless teacher named… Kiệt? 🗿
Pick something that sparks your curiosity.
Something you really want to know —
whether it’s how to bake, how to love, or how to write better —
whatever that “thing” is, start there.
Because once you begin learning from what you’re curious about —
you’ve officially found your thing and taken your first step toward being less dumb.
Go further, and you’ll begin to see the real joy and value of learning.
(And don’t worry, I’ve got a whole essay lined up on that too. Stay curious, and stay tuned. 🤓)
And if you never stop learning —
you’ll grow beyond even what you imagine.
Get curious, my beloved student —
and you will…
become less dumb.
Hahahaha 😆
I guarantee it.
— Teacher Kiệt
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P.S.
Now that I say all this…
there are quite a few paradoxes, you know?
If the whole world is dumb,
can someone even be called dumb anymore? 🤔
If everyone’s always smiling at each other, is a smile even a real smile anymore?
Or just… a muscle reflex? 🤔
So maybe, this is a world full of only smart people?
Wait, hold on —
if we apply the Dunning–Kruger Effect,
and you and I are aware of how dumb we are…
does that mean we’re actually smarter than most people?
Or are we even dumber than we thought? 🤔🗿
Next time, instead of calling your bestie “as dumb as a pig,”
try something more thoughtful and constructive, okay?
Like:
“Hey, I think this should be done this way. I used to make the same mistake,
but I asked ChatGPT and googled it — that’s how I learned.”
Or:
“Hey, I don’t think your English is strong enough yet,
why don’t you try studying with Teacher Kiệt?”
Be specific with their weakness, and suggest a helpful solution.
That’s the only kind of feedback worth giving.
Let’s be tactful. Let’s grow great together. ❤️
