Who said you are stupid?

Was talking with my nephew today...

Heard him singing earlier on and, after my years of experiences hanging out at the opera Joint Cafe Taci and the Met, I think he might have to potential to be an opera singer especially when he is all 中氣十足。

When he was going home, I mentioned it to him again... speaking of how he is really good with singing...

All of a sudden, he made this comment...

"But I am stupid."

I looked at him, "Who said that you are stupid?"

He responded, "I."

"In that case, there is nothing I can do since it is you calling yourself stupid."

The kid laughed.

Later on, I decided to recommand the book "Mindset" to my sister... whether she would do anything about the book is another thing.

Essentially, I praise you for your efforts and what you can do... and you can always try to do even better for your own judgement... process orientation... such as... you sing well and he did sing well...

Refrain from speaking about smartness, which insinuates a state... unchangeable...

Then, one might ask... then why do you keep on calling yourself stupid and dumb? 8-O lol

With codes like.. Let go.  Parsifal.  Am I not promoting the whole stupid and smart thing?

For one thing, I am an old dog and I live through it. lol

Second, it is a state... my stupid-ness and dumb-dumb-ness

Third, stupidity and dumb-dumb-ness is only part of the process rather than the terminal outcome.  Just because I am stupid or dumb didn't stop me from trying and keep on doing something to work on it... Did't I and haven't I?

Therefore, the importance of the contexts and refrain from 斷章取義.