When I was a little girl, my parents told me to hide my report card because they feared my siblings would feel bad if they saw my good grades. I was an obedient child and did as I was told.
That "hide your report card" mentality has somewhat haunted me my whole life. As a woman in a male-dominated world, there were many instances in my life when I had to hide my smarts so others would feel better.
Even now at my old age, I was recently told to not speak up in a situation when I understood the underpinnings of the science well. Rather than discuss the situation, the male in the situation made the decision.
When and why do these "hide your report card" moments happen? How do we contribute to them, and how do we react when that happens to us.
Recently, in a heated COVID-19 decision discussion with a close family member, it was clear that the family member had the upper hand when it came to understanding the science and knowing what was right. I was essentially debating his knowledge. In a sense I was telling him to "hide his report card," but with greater consideration, I admitted that I was wrong and he did have the better grasp of the needed knowledge and safety precautions in the situation. I let him "show his report card"
We have to regard each other's knowledge and skill with respect. We also have to manage our own knowledge and skill with humility, responsibility, and care. It's never one way or the other, but awareness of the situation helps all of us to do a better job.