I was into bodybuilding when I was young. I think every young man dabbled in this realm at some point in his life. Its a vain attempt at manhood, but an otherwise healthy endeavor.

I’m not saying I was some buff superhero, but I had my qualities. So I was out by the pool with two young ladies who were sisters, one of whom I was dating at the time. The other sister was dating someone who was in school to become a medical doctor. While I was just a lowly undergrad.

Somehow the conversation drifted to muscles in men and how I somehow got lumped into the mix. While playfully ribbing each other and having a good time, siblings can get competitive. The sister I was dating was bragging about how buff I was and how the other sister’s boyfriend was not. So the other sister comes back at her that her boyfriend had the "smarts" and that muscles aren’t everything.

Haha…I mean, AHEM! I was sitting right there. So the other guy is smart and I’m not? Wow! Does med school make one person smart and the other not? [side note: I ended up with a Ph.D. myself…just sayin]

I don’t think brains and brawn are mutually exclusive entities. Just like a woman super model can also be a scholar of the highest regard. Having beauty doesn’t negate intelligence one bit. Its a stereotype that you wouldn’t reflect on a race, religion, or anything different from you.

Regardless of what you think about someone like an Arnold Schwarzenegger, he eventually used his physique to become Governor of California. He is an icon who’s business acumen is well-regarded. His close friend, Franco Columbo, is a chiropractor and author. He came to the U.S. and went on to a professional degree while English was far from his first language (he spoke fluent Italian and German). Our current First Lady speaks 7 languages, and she was a model herself. Dolph Lundgren, former model and actor from Rocky 4 fame, has a Master’s degree in chemistry.

It’s fun to highlight people who go against commonly held stereotypes. In fact, its one of my favorite parts of humanity. You take close-minded, ignorant people and make them realize the folly of their misgivings. Its the best "in yo face" ever!