abaya

Well, the biggest indicator is that they ask you (or that they are a student, or someone who works under you). Then I feel like that person has given me authority to speak from my experience.

To me, it's more about sharing my experience, than thinking "Hey, they're an idiot, I'm smarter, let me make that obvious." There are at least seven different kinds of intelligence, and "book knowledge" or logical thinking is only one aspect of that. The person I am talking to may be an artistical or musical genius, or be able to build a house without a blueprint, even if he or she knows little about politics or physics or history... but they sure as hell don't feel compelled to lecture me on the things they know better than I do.

What I care for is whether or not people are humble enough to be curious, even about things beyond their realm of intelligence. That, to me, tells me what kind of character they have, and that is the standard I try (and often fail) to uphold.

I think your assumption here is that someone would either give you the truth, or give you false information. However, there is also the middle road of silence.

Holding back information in order to listen to someone else and respect their experience is not the same as lying to someone. It is understanding that what you have to say may not actually be very important at all to them, and that really, you might just have something to learn from them. In either case, there's no need to assert yourself (other than to promote your ego) unless it's a life or death situation.

Make room in yourself for other people; you'll be surprised at the result. I don't do this enough, and I know I suffer for it. We're not as intelligent as we think we are.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran