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If you hear someone using big words and complicated concepts that make them sound smart, the chances are you will think of them highly. And while it’s indeed true that there are quite a few intellectual people in your social circle, the opposite is true as well.
You see, many people don’t quite have a sensitive radar when determining if a person is actually a pseudo-intellectual. Described by Merriam Webster dictionary, a pseudo-intellectual is “a person who wants to be thought of as having a lot of intelligence and knowledge but who is not really intelligent or knowledgeable.” That means they can be very, very annoying.
So when someone asked “What's a sign someone is a pseudo-intellectual?” on Ask Reddit, it resonated with people big time. Below we wrapped up some of the most interesting and illuminating answers, so scroll down!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
They say "educate yourself" but don't know the difference between blind peer reviewed studies and YouTube nonsense.
Greg Williams 3 years ago
Andrew Tate will be Andrew Tate. If you ever want to laugh at someone being an absolute dingus just read about Andrew Tate
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Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
When I was 18, I had the grades to get into any college I wanted to, but not the money. So I went to work instead, and read as much as I could, from reliable, verified, scholarly sources, to learn as much as I could. Many years later, I finally got to go to college. Though I had already amassed enough knowledge to be comfortable sitting in class next to people fresh out of high school, I did come to the realization that my self-learning wasn’t as well organized as a professional educator would lay it out—-I just jumped in wherever I could, and often switched subjects before finishing one, whereas a professional would start at the basics of one subject and build on them. Well-directed and disciplined learning, conducted by a professional, turned out to be the key for me, as it also helped me develop better and more organized critical thinking skills.
AR-Sith F.Austin 3 years ago (edited)
The most intelligent people on earth never went to or finished college and the idea that a collegiate education (which I have) makes you know better, more, "the truth" or anything else useful. If it isn't technical, engineering, chemistry, medical, mathematics or language related it's just a waste of time. Psychology and sociology have their uses, theology but you can learn better outside of a humanistic and secular psychology class. Spiritualism is much more beneficial and useful in those regards... Some of the most pseudo-intellectual and paeudoscience blathering people I know have college degrees.
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Monday 3 years ago
And when you ask how to start educating yourself they scoff and insult instead of recommending a source because they have no clue.
Den Ver 3 years ago
Good response. Seems far better than the direct, more confrontational approach.
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Pamela Blue 3 years ago
OMG! "Do your research!" and "Educate yourself!" have become the two most hated phrases I see on facebook. As soon as I spot them, I recognize them for the idiots they are.
Garth Bock 3 years ago
Quoting a Fakebook post that you know is proven hoax. Once I eye rolled so much I almost ended up in the hospital 😄
RELATED:
#2
They hyper-focus on a single source of wisdom or completely ignore their opponent's perspective.
Actual intellectuals read broadly, and the best intellectuals read things they disagree with.
Edit: Talking about "read things they disagree with"... There is a difference between reading the influential works of opposing movements and browsing social media cesspools. I am disappointed that I have to clutter this post by clarifying.
Sasha 3 years ago
Its actually fantastic when you find an opinion or point of view that is contrary to what you know/believe and it looks like it actually may be right. Thats new knowledge. Something that just agrees with what you already know is generally of no use. I kinda have an attitude of "prove me wrong" not as in, youre not gonna change my mind, but as in, please try to poke holes in my theory, it can either help find weak spots in it or, allow me to get rid of something i erroneously though correct.
Lillukka79 3 years ago
Yes. Just had this happen last week. First I said I'm not gonna watch this s**t, but then I thought why not. It's 5 minutes and yes I might get annoyed by it, but it will teach me something about the person who recommended it. So I did and in the end thanked the person for brodening my views.
Load More Replies... Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
I think real intellectuals love to be surprised with information they either don't know, or with information that corrects an idea they were mistaken about (like finding out a logical hypothesis was wrong -- which tends to lead to big discoveries). They treat it as a gift. Intellectual Posers, however, hate being surprised with knowledge. It's a blow to their ego.
Matt Rustebakke 3 years ago
Not sure intellectual is the correct term here. Its more about individuals intent on truth. Many intellectuals and "academics" still prefer confirmation bias or living in an echo chamber than analyzing the data, facts, into and making a conclusion based on evidence. For examole, I have an uncle who is quite intellectual but very biased in religious views and basicly dismisses any intellectual analysis of a topic or subject if it isnt based in religious ideologies.
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Sarah Skufca 3 years ago
I recommended a book in the Facebook comments on a related article once and everyone went OFF on me. Calling me “anti intellectual” for recommending “damaging” reading material. I kept telling them that they were being “anti intellectual” for refusing to read a book that they disagreed with and keeping themselves locked in an echo chamber. The book is The Coddling of the American Mind for those interested.
Matt Rustebakke 3 years ago
Same happens to me constantly. Many dimwit psuedo-intellectuals absolutely dismiss everything you say the moment you provide a book written by an expert in the field, especially if it counters their beliefs and contrary to their pre concieved opinions. From my observations it seems this stems from the idea that they are intelligent academics because they have a degree in field x.
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TheAquarius1978 3 years ago
I never read s**t from social média, and if by any chance i see a title that caughts my atention, i Google it to check the sources, if its a far right or a far left source.... Take it with a fist full of salt lol.
Phil Trump 3 years ago
This is so true I'm constantly reading sources that I don't agree / believe you can only make decisions on the information you have and beliefs can change
iseefractals 3 years ago
Even if you disagree with an opposing viewpoint, whether it be a simple matter of perspective, or because it's factually incorrect, you can't effectively argue against someone if you don't understand where they're coming from and how they've arrived at their opinion There's also the very real possibility that you'll actually learn something new. Unfortunately, the internet has allowed people to create the illusion that they're always right, about everything, and any opinion that opposes their own is automatically wrong, if not evidence of some sort of phobia, discrimination or outright "evil" and thus needs to be silenced and mocked.
Eric Lafleur 2 years ago
Like I always say: "I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm asking you to show me where I could be wrong. I don't mind telling people that I haven't seen it this or that way, and it makes me smarter than those who only know how to say "do your research, do your research! It all over YouTube, do your research!!!"
#3
For me, it's seeing people who can't shift their beliefs/biases based on evidence
loty moty 3 years ago
This should be higher. #1 rule of any intelligent person is ability to change your opinions given evidence to the contrary.
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
A+ BP post. ... 2 Components are needed for intelligence . (society only tests one). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #1 Logic/reason (often measured with math - but not a requirement). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #2 Being able to change your mind when confronted with new evidence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If someone has a high IQ, they might be smart, but if what they "know" is wrong and their brain keeps using this corrupted information, then they will come to incorrect conclusions. In other words, they are stupid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (Entertaining VIDEO): Politics Makes You Bad At Math? Bias Clouds Analytical Judgment, Study Suggests. . . . . . . . < ........ https://www.huffpost.com/entry/politics-bad-math-study_n_4060350 ....... >
Robert T 3 years ago
You can only learn from your mistakes once you realise that you have made a mistake and admit to it.
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
"An expert is someone who's made all the mistakes"
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
As long as someone has verifiable scholarly sources for their information that they can show me, I am happy to stand corrected because I too have learned something new. Someone’s blog doesn’t qualify. Neither does Wikipedia, though some of its cited sources might.
Ursula Johnson 3 years ago
How many still think vaccines are bad, don't want books in school that disagree with their view or pick on kids who are different. Far too many unfortunately.
Frank Rivers 3 years ago
We live in a society where it's easy to block out opposing viewpoints. Tech makes it too easy. Alot of us live in tech echo chambers.
Aunt Riarch 3 years ago
True, but it's only facilitated by tech. We've always had newspapers. In my innocence I used to think that newspapers were to disseminate news. What they actually do is feed and massage your prejudices, so people choose the paper that does that for them.
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Adedoyin Kugbiyi 3 years ago
Two things can be true at the same time... No one has to change their opinion, but they must be willing to consider other people's opinion and respect it.
Tamra 3 years ago
Is this all you have to contribute? Screeching like a senile parrot..."the liberals...the liberals...the liberals! Squawk!"
Load More Replies...According to Alex Wang, the marketing expert and book author who is better known as the “Hijack” Copywriter, a pseudo-intellectual is someone who pretends they are highly intelligent and knowledgeable but who isn’t. “They’re good at faking it and convincing others they’re this amazing smart person when they don’t have the knowledge or skills to back it up,” he added.
Wong who has been on a mission to help small and corporate businesses “hijack” their client’s minds and help them to grow their businesses and sales, shared a couple of insights into pseudo-intellectualism.
#4
They like to "debate" but shut down and get angry the second they get an unexpected question or have to think about their answer.
loty moty 3 years ago
I think it's a good thing if you stop to think about your answer when somebody asks you an unexpected question.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
That’s not what they’re saying, though. They’re talking about people who get pissy or walk away in a huff when asked a question they don’t already have an answer for.
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Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
Intellectual Posers get angry if one of their beliefs is found to be wrong. At exactly this time last year I was asked by a very wealthy husband and wife couple, " What do you think about Biden's idea for the US to abandon Afghanistan". When I answered that it was actually Trump's idea and he negotiated the agreement directly with the Taliban, I was met with so much laughter you'd have thought I told them, "I was abducted by aliens last night and probed". My statement about Trump was just as surprising and absurd to them. Then, when they realized I was serious, one of them left the room and silently came back, then the other did the same. It turns out they checked their trusted propaganda "news" source and even it contained this fact. The conversation continued as we speculated what the future might be, but they could hardly contain their fury. Apparently, they wanted to have an "intellectual rant" over a glass of wine about the current US President's failure and I ruined their fun.
Sanne Van Buuren 3 years ago
What if I am not great at debating? Or I would like to think about the issue and come back later with an answer?
#5
They can't say they don't know something. When pressed, they will deflect or fake their way through it. Somebody actually knowledgeable (no matter in what area) will also know the limits of their knowledge, and have the confidence to identify it when they reach it.
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
It's really important to let children know that it's normal, and okay not to know everything. When my children were little, and they asked a question I didn't know the answer to, we'd pause and think about how we could find out. It might be asking someone, reading a book, searching on the web etc. Then we'd talk about what we had learned.
Ash 3 years ago
Yes--and not just children! My first couple of years of grad school, I realized that I had learned to pretend that I understood everything people were saying to me and that I knew more than I really did. It was a "fake it till you make it," and I think most of the people in my program did it because if you were the only one going, "Wait, I don't get it," it would make you look stupider than your colleagues (which was a problem because we were all competing for places in the program). I really wish they'd fostered a culture of questioning and real understanding rather than faking. One of the many reasons I got very turned off by (my corner of) academia and left.
Load More Replies... Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
Intellectual Posers, when given a surprising bit of trivia in the form of, "Hey, did you know that ..." will respond with an aggressive / angry / defensive answer claiming they did -- shutting down additional conversation. Ex: Q: Hey, did you know if you travel directly South, towards the equator, from Detroit (Michigan USA) the first country you would encounter is Canada? A: OF COURSE I DO, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT.
Dee 3 years ago
I didn’t know that Den Ver! My curiosity had me check a map and indeed it is true - as long as you are in the east part of Detroit ☺️
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Kristina Atwood 3 years ago
It's a coin toss on this. There's 'I dunno and I could not possibly care less' and there's 'I don't know' where you can see it in their eyes that they're already focusing on gaining that knowledge.
Demongrrrrl 3 years ago
This is 200% true of my dad. If he doesn't know something, he'll make it up. A former friend described him as "never in doubt but often wrong."
Demongrrrrl 3 years ago
Oops, I meant 109%. My typing skills suck when I'm tired.
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#6
Really intelligent people are very secure in their intelligence but fakers will most likely be trying to put others down to seem smarter.
Sasha 3 years ago
Actually really intelligent people sorta know that theyre still dumb. They tend to doubt themselves a lot more because they know that they could be wrong and have a generally critical and questioning attitude
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
I had a professor explain this by drawing two circles on the board - one small, one large. He said the area of the circle represented a person's knowledge and the perimeter was all of the questions they didn't have an answer to. A child (or ignorant adult), represented by the small circle, has relatively few questions. They think they know just about everything. The much more knowledgeable person wakes up every day with more questions than they can keep in their head. They spend all day trying to figure things they don't know the answer to. The smaller circle contains potential Dunning-Kruger candidates ( people who over estimate their ability) and the larger circle contains Imposter Syndrome candidates (where people under estimate their knowledge and ability). I've seen, "little circle people" put down "big circle people" because they genuinely think they're close to the same level, and because of inherent character flaws.
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Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
Intellectual Posers will try and trick you with what they think are "Gotcha" questions, which are actually common knowledge. If you know the answer, they blow it off as nothing, but If you admit you don't know, instead of being helpful, they will act superior. Their purpose for conversation is not to communicate. It is to win.
Casey McAlister 3 years ago
Really intelligent people understand there are still a ot of things they don't know and they are okay with that.
CalicoKitty 3 years ago
I feel like this also covers the way pseudo-intelligent people tend to assert their (awful phrase incoming) intellectual dominance at every possible opportunity. You know, the person who says, "oh, duh, EVERYONE knows about [thing basically nobody knows about]" or acts all shocked when people don't know about some incredibly obscure nugget of information. Since the whole pseudo-intellectual thing seems to be anchored firmly in building up nice solid walls of arrogance and hoping they never get bumped down... ;-_-
Boaz Burger 3 years ago
I'm highly intelligent and i am not secure in my intelligence, i am constantly doubting myself and i don't have any confidence in my decisions at all
ChickyChicky 3 years ago
I've seen this stock photo before, and I'm always amazed by how many layers this person is wearing.
Julianne Hannes 3 years ago
THIS. If they start name calling rather than give a civilized rebuttal, don't give them the time of day.
When asked why some people pretend like they are better than others and know more than they actually do, Wong said that they may be doing this to make themselves feel better and that they have an advantage over others in some way. “As humans, we are always judging ourselves and comparing ourselves to others.”
“By thinking that we are smarter or better than others, we feel more important. It gives us a sense of importance. When someone overestimates their skills and abilities, this is known as illusory superiority,” the marketing expert explained.
#7
When they tell you their IQ. And it's always suspiciously high.
Crease Almighty 3 years ago
I took an IQ test when I was high once and it was 114. I was proud. I took another one sober and it was 110… 😂😂😂
Laura Ketteridge 3 years ago
This is not at all surprising. A person's scores on tests can be different depending on a number of different factors. Plus a difference of four points is within the margin for error.
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Yeeters 3 years ago
I am an actual member of Mensa and trust me, no one there will actually try to impress you with their IQ. We don't usually see it as something that makes us better, because in reality, high IQ is kinda useless. Mensa tests also only focus on testing people's logical skills, nothing else. Yesterday i spent 10 minutes rummaging through my bad, desperately trying to find my phone. It was on the table in front of me.
Makajha Banjjjak 3 years ago
I used to love those mensa tests as they got exactly where I'm good at. Fast forward my life and I don't see any advantages of being mensa 'smart'. I.e. I have good logical memory of languages so I'm just a bit slower than google translate
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María Hermida 3 years ago
Intelligence tests are nearly useless. The results depend on too many factors, and are usually linked to your environment. There are also different kinds of intelligence, and you can be very good in some aspects and dreadful at certain tasks. People tend to think a student with very good marks is intelligent, but in many cases that's just memory and repetition. Really intelligent students don't usually get "A" because they are bored and/or uninterested. Intelligence is extremely difficult to define and measure.
SerumSeven 3 years ago
Very true. I mean, from an intellectual standpoint, I'm pretty bright. Unfortunately, I have the common sense of pond water. I can learn new subjects very quickly, but I can also somehow accidentally set myself on fire doing a load of laundry.
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Mattewis88 3 years ago
I once took an IQ test on the internet that said I have an IQ of 134...in reality, I'm the person who tries to rub superglue off my hand...with my other hand. Unless done by Mensa or the like - it's B******t.
SerumSeven 3 years ago
Yeah, none of the professional IQ tests I was forced to take as a child/teen have stopped me from looking for my glasses while they're on top of my head.
Load More Replies... loty moty 3 years ago
Anyone who's bragging about their intelligence is automnatically an idiot in my book.
John G 3 years ago
At Thanksgiving one year my SIL and cousin in-law were bragging about how smart they are. One can't keep a job and the other is an idiot Trumper. Huge eye roll time.
Load More Replies... Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
I just realized from reading comments in this post that I view Arrogance as a sign of being an Intellectual Poser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . None of the "genius" level people I know are aware of their IQ score. If a comet was going destroy life on the planet, they would be some of the people to get a rocket ride to safety (if there was a safe place to go). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I am in awe of their ability to find solutions to complex problems ... AND ... for their other trait of being truly Humble.
Sasha 3 years ago
How the hell do you even find out your IQ? Aren't most tests like paid ones and they dont really wanna give em
Featherking 2 years ago (edited)
I dunno, I got mine back in the day while being examined for autism. I had autism. I also had stupid high IQ, but as far as I can tell, that proves exactly bupkis - I’m still a dumb*ss in most areas of human life. It sure as hell isn’t something I use as a brag, or even bring up in conversation. I mean… who does that?
Load More Replies... #8
They repeat what you already said, in a slightly different way, and act as if they're adding to the discussion.
They defensively tell people to "read a book" instead of answering a question.
Sasha 3 years ago
Hahaha lol ive had this told to me recently. The funniest part was, we were discussing video game related tech stuff and it was actually "you should play less video games and read instead" but the thing is, my health is c**p, im often too tired even to play and i pretty much spend my entire day reading in bed. It was so funny i didn't even bother getting annoyed at the dumb remark.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
If they were truly intelligent, they wouldn’t have said “less video games”, they would’ve said “fewer video games”. (Sorry for being the grammar police, though you could tell your pseudo-intellectual buddy that “fewer” actually IS grammatically correct. If you can count it, use “fewer”. If you cannot count it, use “less”. Example: Fewer rivers mean less water.)
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Claudette Shaw 3 years ago
I was consulting at a company where someone did exactly that to me. When I said ' That is what I just said." She say No you said. Yes, it means exactly what you said. meanwhile the manager was forever saying how smart she was. Happy I was only there on a short term contract, felt sorry for the rest of the permanent staff that had to work with her and the gormless Manager! Though they did finally fire the Manager.
Sara Manzoni 2 years ago
The "read a book instead of answering a question" should be broadly applied. I won't explain the proof about the Earth being a globe, Armstrong being on the Moon, the non existent relation between vaccines and mind control et cetera.
RafCo (he/him) 3 years ago
I often repeat what people say in a different way. I learned it was a way of validating that you understood what you were told, by putting it in your own words. I've often found that this is useful, as often my understanding of a concept is better understood, and easier to retain using this process.
#9
They talk constantly and say nothing.
Wong believes that the biggest difference between an intellectual and a pseudo-intellectual is that the former actually knows their stuff. “They’ve spent years building their craft and attaining their specific set of skills and knowledge.”
#10
Citing "countless examples"; Can't name one of them.
Robert T 3 years ago (edited)
Isn't that the punchline from the Missouri Mule joke?
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Zachary Gillette 3 years ago
Perhaps they mean "countless" as: you can't count them because they aren't there.
Tim 3 years ago
TBF, this is often my issue when debating things. I do say things like "something I read a while ago talked about this and something like 70% of X do Y". Then I get asked where it was from and I don't remember because I don't keep an encyclopedia of citations in my head or even on my computer / phone.
Phyllis 3 years ago
This happens with me a lot on YouTube. I'll make a comment to prove someone was wrong about what they've been, and automatically send them a link to the site where I got the information... I really love doing this especially with medical and legal things... I worked in both fields.
#11
an intellectual entertains his opponent's views without accepting them, he puts himself in the other's shoes, and from there he figures out where it doesn't make sense, the fake intellectual doesn't seem to have that flexibility of thought.
SirWriteALot 3 years ago
This! Sometimes it totally defuses a situation or argument if you're able to identify where the anger is coming from. Then you can address that. And sometimes through understanding you can actually relate to their point of view. If you're talking to a dumbass, though, they will claim victory and go on being dumbasses.
Levi Owens 3 years ago
When I disagree with someone, I like to walk a mile in their shoes. That way, I'm a mile away, and I have their shoes.
Claudette Shaw 3 years ago
Or depending on the issue, where it does in fact make sense, and maybe actually more sense than what they themselves were thinking. I stunned members of my rugby club one day when after listening to all others speak on an issue for which there was going to be a vote, and for which I held a pretty strong opinion, I voted for the option of one of the other speakers. The President of the club when he saw my hand go up, " Um Claudette we are not voting on your proposal yet." Me: "Yes, I know, I listened to all the arguments and proposals and well, Doug's makes more sense than mine. So I am voting for his plan." Doug's plan carried the day. The President " I was going to vote for your proposal if a tie needed to be broken." Me: If you listened carefully to what Doug was saying you had to know his proposal made more sense than mine, mine was not bad, his was better."
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
There are two components to intellect. One of them (often ignored) is being able to change your mind when confronted with new evidence. If you have what is considered a high IQ based on logic and reason, you might be considered smart, but if what you "know" is incorrect and your brain keeps using this corrupted information, then you will come to incorrect conclusions. In other words, you're stupid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Someone who can't change their mind when given new evidence, shouldn't be considered an intellectual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Something else to consider, if people couldn't change their minds when they saw evidence that contradicted what they believed, then there wouldn't be any advancements in science. Our lifestyle would be the same as it was 400 years ago.
Hope Cows&Chickens 3 years ago
"Read the Report and you'll know better!" 'Did you read the report?' "I didn't have to." 'Well I did read the report and thata not what it says ' "Yes it does!" 'Can you hear yourself?'
Sharon Willett 3 years ago
I couldn't read the post for all the remarks. Another sign is when people have a story about how all this is true to them, so they must be super smart.
Judes 3 years ago (edited)
This is not true. Lots of genuine intellectuals are terrible at considering other points of view. You can get some pretty scathing (and unfair) comments via peer review.
Den Ver 3 years ago (edited)
They might be wicked smart, but anyone who can't change their mind when given new evidence isn't a, "genuine intellectual". Having a high IQ is only 1 of the 2 ingredients needed to be considered an intellectual.
Load More Replies... #12
Using a Ben Shapiro style structure to arguing a point
* Speak fast
* Construct straw men as fast as they get taken down
* Win through endurance over intellect
* Deflect, obfuscate, infuriate - Just get the other person to stop debating
InvincibleRodent 3 years ago
Basically, filibuster a conversation until the "opponent" gets tired and gives up.
Martin Kaine 3 years ago
Soinrealitywhatyou'resayingisthosewithintellectareclearlyabletoperseverebetterthanthosewithlessintelligencesinceitdoesn'ttakemuchtowinoutoverthoseeducatedatliberalindoctrinationcenters,i.e.,theAmericanuniversitysystembuttrulywhenonelooksatsuchamindset.....
Load More Replies... Stoopham McFernybabes 3 years ago
My husband is an actual genius, and has some serious debating stamina. I. Would. LOVE. to see go him head to head with ol’ Bennie-boy
zububonsai 3 years ago
I don't know why this downvoted. I'd love to see a Debating Crack dueling with him. Take my up-again-vote.
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
That doesn’t mean you’re more intelligent, it just means you’re an obstinate a*****e, and a stupid one as well. Same goes with arguing by shouting someone down. You didn’t win the argument, you only loudly showed everyone within earshot just how much of an a*****e you are.
“In today’s society, knowledge is power. However, attaining this knowledge to become an expert at something takes lots of work, effort, and time. It takes approximately 10,000 hours to become a true expert at something,” Wong argues. Wong concluded that “Most people just aren’t willing to make the sacrifice to reach that level so it’s easier to just pretend instead.”
#13
Intelligent people don't have to tell you they are. They probably don't even think they are. There's a reason that "all I know is I know nothing" is such a big quote in studying philosophy.
loty moty 3 years ago
I'm pretty sure intelligent people know that they are intelligent but part of being intelligent is understanding that other people are intelligent too and also understanding the limits of your own intelligence.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
And understanding that the more you know, the more you realize how little you know—-how little even the best minds actually know. ****Now, don’t take that as license to think the best minds are stupid. They’re not. They know way more than the rest of us. It’s just that more knowledge leads to more questions, as you come to realize there are holes in it, both large and small, to be filled in, plus what lies beyond its present limits. The sum total of all possible knowledge far eclipses the sum total of what’s already known. Just take a moment to sit and really think about that, and you’ll know what I mean (if you didn’t get it already)..
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Raphael Biock 3 years ago
Can connect. Most people in my life told me, that i am intelligent and i knew it compared to most people (i.e. classmates). But the older i got and the more i could choose the people around me, i reached a point in my life, where still people call me intelligent, but because most of the people i have around me are smarter than me, i always feel dumb as s**t (which is fine as long i can learn from them).
RafCo (he/him) 3 years ago
I have always believed that genius/intelligence, whatever you wish to call it, is not a thing unto itself. People are intelligent, each in their own way and limited only by their access to real information. But true genius is in the act of accomplishment. Something all of us are capable of, but few of us achieve.
Michael Largey 3 years ago
From "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao" - Lao: "What is wisdom?" Young boy: "I don't know." Lao: "Wise answer!"
#14
They refuse to explain something in an easier/more understandable way when asked
Kevin Garren 3 years ago
Not totally fair, I can show people how to do stuff but if they ask me to explain it I just shut down inside lol Not everybody has excellent verbal skills or does well with people. Unless the kind of person this is about just WON'T do anything to be a jerk.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
It’s an acquired skill. Just keep practicing. Maybe try remembering how it was explained to you when you were starting out.
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Josh Tall 3 years ago
Einstein said that you don't actually know anything that you can't explain to a layperson.
Jan van den Broek 3 years ago
The way I've heard it, not attributed to Einstein, "If you can't explain it in simpel words, you haven't mastered the language, or the subject".
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Pirates of Zen Pants 3 years ago
My husband is like this, but the context surrounding it is that he's on the autistic spectrum. He has a ton of technical knowledge, and he's enthusiastic about sharing it, but it can be hard for him to remember that not everybody shares his vocabulary and expertise. I enjoy how smart and passionate he is, even if I don't always know what he's talking about.
iseefractals 3 years ago
Knowing how to do something, and knowing how to teach someone with no foundation in a subject are two very different things, you can also only simplify something so much.
Baker 3 years ago
Explain it to me like I'm five never gives an actual sound basis and the reason a lot of academics are terrible at debates or lectures is because they know far too much about the field to be able to give you simple answers. Being able to give a concise answer to a question is sometimes just the ability of social awareness and knowing what someone doesn't need to know. However some academics think every part is important and therefore needs to be explained. This is true with races on in modern society, why legal abortions are not a morality conversation but legal.
Frank Miller 3 years ago
This is because there's a difference between knowing something and understanding it. Bullshitters know things, intelligent people understand them.
#15
Showing off about knowledge. As we say in French: "Culture is like marmalade, the less you have the more you spread it"
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
And the thinner it spreads—-but the b******t that comes with it is so much thicker and deeper.
Phyllis 3 years ago
When this happens at home, I usually look at my niece and ask, "Do you smell that" and she knows what I mean.
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Angela B 3 years ago
The saying that comes to mind for me is " If you can't convince with the truth then dazzle with bulls@#t".
Deborah Harris 3 years ago
I was taught as a salesperson that B******t baffles brains 😃
Load More Replies... Monday 3 years ago
Depends on the tone and topic too...I absolutely overshare knowledge about things I'm very interested in. I will talk your ear off about this weird medical condition or disaster I saw a video about and then went down a 6 hour rabbit hole for...and it's not because I want to sound like an expert, it's because I really want other people to know about it too cause it's so damn cool!
Felisae Moon 3 years ago
I do that too! But I had to stop because I'm a people-pleaser and they usually get mad and make me feel like I'm weird or something. But I feel so good when I meet people that like to hear me and have a conversation.
Load More Replies... Robert T 3 years ago
That doesn't sound at all like French. I think you mean "La culture c'est comme la marmelade, moins tu en as plus tu la répands" /j (You can blame Google for my bad French!)
Zenozenobee 3 years ago
"La culture c'est comme la confiture, moins on en a plus on l'étale." ;P
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#16
They debate and don't let anyone else speak, and when someone does try to speak, the other person just talks louder and faster.
Lene 3 years ago
Haha! My bf's dad and all the dad's siblings are like this. I do suspect, however, that my bf's dad is the worst of them all. For a long time he was telling everybody how there's this giant ancient sea creature that may or may not be extinct and it's called megalondon. Lol. I tried to correct him but he wouldn't have it and everybody noticed his reaction so we just let him say megalondon. Until that day at the zoo, bf's dad is talking with a zoo keeper. The zoo keeper explained in a professional way to bf's dad that it is called a megalodon. And suddenly bf's dad accepts that as the name for this creature. Lol.
#17
Being a contrarian. Automatically disagreeing with everything you hear isn’t any smarter than than believing everything.
Pamela Blue 3 years ago
I had (emphasis on "had") a friend once (thinking he was so intelligent) argued with every single thing I brought up for conversation. In the end, when I confronted him about why he did that, I got the "I like to play the devil's advocate." Well, the devil's advocate position is fine when it's required. It is not required with every single conversation one tries to start.
Lori Rommel 3 years ago
Playing devil's advocate is a good way to expand your thinking, but mostly just do it inside your head.
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#18
Pseudo-intellectuals **love** to drop names of famous experts in the field, and will often do that in lieu of a real explanation when challenged to explain themselves.
For example, "If you're not familiar with the research of Lawrence and Krasden in this field, then it's not worth my time to educate you".
In general, pseudo-intellectuals don't like explaining concepts, because they're afraid that they'll explain the concept incorrectly and get shown up by somebody else. So they use all sorts of tactics to establish dominance, try to belittle you, and avoid giving a clearly worded explanation of their argument.
Rachknits 3 years ago
Whereas many people who do understand the issue are usually more than happy to take the chance to share their knowledge.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
And it’s amusing when the real expert starts talking about the subject with the pseudo-expert like they’re talking to a real peer, and exposes the pseudo as a fraud.
Load More Replies... TheAquarius1978 3 years ago
I don't do that, when i want to acert my dominance Over someone i just pee on that person.
#19
They absolutely cannot fess up to their own mistakes.
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago
No, you misunderstood what I was trying not to say because you don't know what you're talking about. You always do that.
Monday 3 years ago
I'll tell you what, I'll help you fix it just this one time but you really have to be more careful next time. Make sure you understand what I mean before you act okay?
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Sara Harvilla 3 years ago
The sooner you realize you were wrong and admit it, the better. You learn this quickly teaching middle schoolers.
#20
They're unwilling to provide sources/read your sources. They put more emphasis on how you said something, than the facts.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Because they can’t back it up with verifiable and scholarly sources. Because what they’re saying—-or rather, parroting without thinking or understanding—-is merely belief, hearsay, or the repeated opinion of some loud bloviating imbecile that confirms their own bias.
Ugh_What_Now 3 years ago
Okay, but to this same argument... I can't post "my source" on 2+2=4 some knowledge is just THERE for some people, and while you may think that's a ridiculous example... for me, there are random things that I can remember from 10 years ago. Entire scientific articles etc. But do I remember the exact "source" of every piece of knowledge I've ever collected in my life. NO. That's absolutely ludicrous. This argument of "site your sources" when you're just trying to have a conversation with someone as an attempt to disqualify or discredit their entire argument? THAT shows a lack of intelligence. It's a last ditch effort of "I've no idea of the subject and instead of actually doing any research MYSELF I'm just going to accuse you of being full of it!" So no Richard, I've neither the time nor crayons to explain to you how the sun works, and I'm not going to go back through all my GOLDEN BOOKS to look for the author!
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
I get you on this. If you know a fair bit about something because it interests you, no real reason to remember your sources. I have read a lot of physics books (not saying I understand them) for no other reason than curiosity. I can confidently join in a discussion with 'some scientists say.....' but I can't always say who.
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Mohammad Ammar 3 years ago
I have actually seen her post sources. Just because they're not sources you want, doesn't mean you should dismiss them.
Load More Replies... #21
They have "free thinker" on their bios.
Den Ver 3 years ago
I didn't realize the usage of "free thinker" had become the opposite of its historical meaning. From the time of Voltaire, Jefferson and Franklin through Bertrand Russell in the 1960's, a free thinker was a philosopher who often was skeptical of religion.
Aunt Riarch 3 years ago
That's my kind of freethinking. I had no idea that the term had been hijacked by people to whom the term thinking doesn't really apply
Load More Replies... loty moty 3 years ago
Free thinker usually means your thought process is so poor noone is willing to pay for it.
Jul Chv 3 years ago
Once I carpooled a conspiracy guy. He told me he did not read books so he would not be " influenced" by others´ thoughts. Prefered to read blogs and internet stuff and was about to publish his book after his blog...
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Bender Bending Rodríguez 3 years ago
I am a free-thinker. I am always thinking about stupid stuff, mostly how I could have handled certain situations and winning make belief arguments. Guess what? No one is paying me to do so, I do it on my own for free.
#22
They parrot talking points without being able to discuss or understand the details of their arguments. Seen it all across the political spectrum. If all you are able to communicate are Twitter-length bullet points, then there is something wrong. I’ve tried to talk with people who are like a NPC in a video game, all they can do is repeat the same 3 generic statements on a topic.
Similar to above the other sign is that their opinions are 100% exactly the same as either some person, movement, or religion. No nuance, no “shades of grey”, not even a slight disagreement on a particular point or two. Basically you have turned off your brain and someone else is thinking for you.
Kyl Glan 3 years ago (edited)
Strike down my argument complete your transition to the dark side
Load More Replies... loty moty 3 years ago
Yes this one. Had a debate with opponents of gay marriage years ago and all they could offer is brainlessly repeat "it diminishes the institution of marriage." How? How do 2 guys marrying each other in San Francisco affect you in Tulsa Oklahoma? Are you going to divorce your wife because of that? Just sheer stupidity.
#23
They also talk endlessly, using word salad. True experts are direct and to the point. They summarize initially and then can dive into details as needed.
Sasha 3 years ago
Or theyre just bad at communicating. You can be an expert but absolute garbage at explaining honestly. Richard Feynman was a genius man in general but in a way, his even more amazing ability was to explain things, basically to anyone. Its actually something most people are c**p at period. Teaching is hard.
Pamela Blue 3 years ago
Yes, one must have a natural talent for communication to be a good teacher. Not all intelligent people are cut out to be professors.
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Aboredpanda 3 years ago
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein
iseefractals 3 years ago
Being "direct and to the point" only works if you're talking about something that your audience already generally agrees with. If you're voicing something that people do not want to hear or acknowledge being "direct and to the point" all but guarantees you're going to be ignored, mocked, vilified or all of the above.
#24
In internet debates, the trend in the past few years was just to just say, 'I'm not reading all that' when they encounter an argument they can't counter.
Ryan-James O'Driscoll 3 years ago
Depends on the context. If it's a long rambling essay that could have been a few sentences, I think tl;dr applies.
Monday 3 years ago
You just don't understand that the ability to read is so important in our daily lives and if you can't even be bothered to read an essay then do you really deserve to engage with this viewpoint at all. Don't you know that less is more doesn't apply to words and knowledge and there are so many wonderful words in our language that don't get used enough so we should absolutely demonstrate that we have a good grasp of the topic by saying everything we can using the right words rather than just focusing on making something short and easy to read and furthermore it really doesn't take much time to read, maybe you're just really bad at reading so you're complaining about everything to make up for the fact that you're a slow reader and I think that's just sad.........TL;DR: *Nelson Laugh* made you look! /s
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Hope Cows&Chickens 3 years ago
'I'm not reading all that' is like they're saying I'm not invested enough to know anything if it takes more than 2 minutes to completely understand.
Jamie Williams 3 years ago
I won't read anything that is just one run-on sentence made into a 30 line paragraph. I guess I'm not smart enough to guess where the punctuation marks should be.
#25
They don't validate the experiences of others, which are often backed by science or data, if they haven't been through it themselves.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
You don’t always have to directly experience something to understand it. The best minds are able to think beyond what is physically experienceable (if that’s a word) to them or anyone else (at least at present).
Jody Whitmarsh 3 years ago
I've never personally witnessed or experienced nuclear reactions but I'm not going to tell the Japanese WW2 was no big deal. This is really one of my biggest pet peeves
Sasha 3 years ago
"in my experience" , yeah thats anecdotal evidence, interesting, im not saying its not valid, but its only useful in an extremely narrow sense
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
As someone else, coming into it from a very different perspective, could experience it completely differently.
Load More Replies... #26
They rarely have an original thought or original contribution to discussions. Mostly regurgitating someone else's idea or view. Pop-intellectualism like Joe Rogan.
James Steinmetz 3 years ago
Tai ta patį gali pasakyt ir apie save bei mane śiaip jau Orginalios idejos retas dalykas gražute
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
For those who don't speak Lithuanian: You can say the same about yourself and me anyway. An original idea is a rare thing, beauty
Load More Replies... #27
If they listen to the usual Incel Mentors: Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson, or any other online troll that sees differing opinions as a debate challenge and an affront to society.
Mike D 3 years ago
Some dork who hates them for perfectly justifiable reasons. They are gross, puss-spewing boils on the infected a**s of society, beloved and revered by the other cysts and infected pores located on the sweatiest, swampiest region of our collective consciousness. The French should have given us a massive bidet, instead of the statue we've also never bothered to clean.
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Pamela Blue 3 years ago
Actually, it's important to listen to ALL these people. You can't form an intelligent or cogent argument if you haven't listened to what they have to say.
Floyd Cor de Rosa 3 years ago
Did you actually read the article you just referenced? The article is in support/defense of J Peterson's work. It starts with a satirical take on Jordan being despicable, goes on to point out the positives he's done, and ends with "if this is awful, bring it on." Your comment is the best display of the topic being addressed in this forum, that can be imagined.
Mattewis88 3 years ago
I wouldn't put Jordan Peterson in this category. Sure he's controversial, but I honestly don't know why he is THIS hated. (I know OF Ben Shapiro, I can't comment on his content.)
Casey McAlister 3 years ago
Maybe because of his attitude. I tried to listen to him once, and he does come across as a person who takes themselves way too seriously. And maybe partly because of his fans who, even when he says the most trivial platitudes, act like it's some sort of a brilliant idea nobody ever thought about before him.
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Laura Cox 3 years ago
This is literally trolling Ben Shapiro for having an opinion and shutting him down because you don't agree with him. Freaking hypocrite
Mohammad Ammar 3 years ago
I get the cricisms against him but calling him an Incel mentor makes this post author someone who belongs on this list.
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Marcin Jończyk 3 years ago
Somebody is prejudice towards Peterson (and other guy). Somebody is hypcrite. A real smart person are not making personal attacks towards others, so the author of this post put himself in the same row with pseudointelectuals which he is writing about.
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
don't waste your time. Just think of cartman in the episode about smurfs. "I'm just asking questions? Are trans people going to trigger nuclear war? I'm just asking questions."
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Ed 3 years ago
I'm not sure you can be classified as "incel" if you're married and have children. Here's another way to spot a pseudo-intellectual: They define those they oppose politically in personally insulting terms in a weak attempt to discredit them. Also, they can't form a grammatically coherent sentence, and use "that" in place of "who".
#28
If the only way they can explain complex or “high brow” topics (especially if they call them high brow) is using big words and not being able to use simple and concise language to make it understandable to the person they’re explaining to. Also having to put down anything they see as “lesser” than them and their interests. I always think of Hawking talking about teenage girls who love one direction and speaking with as much fondness as his assisted communication device could portray.
JustAFan 3 years ago
Wait, I need to read this. Did he live that recently?
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Kelli Pike 3 years ago
In my household, if a kid asks a question, we never say "you're too young/you wouldn't understand/I'll tell you when you're older"; we always answer their questions, and if I or my husband don't know the answer, we learn together with the kids. My rule of thumb is that if I don't know a subject well enough to be able to scale it down so our 11yo can understand it, I don't understand it well enough for myself.
Kelli Pike 3 years ago
This doesn't apply to super personal stuff like my physical relationship with my husband or anything. But otherwise, if they have a question, an answer will be forthcoming. The kids have occasionally learned this to their own personal woe. 🤣
Load More Replies... Wondering Alice 3 years ago
This is one of the few skills I have that I'm actually proud of. Once I get something, I can explain it fairly well in simple language. Hawkin is great to listen to. Brian C*x is another favourite. It can take me forever to understand something, but I can generally pass it on quite well. I have found people who consider themselves intellectual dislike this, like my failure to use the big words and obscure terminology proves I must be too dumb to know what I'm talking about. Watch Hawkin explain things to small children though.
#29
Making a series of discussion-worthy points about a topic. When responded to, selects one of three responses for an "auto victory" in their eyes: 1) (RARE) They see that of 6 points they raised, you only directly addressed 5, they declare you couldn't handle that extra point (even if it rested on the other 5 points being all perfectly true) and therefor they win the conversation. [This is rare because it requires them to read longer than the few words it takes to realize you disagree.] 2) (Average) They repeat what they said the first time and claim you didn't address any of their points because there is no response to them, they are objectively correct. 3) (Frequent) "Post too long bro. Not gonna read it. Clearly I'm right if you can't refute what I said in only a few words."
Tris Hunt 3 years ago
Had a recent argument with someone online. I posted facts that they wouldn't read because the post was too long. It was just #3 the entire argument. I eventually ended said argument because I am an adult and it was pointless to continue further when they wouldn't read anything, but they wouldn't let it go without having the last word 🙄.
#30
Going out of their way to not use contractions when they talk. Also identifying as "sapiosexual." I also find that pseudo-intellectuals will write messages that read more like a college essay than a casual conversation. I can see you read books, you don't have to talk to me like you're a 19th century novelist.
Enuya 3 years ago
I disagree with the part about conversations. Some people prefer using more formal style because it's easier for them to word their thoughts that way. Some didn't have enough exposure to informal style to be able to use it. It's a matter of preferenses, not intelligence or lack of it.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
It also breaks you of the habit of peppering your speech with teenage terms such as “like” and “you know”, and teaches you to form coherent sentences. You can still speak casually, you just sound less childish.
Load More Replies... Kelli Pike 3 years ago
Okay, unfortunately I tend to think in the literary/linguistic paradigm of whatever I'm currently reading (right now: Dune. See? Unironic use of the word 'paradigm'), so it can vary between higher-end philosophical stuff like OG Frank Herbert to very young adult authors like Garth Nix or Martha Wells. I automatically type out whatever I would think or say in person; it's never something carefully cultivated, but it tends to wrap itself organically around whatever other media I am consuming. There are people who DO take the time to build a pseudo-intellectual speech pattern, but it isn't like that for everyone. (I apologize in advance if this seems arrogant or snobbish; a quick peek into my other comments will show I always talk something like this. It's not my goal to offend, just to offer a dissenting voice on a couple points.)
Aunt Riarch 3 years ago
Hahaha you should have heard me when I was doing Chaucer in school!
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MorroEW 3 years ago
Generally disagree with the points raised here, but at the end of the day it boil down to personal experience - just because I don't associate these things with pompous pricks who can't rub two braincells together to save their lives doesn't mean there aren't plenty of them out there :D [I had to shorten my comment because I felt guilty for my style of writing and now I hope people haven't thought of me as an annoying pseudo-intellectual because of my tendency to speak very academically when you get a few drinks in me :D ]
Robert Boney 3 years ago
I work not to use contractions. The explanation for “won’t” bothers me; it is too much like “ain’t”. It is necessary for me to explain everyday. I choose my words very carefully because I do not want to be misheard.
Frank Miller 3 years ago
It's not pseudo-intellectuals that write messages that read more like a college essay than a casual conversation; many true intellectuals do exactly that to ensure that what their communicating is clear and concise and unambiguous. That's simply called good communication.
Hope Cows&Chickens 3 years ago
What the heck is sapiosexual? Is that 'sapio' like 'sapien'?
#31
When they get defensive about innacurate claims, and instead of having discussion, try to save face and manipulate the conversation into retaining the perception that they are not only intelligent, but moreso than the surrounding company. They're just neck beards with a few books. If you're like this it's not too late. Practice saying "I guess I was wrong." "Thank you for showing me this." "What's your take?" "I don't know / I didn't know" "This is out of my area of expertise" Lift people up. You'll learn more and really become a full blown intellectual. You won't have to rely on appearing intelligent if you really ARE intelligent. There's a lot of respect out there for people that can admit that they were wrong when presented with new information. :)
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
I usually say something—-honestly, not sarcastically—-like “Wow! I didn’t know. Tell me where I can read up on that, so I can update myself”. TBH, I’m happy to be found wrong and correct myself, as I don’t want to stagnate, but stay current with my understanding of a subject.
Kelli Pike 3 years ago
*Always* be willing to admit you are wrong, to thank someone for sharing information honestly, and to apologize to ANYONE. Never once in almost 40 years has my mother truly and honestly apologized to me for anything, so it's super important to me that I be willing and able to apologize to my own children if I hurt them.
#32
They mention science a lot, but only in the sense of "believing the science". They think being scientific is unquestioning trust of what a scientist tells you, even when the scientist is making all sorts of excuses for why his or her predictions turned out all wrong.
Maria Veronica 3 years ago
Pseudo-intellectuals doesn´t know how basic science works, I mean at all, but they say "according to science" when it´s conveniente for them
Felisae Moon 3 years ago
I saw so many people in social media looking for scientific research to prove their own views, even if they are wrong. They are usually very old or the person misunderstands the conclusion. But hey, here's scientific research to prove I'm right!
TomBeingPushed 3 years ago
Most of natural science is about falsification. So being wrong is a method in science and very necessary to point out, what is true. People forget about the importance of those scientifics, who spent years of work just to find out, that they were wrong. Their importance is underestimated.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Disproving your own hypothesis is a success, not a failure.
Load More Replies... #33
They're very, very condescending. Also they attack the person and not the idea, probably because they don't have enough information to address the idea. E: Update typo.
#34
I guess it depends on how you define intellect, but some of the smartest people I know have a very narrow band of knowledge, such as a friend who got his Ph.D. in theoretical math and works in cryptography but he knows nothing about other fields. Psuedo-intellectuals will pretend they know it all.
Felisae Moon 3 years ago (edited)
That depends. We all have our own interests, but some people like to research on topics they don't know about and end up knowing a bit of every field.
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago
I worked for an engineering firm. The engineers were brilliant at what they specialized in, but they didn't know how to put paper into the copier. You kind of had to part the fog to have a simplified conversation with them. But they were a fascinating bunch!
Jul Chv 3 years ago
You can dabble and have a broader approach but usually, real intellectual people will aknowledge their blind spots or out it into perspective ´ I think it´s like that but I am not 100% sure, I would have to check with specialized sources´. Real knowledge take time and regular checking, and time to search for the right answers.
Load More Replies... #35
Reminds me of my mom's fiancé. Says things as if he understands the topic completely and then when gently pressed, completely crumbles and can't form coherent thoughts.
Benita Valdez 3 years ago (edited)
Yes! Had a friend years ago that pulled this all the time. Yeah Mike! We get it! You read alot and you have a great memory but that doesn't mean you're this great intellectual if you can't explain or put it into practice. Anyone can memorize something but that doesn't mean you actually know it. Ex: "So what does that mean Mike?" Response- "well I just told you so if you don't understand then you should look it up". So you can tell me the 3rd law of thermodynamics but you can't explain what the law refers to or even define entropy or give me an example of where the law applies? (Mind you he was a history major who just read alot of random c**p). And he was an incel neckbeard with a literal neckbeard; neckbeard was his nickname before calling people neckbeard was a thing!
#36
use words that are rarely used in everyday life when you could use a more common word. an extra point when the meaning of that word has nothing to do with what the person wants to express.
InvincibleRodent 3 years ago
Okay, this one is a double-edged sword. Yes, the latter is true, sometimes people use words they don't truly understand themselves and that really is a problem, but... sometimes, rarely used words are just the most precise way for someone to express what they want to say. It's not always about posturing.
Mere Cat 3 years ago
Using rarer words and phrases is also common for a person speaking/writing their non-native language.
Load More Replies... Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
Depends on who you’re talking to. If you’re in a professional or scholarly environment, then those words are useful because they’re immediately understood. Around others who aren’t in your business or who aren’t scholarly (not stupid, just not presently engaged in any scholarly pursuits), using more common and understandable terms is useful, as it will get your message across better. It’s almost like speaking multiple dialects in one language. Gauge your audience, and speak appropriately for them to understand you.
LoudMansLover 3 years ago (edited)
Some people's minds work like this. If you have a bigger vocabulary, more complicated words come out than "common" words do. You can see it as posturing when people drop far too many, though. Or like the post says, when the meaning isn't right.
Olga Aftyka 3 years ago
Maybe not always true? As a child of a pair of language teachers, I would say I really did have more expanded vocabulary than my peers as a kid or young adult, and the words that were commonly used in our home were not so common among everybody else's - I was not presumptuous on purpose, I swear ;)
#37
After they make a claim and you ask them to show evidence for that claim, they tell you to "do your own homework."
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
just respond that no, the burden of proof is on the claimant, not the skeptic.
LoudMansLover 3 years ago
True, but I also get tired of having to do research for everyone else. Google's right there - and your library, etc. If you want to broaden your mind you go look up the opposing argument data. It's right there!
Maria Veronica 3 years ago
Of course, but the post talks about people wo evidences
Load More Replies... Maria Veronica 3 years ago
Because they don´t have evidence, and they are who didn´t their homewok
#38
Personally Attacking someone they disagree with.
Michelle C 3 years ago
Yup. The comment attacking Ben Shapiro and Dr. Jordan Peterson told me that the commenter would rather resort to personal attacks than make a reasonable and coherent argument for his or her beliefs. I believe name-calling lowers one’s credibility automatically and I find that I have difficulty taking anything else they have to say on a given topic seriously unless they humble themselves. Character matters more than intellect altogether.
Kelli Pike 3 years ago
Ad hominem attacks almost always indicate a weakness in the ability to back up one's word with real sources. Ad hominem is usually the last refuge of the stubbornly and willfully ignorant.
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#39
They get annoyed when you ask questions (especially if it's because you're trying to understand what they're saying).
#40
If they make unsubstantiated claims that they can't back up or, if they use words they don't understand in order to come across as more knowledgeable.
#41
Malapropisms
Sasha 3 years ago (edited)
I font know what that word means..... (Edit: i looked it up, and only then noticed that i misspelled "dont" in that first sentence. The irony here is too damn good, so leaving it as is)
Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 3 years ago
"the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with an amusing effect (e.g. ‘dance a flamingo ’ instead of flamenco )"
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
I had a coworker who used to use the word “facetious” a lot in light conversation, but not correctly for the topic she was discussing. I have never been able to figure out just what she was actually trying to say when she used it.
Kelli Pike 3 years ago
I remember using the word 'austere' rather than 'remote' when I was a teen and talking to an older person with regard to his personality, and 20 years later we still joke about my having done it. Now I'll happily look up a definition before throwing fancy verbosity around carelessly.
#42
They speak above their vocabulary. I'm not saying they necessarily mispronounced words, but certain words feel forced into a conversation when a better and simpler word would have fit better.
SirWriteALot 3 years ago
Don't judge someone who mispronounces words. It means they have read it somewhere.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Yeah, but they could look up the pronunciation. I learned that one quickly when I was still in grade school.
Load More Replies... #43
An inability to acknowledge someone else is right (and they are mistaken) or someone else knows more.
Maria Veronica 3 years ago
Pseudo-intellectuals are a special kind of dumb people, and dumb people are not able to notice some else´s intelligence
#44
They always defend popular opinions with "extremely convinced" and a rigid mindset without doing a critical thinking ever.
#45
They think holding a political opinion, or subscribing to a political ideology, they don't like is a sure sign of being a pseudo-intellectual
#46
They use IQ scores to defend their so-called “intelligence.”
Mattewis88 3 years ago (edited)
This whole post = those INTJ FB groups. I went to have a look after my therapist mentioned that I fit the personality and good grief... I have never seen a more self-absorbed, intelligence-obsessed bunch of d***s.
CalicoKitty 3 years ago
Damned Myer-Briggs... long-discredited, generally entirely based on self-reporting... and the foundation for goodness knows how many people's sense of self. Goddamnit.
Load More Replies... #47
The assumption that anyone who disagrees with them is doing so in bad faith. I'd also add: When you can guess all their opinions and almost guess word for word any argument they will make solely by knowing their ideological affiliation. If you don't disagree with your in-group about anything then you're a f*****g simpleton.
#48
They talk in such a convoluted, verbose way that you feel like you need to summarize back to them what they just said to confirm your understanding. And when you do, they respond angrily saying you are trying to put words in their mouth and they didn’t say that! Jordan Peterson comes to mind.
#49
"the definition of insanity is...."
loty moty 3 years ago
... arguing with anyone on internet in hopes of changing their opinions.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
Are you talking about the fine line between genius and insanity? Basically the psychic damage done by society when they continually disbelieve and ridicule people later regaled as geniuses, just because they questioned currently accepted, but wildly incorrect, beliefs? Yeah, it truly IS a fine line to walk, but it’s the cruelty of the non-geniuses (the in-group) who shove the geniuses (the out-group) over it.
Stephanie Did It 3 years ago
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results
Owen Jarvis 3 years ago
Doing the same f***ing thing over and over again, and expecting s**t to change. Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?
#50
They refer to themselves as intellectuals above everyone else because of their intellectual ability. They're the loudest arrogant person in the room.
#51
They watch Frasier but only laugh at the dog.
#52
If they leave books lying around but not read them
Maria Veronica 3 years ago (edited)
I have so many books around me, my speed at buying is faster than my reading
#53
They use Whom incorrectly
LoudMansLover 3 years ago
And yet here you capitalized it for no reason, thus using it incorrectly.
What do you think ?
Lord pretzell 3 years ago
One time I was arguing with a man about women being funny. He said “name one good female comedian”. I named around 20. He said “ nope not funny” I said “have you ever watched/listened to any of them?” He said no. I said “ well how do you know if they’re funny or not?” It’s so annoying when someone goes into an argument, asks for proof, gets provided proof, then refuses to acknowledge it
Pirates of Zen Pants 3 years ago
I feel for this man. Imagine not knowing Wanda Sykes, Aisling Bea, Tiffany Haddish, Kate McKinnon, Tina Fey, Fortune Feimster, Michelle Buteau, or Betty freakin' White. My life is enriched by how funny these women are.
Load More Replies... Sanne Van Buuren 3 years ago
This list is silly. It seems ironically written by people pretending to be smart 😅
Fickle_Pickle 3 years ago
I’m a certified and qualified trainer at work. Yet I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about what we do. I always encourage the new hires to take notes, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are no stupid questions. And by asking questions is how we learn.
Craig Silberman 3 years ago
People who say "whom" or "whomever" when "who" or "whoever" is correct. Trying to sound much smarter than they are.
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
If someone tries to correct your who to a whom, the correct response is 'whom cares?'
Load More Replies... Benita Valdez 3 years ago
This whole post seems dedicated to this guy Mike I used to know and I'm so irritated thinking about all our "discussions".
Tris Hunt 3 years ago (edited)
It seemed the same with this person I had an argument with. A good chunk of these, represented them. I gave proof in the first place, they didn't care at all, and didn't care about the experience of others that gone through what the argument was about. I understand being irritated.
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naked_ravens 3 years ago
People with decent intelligence have no problem saying "I don't know" - they'll usually then go and find out. A pretender will BS their way through instead of admitting they don't have a Scooby
Mykidsartrocks 3 years ago
I work with a lady who makes sure the first thing people know about her is that she she has three separate degrees and speaks two languages fluently. I asked her the best way to scrub up a mess that had been made and she said "have someone else do it".........she classifies herself as "too smart" to be cleaning in her workplace.
Lord pretzell 3 years ago
One time I was arguing with a man about women being funny. He said “name one good female comedian”. I named around 20. He said “ nope not funny” I said “have you ever watched/listened to any of them?” He said no. I said “ well how do you know if they’re funny or not?” It’s so annoying when someone goes into an argument, asks for proof, gets provided proof, then refuses to acknowledge it
Pirates of Zen Pants 3 years ago
I feel for this man. Imagine not knowing Wanda Sykes, Aisling Bea, Tiffany Haddish, Kate McKinnon, Tina Fey, Fortune Feimster, Michelle Buteau, or Betty freakin' White. My life is enriched by how funny these women are.
Load More Replies... Sanne Van Buuren 3 years ago
This list is silly. It seems ironically written by people pretending to be smart 😅
Fickle_Pickle 3 years ago
I’m a certified and qualified trainer at work. Yet I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about what we do. I always encourage the new hires to take notes, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are no stupid questions. And by asking questions is how we learn.
Craig Silberman 3 years ago
People who say "whom" or "whomever" when "who" or "whoever" is correct. Trying to sound much smarter than they are.
Wondering Alice 3 years ago
If someone tries to correct your who to a whom, the correct response is 'whom cares?'
Load More Replies... Benita Valdez 3 years ago
This whole post seems dedicated to this guy Mike I used to know and I'm so irritated thinking about all our "discussions".
Tris Hunt 3 years ago (edited)
It seemed the same with this person I had an argument with. A good chunk of these, represented them. I gave proof in the first place, they didn't care at all, and didn't care about the experience of others that gone through what the argument was about. I understand being irritated.
Load More Replies... naked_ravens 3 years ago
People with decent intelligence have no problem saying "I don't know" - they'll usually then go and find out. A pretender will BS their way through instead of admitting they don't have a Scooby
Mykidsartrocks 3 years ago
I work with a lady who makes sure the first thing people know about her is that she she has three separate degrees and speaks two languages fluently. I asked her the best way to scrub up a mess that had been made and she said "have someone else do it".........she classifies herself as "too smart" to be cleaning in her workplace.
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