Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Things Dumb People Say To Sound Smart

People Break Down Which Things Dumb People Say To Sound Smart

Not everyone is capable of mastering the art of conversation.

It takes skill to perpetuate a lively discussion while also being a respectful listener.

Some people are naturals at this.

Others, however, make up for their self-aware verbal shortcomings by overcompensating. Unfortunately, the ruse ends up exposing their insecurity, much to the delight of their amused audience.


Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor TheArchitect_7 asked:

"What’s a thing dumb people say that makes them think they sound smart?"

Some people just want reactions more than a back-and-forth interaction.

Attention-Seeker

"'You wouldn't understand.' Yeah, that's why I asked you for an explanation."

– Appropriate_Donkey18

Fancy Words

"I sometimes use big words that I don't really understand to make myself sound more ambidextrous."

– Alone_Ad1278

Looking At The Score

"The more someone emphasizes their IQ, the less smart I think they actually are."

– rmshilpi

Hackneyed Sayings

"Everything happens for a reason, nothing is actually 'free' as someone has to pay for it, both parties are the same, you may have book smarts, but I have street smarts, common sense isn't so common anymore, but that's how we've always done it!"

"An addition to the previous: 'We will send 40 billion to Ukraine, but we won't spend 40 billion to secure our schools!'"

– humorous_anecdote

Things can get wacky when dealing with someone who is cantankerous.

Futile Argument

"Something along the lines of 'You can’t prove it didn’t happen.'"

"A guy at work tried to pull this one on me. He believed one of those Animal Planet mockumentaries about a giant killer shark was real. When I told him it was all fiction and that there was no real proof of this kind of stuff, he tried to argue back about while he couldn’t prove it, I couldn’t disprove it either."

"There’s a saying about getting into an argument with a stupid person. This was my real world experience with it."

– WongoKnight

Status

"Do you know who I am?"

– FoxFourTwo

The Equivalent Of Winning

"Thinking that getting a reaction out of someone is the same thing as winning an argument."

– bcopes158

Please Define

"My friend once used the phrase 'By its very definition' while we were arguing about something...so I asked him what the definition actually was, while he fumbled with that a bit I told him to stop using weasel words."

– groovyinutah

No Kidding

"'it all depends on how you look at it.' yeah thats f'king obvious."

– psychpopnprogncore

We all love a good malaprop.

Or Intents

"For all intensive purposes"

– p38-lightning

It's Moot, Really

“Mute point”

"Cracks me up every time."

– Ed_The_Bloody

Sometimes, editing yourself a bit in discourse with those who are intellectually out of your league is better than trying to keep up with them in an attempt to win their favor by articulating something you know nothing about.

I would explain better, but you wouldn't understand. ​

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

man with his hands covered with grime
jesse orrico on Unsplash

People Break Down The Extremely Unhygienic Things People Still Do Anyway

Most of us have heard of the "5 second rule" that says if food falls on the floor, but is there less than 5 seconds, it's OK to eat.

Yeah, that's not real hygienic, but a lot of things we do aren't.

Keep ReadingShow less
Olivia Munn
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

Olivia Munn Shares Emotional Behind-The-Scenes Video From Right Before Her Double Mastectomy

Celebrities are increasingly expected to use their big social media platforms for good by advocating for important issues and providing educational resources for those in need.

The Newsroom actress Olivia Munn has made herself no exception, as she's openly shared her experience with being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, including five major surgeries, a double mastectomy, and a SKIMS photoshoot that highlighted her double mastectomy scars.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two Houston food influencers narrowly escaped disaster
@Unrated Ex Files/YouTube

Food influencers shocked by car crash mid-bite!

Filming a crash-out in fine dining was definitely not on the menu when two food influencers sat down for what should’ve been a simple night of sliders and shrimp.

Instead, their dinner review at CuVee’s Culinary Creations in Houston turned into a full-blown disaster flick—complete with flying glass, chaos, and an SUV-shaped plot twist.

Keep ReadingShow less
Salma Hayek; Matthew Perry
Dimitrios Kambouris/Sports Illustrated Swimsuit/Getty Images; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Salma Hayek Pays Tribute To Matthew Perry On His Birthday With Sweet 'Fools Rush In' Clip

The entertainment industry was rocked at the news that Matthew Perry, most popular for his role as Chandler Bing on Friends, passed away on October 28, 2023.

Tributes poured in from all over the world, ranging from fans to fellow Friends castmates to countless other celebrities.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sharon Stone
Leon Bennett/FilmMagic

Sharon Stone Offers Hilariously Blunt Reaction To Planned Reboot Of 'Basic Instinct'

Because we have officially run out of ideas as a culture, Hollywood is rebooting the notorious early-90s film Basic Instinct.

And the original film's star, Sharon Stone, who rocketed to stardom because of her infamous performance, had a hilariously blunt take on the reboot's chances.

Keep ReadingShow less