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
Make us preferred on Google

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

Screenshot of Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Has Complete Meltdown After Republicans Lose The Midterms—And We're Grabbing The Popcorn

Fox News host Jesse Watters expressed sheer disbelief after Democrats swept midterm election races to win back both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in a clear repudiation of the Trump administration.

A Trump advisor told CNN that the election results were "essentially too big to rig." President Donald Trump has said he accepts the results and even acknowledged that his widely unpopular war in Iran played a significant role in pushing Americans to vote for Democrats. Affordability concerns, chief among them the price of gas, also contributed to the backlash Republicans experienced at the voting booth.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @iamjaysaxe's TikTok
@iamjaysaxe/TikTok

Trauma Coach Sparks Debate After Revealing The Unexpected 'Real' Reasons Men Cheat

There's always a reason behind why a person chooses to do something, but at the end of the day, it's still their choice whether they will follow through and do that thing, good or bad.

TikToker and trauma coach @iamjaysaxe, who also admitted to being a former cheater himself, shared that he's worked with "hundreds" of men through their worst relationship habits, cheating, and dealing with the shame of the things they've done wrong in their relationships.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @miss.dugan1's TikTok
@miss.dugan1/TikTok

High School English Teacher Reveals Her Students' Bonkers Comments About 'The Great Gatsby'—And Hoo Boy

The subject of public education in the United States getting worse, and the country falling into a literacy crisis, has been brewing for a while and only seems to be getting worse.

Ironically, a video about students' slang comments about The Great Gatsby might actually offer up a little bit of hope.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @shazmeeraqadri's TikTok video
@shazmeeraqadri/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate After Explaining Why You Shouldn't Treat Your In-Laws Like Your Own Parents

A lot of people have trouble getting along with their in-laws, often because they don't feel accepted or because they constantly feel like their boundaries are being pushed.

There's also no guarantee that the relationship will last forever that brought the in-laws into their lives in the first place.

Keep ReadingShow less
97-Year-Old Man Goes Viral After Making 'Dramatic Exit' By Passing Away At His Own Birthday Party

97-Year-Old Man Goes Viral After Making 'Dramatic Exit' By Passing Away At His Own Birthday Party

Most people turning 97 might settle for cake, a few birthday cards, and an early bedtime. Not Vito. This man wanted a Halloween birthday rager, and apparently, he wasn't taking requests for a quieter evening.

Vito, whose last name has not been publicly reported, got his wish. The California birthday boy spent the celebration dancing with friends to the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" before unexpectedly passing away at the party. The extraordinary celebration was originally documented on TikTok by Los Angeles baker Eden Malinoff, although her original videos are no longer available.

Keep ReadingShow less