It's the worst when you can tell when someone isn't being who they really are.
Reddit user GBJoe21 wanted to hear about:
"What are some annoying things that people do to sound/seem intelligent?"
Getting The Obvious Signs Out Of The Way
It's easy to recognize someone's arrogance most of the time. All you have to do is talk with them.
Not Sure If You're Using That Word Correctly
They use big words to make them sound more photosynthesis
Sometimes the person who does so is clearly obnoxious, but at other times it might just be a result of differing personalities / life experiences. I enjoy reading and will sometimes use "bookish" words when talking to people online without realizing that they might be words the other person has never been exposed to before.
No One Asked
Anyone who announces their (likely online) IQ test score, without anyone asking beforehand and without it even pertaining to the conversation.
Putting It All On You
Announcing loudly "Incorrect" in conversation. I've only witnessed this with people that have no idea what they are talking about.
Memorization Is Not Comprehension
They say something they memorized, like the stupid kid in 2nd grade tried to look smart by saying that the cube root of 27 is 3. Well I asked him what is the cube root of 64, and then his "smartness" ended.
The Slightly Less Obvious Ones
Sometimes there needs to be a little bit more from the person you're interacting with. Maybe they think they're being sneaky, keeping their supposed intelligence on the downlow until they can bust them out at the last possible minute.
Using "Facts"
Use a "fact" to back up their (often narrow) view or attitude, but completely fail to understand what said fact means, how it was gathered or how it should be used. And then just keep repeating that it is a fact.
Example: Let's say year X there were 100 in emergency care because of a virus.
Let's say 2020 there were 37 ppl in emergency care because of covid.
Person claims that this proves everyone just panicking for no reason as no one cared at year X, but fails to understand WHY there is a difference in those numbers - like, strict regulations taking place, etc. When questioned, keeps claiming it's a fact and the numbers don't lie.
Yeah....
"Why? I Already Know Everything."
Pretend they know something instead of trying to learn.
Pretending To Only Know Some People
Dismissing an argument by saying "Tell me someone I have actually heard of." Pretains mostly to pompous stuck up writers who want to act like they know best and are clearly more knowledgeable then others by dismissing opinions they don't agree with.
It's More Difficult To Break It Down
Making things complicated instead of simple. Intelligent people do the opposite.
A wonderful professor once told me anyone can make anything sound complicated. It takes true genius to simplify it for everyone.
He also taught me that when I thought I was an expert on any topic to go back to square one and learn about it all over again from a novice's point of view. Oftentimes we forget more than we retain and going back to the basics brings new insight.
It's A Pattern, Bro
I really hate in movies and tv shows when a character is doing a rubik's cube quickly and easily and it's supposed to convey that they're super smart. Anyone can go online and learn how to do these things easily. It's super easy, barely an inconvenience.
Before The Queen's Gambit, this used to be the case with chess as well, but in a slightly different way. Any time someone needs to appear smart, they will find a surprise move that is an instant checkmate against a presumably a strong opponent, which is utterly ridiculous. If your opponents doesn't see a mate in 1, or hell, any basic mating net for that matter, they are a beginner level player, not a strong opponent.
It was infuriating to watch over and over again in movies
Okay, You Can Just Walk Away Now
However, if you find yourself in a conversation with someone who drops one of these lovely little pearls of wisdom on you, then you can feel free to leave the conversation without feeling too bad.
No One Uses That Word In Casual Conversation
Bombastic people.
Using big words unnecessarily (and often incorrectly).
If you feel the need to tell 10 year-olds that their tangled earbuds are "discombobulated", you are not intelligent. Nor will people see you as intelligent, they will see you as weird.
philbarWhen they use unnecessarily long words or jargon to make others feel stupid for not understanding. It's actually a better sign of intelligence to be able to explain something complex in a way anyone can understand.
Name Calling Is The Easiest Way To Lose
Calling someone sweetie as a way to "win" an argument.
Infantizing to dismiss an argument has to be a type of logical fallacy, but I am not sure which one it would be.
If You Have To Say It, You're Not.
Talk about how intelligent they are.
Exactly what an unintelligent individual would say. Presumably the isinglass of the inexpensive wine you've been drinking caused a crater in your cerebrum. As a kid my comprehensive ingenuity luminated the classroom. Furthermore, I can divulge by your commentary that you're an apprehensive futile servant of society. Whiles I ponder about the philosophical controversies of the cosmos you're the one who kneels and brings my chamomile tea. A mind-numbing chore that's still too convoluted for you.
Intelligence and hard work are obviously traits to be admired, but if the person in possession of those smarts is only using it to try to appear better than you, then they're wasting their gift.
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