Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Moment They Realized They Weren't As Intelligent As They Thought

People Break Down The Moment They Realized They Weren't As Intelligent As They Thought
Image by PourquoiPas from Pixabay

I think I'm pretty intelligent––but I can also be a bit absent-minded. The things that slip my mind... you just wouldn't believe.

After Redditor WallsdownWindowsup asked the online community, "When did you realize you're not as intelligent as you thought you were?" people shared their stories.

After reading these, you'll feel suitably humbled.


"I had it very easy..."

First year of uni.

I had it very easy in HS, I was one of the lucky bastards who could ace everything with minimal effort, scored in the 99th percentile in my country's equivalent of the SAT's, etc.

And then that first year of engineering just took a big ol' crap on everything I thought about myself, lol. It was a pretty humbling experience.

i_hate_traveling

"I have trouble..."

I have trouble opening doors that have "pull" written on them.

charlie_chapped_lips

"Half of the people there..."

I entered university. Half of the people there are smarter and/or had a better education, and the other half is equally smart as you. Really makes you realize how small your world was.

Lord_of_the_turtles

"I tried..."

I tried getting out of the car with my seatbelt on yesterday.

poempoem678

"I can't say..."

When I realize how much there was to learn. There's so much to learn, and not even our greatest geniuses can ever hope to know even a hundredth of it.

That being said, my arrogance and pride in my intelligence is still present, now accompanied by my frustration with how idiotic some people are.

I can't say I was a pessimist before the pandemic, but seeing everything that went down this year? It reminds me of the revelation I had in my teenage years. Being an adult does not lead to maturity or wisdom.

CalmingVisionary​

"The shock..."

Trying to live in the real world after growing up very sheltered. The shock is like jumping into a pool of ice water. There are many things I thought I knew how to do that I was actually doing completely wrong. I'm learning though.

MissMetalSix

"Why is there..."

Learned I spelled "raspberry" wrong all my life.

Why is there a "p" in the spelling and I can't even look at the fruit the same way. It's like it's a whole new food item to me and I can't stop thinking about it.

BobsYourDrunk

"I couldn't figure out..."

I'm a software dev, and I thought I was fairly intelligent. I couldn't figure out how to disconnect a U-haul trailer from my truck the other day when dropping it off.

seth3511

"When I realized..."

When I realized I couldn't just skate through my microbiology final exam. Every other class I'd been able to put in minimum effort and cruise through with B's and C's, and straight A's in my English classes. But I flunked micro, and it really made me realize my whole approach to life was wrong.

wroughtbylove

"My two previous bosses..."

I recently got a new boss. My two previous bosses came to me for a lot. I was good at my job and felt like a valuable part of the team. My new boss comes to me and gives me tasks I don't understand. I feel like my job has moved beyond me.

tyrannustyrannus

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Seth Meyers discussing Donald Trump
@MarcoFoster/X

Seth Meyers Responds To Trump's 'Truly Deranged' Personal Attack Against Him With Hilarious Takedown

After President Donald Trump lashed out at late-night host Seth Meyers on Truth Social over the weekend and called him a "truly deranged lunatic," Meyers responded to Trump’s “ranting and raving” about him with a damning supercut on his program.

Trump apparently tuned in to Thursday night’s episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where Meyers poked fun at the president’s complaints about Navy aircraft carriers using electromagnetic catapults instead of traditional steam-powered ones. Meyers joked that Trump "spends more time thinking about catapults than Wile E. Coyote."

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

Girl's Hilarious Reaction To Getting Divisive Candy For Halloween Caught On Doorbell Cam

In the '80s and '90s, kids were raised with the understanding that they got what they got, and they should say, "Thank you," for what they received. This was true for birthdays, holidays, and trick-or-treating on Halloween, even if they got candy they wanted to throw away the instant they turned the corner.

But kids today are much more communicative about what they like and don't like, and they can be brutal in their bluntness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lauren Boebert
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Lauren Boebert Slammed After Photos Of Her Racist ICE-Theme Halloween Costume Emerge

Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert—one of the most prominent MAGA voices in Congress—has sparked outrage after she and her boyfriend Kyle Pearcy attended a Halloween party dressed as a Mexican woman and an ICE agent.

Boebert wore a sombrero and a traditional Mexican-style dress to a party in Loveland, Colorado, while Pearcy, a realtor, attended dressed as an ICE agent, complete with a uniform and weapon. The event took place amid growing outrage over President Donald Trump’s ongoing immigration crackdown that is tearing apart families across the country.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Marjorie Taylor Greene
ABC

MTG Just Admitted The Awkward Truth About The Republican Healthcare Plan On 'The View'

Speaking on The View, Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke about sparring with House Speaker Mike Johnson over healthcare—and revealed that the GOP does not have any replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) despite what Johnson and her fellow congressional conservatives tell the public.

Democrats have continued to reject Republicans’ proposed continuing resolution to keep the government open without considering an extension of the premium tax credit that helps subsidize health insurance for people earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level.

Keep ReadingShow less
protest with flat Earth sign
Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

People Share The Best Ways To Shut Down A Debate With A Flat Earther Family Member

The Flat Earth conspiracy theory is strictly a modern online movement, rumored to have begun as a prank, that gained momentum among people who mistrust authority through the power of social media.

There is a persistent myth that Europeans in the Middle Ages believed the Earth was flat. But that is a 19th-century fabrication to sell Columbus Day, not historical reality.

Keep ReadingShow less