Intelligent people usually are the least likely to call others names like dumb, stupid, etc, amirite?

Truly intelligent people don't care about someone's intellect because they are aware that comparing intellect is pointless. Some with a PhD in astrophysics is clearly very intelligent but they may have no idea how to install LED lights in their car. Meanwhile, the 22 year old who dropped out of high school may know how to install LED lights in their car. That's just one very simply example. But OP is right, it's the individuals who THINK they're smarter than everyone else who constantly throw out insults towards other's intelligence, and the irony of the situation is that the aggressor isn't nearly as smart as they think they actually are. They're just comparing their academic, scholarly, life, or family success to others and assume they're better than everyone else.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I mean I don't think true "intelligence" is about credentials or how much you know, it's more about how quickly you can process information or adapt.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Intelligence is like the horsepower in a car, and wisdom is like the driver. You can have a very high horsepower car that goes very fast, but if you don't have wisdom to guide it, you're just going to go very fast off a cliff or into a wall.

by Brilliant_Mess 4 days ago

Judging someone's intelligence by their academic performance is such a bad comparison. Some people are just really good at academics, some people have a relatively easy degree, some people aren't able to finance it or will underperform because they have to work a lot to make ends meet, some have the privilege they don't have to work and can fully focus on studying - and some just got lucky.

by cassinmarielle 4 days ago

Okay but if you have a PhD in astrophysics, you're intelligent.

by ElectricalBus 4 days ago

Maybe I'm dumb, but I don't believe this. Anyone with sufficient money and time should be able to get a PhD in just about anything as long as they have at least average intelligence.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

It's called the Dunning Kruger Theory, and it's absolutely my favorite. A very simple way to explain the nature of at least 50% of people

by Anonymous 4 days ago

If it's your favorite, you should know it's the Dunning-Kruger Effect, not theory. Moreover, it's frequently misrepresented by people as meaning "dumb people don't know how dumb they are." In reality, it roughly means that everyone thinks they're above average in intelligence. Dumb people, average people, bright people, all of them have this cognitive bias. It has less to do with analyzing one's own intelligence and more to do with how we perceive ourselves amongst our peers.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

What a dumb dumb, right?

by Lornajerde 4 days ago

Didn't say they were dumb. Just a bit misinformed.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Bro has never met a PhD or grad student 💀

by Anonymous 4 days ago

God damn, the amount of back handed "compliments" I heard while getting my PhD was astounding. Academia is filled with some very petty, egotistical people that love to show how smart they are. Get two professionals that absolutely hate each other and the amount of creative ways they find to call each other stupid is honestly impressive.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

While giving a talk at a conference with about 1000 people in attendance, my former PI put her biggest rival's name up on a Powerpoint screen and then used a Powerpoint animation to set it on fire.

by Brilliant_Mess 4 days ago

Ok, that's so petty and hilarious

by Anonymous 4 days ago

They have to feel like all that research for 4 cents a day meant something

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Academia is a whole different ballgame, because in that world intelligence is the primary social currency. Most social situations are just people trying to gain status by showing how smart they are. They might not actively call someone an idiot, but if they think someone is an idiot, they will find a way to make sure others know. That whole social world is very toxic, and I'm glad I bailed on it.

by Brilliant_Mess 4 days ago

Having a PhD or higher education does not equate intelligence or high IQ/EQ. Many people with high IQs struggle with attention span or societal expectations. A university backed piece of paper really just means you're endorsed to do your job.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

It's definitely true that there are lots of smart people without higher education. However, it would be pretty hard for someone with average or below average intelligence to get a PhD from a decent program. You need a high GRE score to get into most decent PhD programs, and you need intelligence to get a high GRE score.

by Brilliant_Mess 4 days ago

Those aren't signs of intelligence

by CultureTight7155 4 days ago

I think to truly be intelligent you have to have a combination of types of intelligent. I've noticed the more well rounded people are, the less they call others stupid Having a PHD doesn't make you intelligent necessarily.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

What does intelligence mean to you ? You objectively have to be very smart to get a PhD and it's also extremely often to run into arrogant lawyers and doctors

by Anonymous 4 days ago

You don't have to be intelligent, you just have to be better at the skills needed than others.

by CultureTight7155 4 days ago

That is what I was defining above. I don't really feel impressed by someone's intelligence unless it's well rounded, so usually when they have a make up of not only book smarts but also eq. The smartest people I've met were well educated and had exceptionally high EQs.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Doesn't eq mostly just mean they aren't awkward what does that have to do with intellectual abilities, eq is mostly correlated with leadership and likeability

by Anonymous 4 days ago

High EQ means you are able to understand, use, and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This skill set is crucial to success in many areas of life, not all, but many. The ability to understand and mange emotions and others helps see nuance, have empathy, see other perspectives and understand different types of intelligence. It also leads to confidence, the more confident someone is the less likely they are to speak poorly of use generalizations of others

by Anonymous 4 days ago

You really just said having phd doesn't make you intelligent📸

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Yes and I stand by that. You can't measure intelligence just by someone's ability to complete a PHD. Are they more likely to be intelligent? 1000% but plenty of people with PHDs may not be well rounded and lack other areas that I think make someone intelligent as a whole. People holding PHDs not automatically meaning you're intelligent is not an unpopular opinion

by Anonymous 4 days ago

If you are acting dumb, stupid, etc- someone is going to let you know. I don't think intelligence really plays a factor.

by CucumberSalt8799 4 days ago

I think OP point is that less intelligent people are likely to use it more flippantly. I think there is some truth to that. An intelligent person (I might just say more mature... ) may say it at some point, but they're far more likely to be selective when using it

by Anonymous 4 days ago

The smartest people I know LOVE to call people stupid, dumb, etc- they just tend to be awkward so they wont say it to the person. Its still said.

by CucumberSalt8799 4 days ago

This is true

by ExplanationPlastic78 4 days ago

Ikr if I see idiocy I say so

by Karleemarvin 4 days ago

There are people who don't act dumb or stupid and there are still people calling them that just because they are negative and like to treat others badly.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Usually a person does something to warrant something like that.

by CucumberSalt8799 4 days ago

Bullies only bully someone who deserves to be bullied, right?

by DramaticBonus 4 days ago

Calling someone out for being stupid isn't bullying.

by CucumberSalt8799 4 days ago

Not all the time and the fact that you generalize that idea makes me think that you're one of such negative people who like to criticize and attack others because it makes you feel better.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Oh boy....

by CucumberSalt8799 4 days ago

who hurt you?

by Ornery-Environment17 4 days ago

Common sense isn't intelligent, it's literally a logical fallacy

by tess60 4 days ago

Thank you captain semantics

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Hey now, I didn't claim to be one of those smart people ;) I will always call someone out for pretending not to understand what someone meant, that isn't calling someone stupid, that's acknowledging what I see, which I think is silly when brought to discussion.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I dunno. I've met a number of intelligent people, far smarter than me, straight A's, overachievers, who ended up having really high ego's, and could just be straight up mean and verbally abusive to those around them. Like calling people around them lazy and stupid, or putting them on the spot/embarrassing them for not knowing something.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I'd argue truly intelligent people aren't just educated, but have a combination of intelligence types. One of my good friends has an extremely high IQ and EQ and I've never once heard her use the word "dumb" or "stupid" when speaking about anyone, same with my other friends like that. My less educated friends who struggle to see the grey in things literally call everyone dumb. It's their favorite word

by Anonymous 4 days ago

fair enough. My experiences will be different than yours.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I think it depends on the level of intelligence and definitely how you were raised. If you're very intelligent, you might also have learned how to navigate socially. However, I know a few highly intelligent to genius level intelligent people who believe they are God's great gift to the world and everyone else is just a casualty to their way to success. They might not use the word stupid but they will make everyone feel that they are.

by Prior-News-3084 4 days ago

For sure. I personally don't think of someone as highly intelligent without feeling as though they are well rounded. I've been all over in life and while I'm not intellectually smart myself, I've been lucky to end up in friendships with people who are. I think I have good EQ which has made those friendships possible. I always know there is no way in hell they can't tell I'm much dumber than them in other ways, but they never even hint at it. They're never the person to tell you that about themselves either (that they are smart) and over time I noticed those were the people in my life I've almost never heard call others dumb or stupid.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Are you sure this isn't just because they are your friends….? I did a STEM degree in college and let me tell you, SO many intelligent people are also extremely pretentious lol. I lived that for 4 years. They may not call a friend dumb but someone they don't like? Well…..

by gerholdemilie 4 days ago

No I've seen this among bosses, colleagues, acquaintances. Being highly educated to me doesn't equal true intelligence. Truly intelligent people usually have a combination of different types of intelligence.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

We can even expand on that. Intelligent people usually are the least likely to rank themselves as more intelligent than others.

by Elian81 4 days ago

I did make a point to note that to me a truly intelligent person has a combination of types of intelligence. I should have instead said "well rounded and intelligent people" I've noticed they are the least likely individuals to call others stupid

by Anonymous 4 days ago

This hits like "Real nice people never describe themselves as nice." Just feels like weird gatekeeping wishful thinking.

by Weekly_Variation_752 4 days ago

I mean, it's true. Everyone I've met that talks about how they're a good person almost always ends up being the scummiest POS. Most of the truly good people I known, I've never once heard them call themselves "good people".

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I said nice, not good. Very different connotation. Very different philosophical meaning. Many people describe themselves as nice who are in fact, nice.

by Weekly_Variation_752 4 days ago

I definitely don't like the idea of making a black and white statement such as never, so I apologize. I do think people can acknowledge something positive about themselves and it being true, often depends on the audience in my experience and the motives. As a woman I can say most men who describe themselves as "nice" as often quite the opposite unfortunately.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

As a woman I can say most men who describe themselves as "nice" as often quite the opposite unfortunately. Is that really based on anything other than the Nice Guy TM trope though? It's not like there are statistics on this. This problem has more to do with calling yourself nice being turned into a taboo when you are a man, then it does a real pattern. So now people are afraid to do it because they can be character assassinated for doing it.

by Weekly_Variation_752 4 days ago

Just my experience from my single days. The truly good men I went out with didn't really talk about themselves in that way. In my early naive days I was the girl who would date the guy who called himself nice because, well, he said he's nice, right? Rarely the case. Confident people don't usually spend much time measuring if they're better or worse than others. Just be nice, people will notice. No need to announce it.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

All the hyper intelligent people I know are the worst the be around. They have no social skills. They don't speak highly of others but me having the opposite experience than you doesn't mean much.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

That's because name calling and insults are a logical fallacy - ad hominem

by Away-Chocolate9310 4 days ago

That's called having manners and being polite. Not really something i would attribute to intelligence. More so to how the person was raised.

by Bergnaumrubie 4 days ago

If i may ask. How can you tell other people are more intelligent or less intelligent?

by Bergnaumrubie 4 days ago

Absolutely correct.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

They sure think it though

by Due_Opportunity8263 4 days ago

In my experience this opinion is unpopular because of how common it is for people to call others "stupid" or "dumb" if this opinion was popular, less people would use those terms ;)

by Anonymous 3 days ago

You've never worked in customer service have you?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Currently do now.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Not claiming to be intelligent, but I will always make an effort to understand someone's point of view in good faith - they came to their conclusions somehow, and I feel understanding how they got there gives me a clearer picture of our shared reality, group consciousness, zeitgeist, whatever you want to call it.

by Acrooks 3 days ago

I don't think this is true. The more emotionally intelligent you are the more you can call out peoples lack of intelligence in certain areas. I know a lot of academically intelligent people who have 0 spatial and emotional awareness and just barrel themselves through life with their intellect. Completely unaware to how many lives they are effecting in their pursuit to be the bestest and smartest. That to me is stupidity and I will cuss them out. lol However to an academically intelligent person I may look dumb cuz I have no degrees on my wall but I can call out people hypocrisy's with some elite pattern recognition.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Emotionally intelligent people are the absolute least likely human beings to call others dumb in my experience. They may disagree with others and I'm sure from time to time they think someone is truly dumb, but generally in conversation they're not throwing around how this group of people and that group of people are all "dumb.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I mean, in general most of us fall to average or below average intelligence, so most people call others dumb. I just noticed when I've been around people that I'm like "ok this person is super smart and well rounded" I've noticed they don't speak that way

by Anonymous 3 days ago

No they do, you're just not smart enough to realize they're doing it.

by Whole-Occasion641 3 days ago

Zing! Nah, the most well rounded people I know would rather articulate why they disagree or express concern for lack of insight or whatnot. People who I don't find terribly interesting to be around seem to use the word "stupid"'to describe everyone they disagree with.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Dumb people will often boast about how smart they are. It's just a way to compensate because they know they're dumb, but can't deal with it.

by General-Print 3 days ago

This is only true if you define ‘highly intelligent' as ‘a specific undefinable mix of things I determine to be intelligent'. Because if you define it as ‘phd/academic folks' this is not the case in any way; if you define it as ‘people who have achieved a lot in business, healthcare, law, etc' it's def not the case.

by No-Studio5059 3 days ago

When I know someone and I'm impressed by how intelligent they are or I'm thinking "god damn this person is much smarter than me" it's because they seem well rounded and have multiple types of intelligence. Those people blow me away. They would rather articulate why they don't see eye to eye with someone rather than just say "oh they're dumb!". The problem is some people think that someone articulating why they disagree is the same as calling someone dumb and it's not.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Nah. The stupid people of the world are actively dragging down society. They deserve to be outed as stupid.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I bet you're much much smarter than them. I can tell.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

In my own personal experience it goes way beyond just intelligence. People tend to project their faults and insecurities onto others, or call them to attention as a distraction. Be it intelligence, religious piousness, sexual proclivities, work ethic, etc

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Sorry i know a lot of really intelligent people, and i mean really truly intelligent, and they do make fun of others. They are just smart enough to know who theyre saying it to

by Dull_Review 3 days ago

Because dumb and stupid people don't exist, just people of varying IQs doing dumb or stupid things, but it's generally not an IDENTITY.

by abelardoberge 3 days ago

There is no doubt that many Trumpets identify with intellectual deficiencies apparent in their leader. As I identify his ignorance. I acknowledge his intelligence.

by FastDemand720 3 days ago

iq means nothing

by Anonymous 3 days ago

That is why I said usually they have a combination of different types of intelligence. The people I've met that have obviously high IQ and EQ have always surprised me at how little they speak in black and white terms of others and rarely call others "stupid" or "dumb".

by Anonymous 3 days ago

If your on the lower end life does become much harder than the average person though

by Careful-Head3019 3 days ago

Everyone responding to this threat think they are intelligent people.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Agreed. Intelligence doesn't necessarily equate to achievements. A Ph.D. doesn't mean you're smart, it means you have a lot of time, patience, dedication to a specific field, and funds to pay for the cost of education. Typically, I've found intelligence and ethical behavior to be synonymous.

by Extreme_Chemical 3 days ago

Feels like confirmation bias to me

by Impressive-Bend-8914 3 days ago