The mindset of one-upping

If you've the smartest person in the room, maybe you need to get out more.
fyi
i get your point
i have found myself in such 'emotional' situations before.
the intellect seemed to be early teenagers inside the body of 20 to 30 year olds.
it is a lesson i didn't enjoy learning twice & didn't want to learn a third time.
 
X-ray vision mind reader ?(thespianising)
where do i sign up for that class ?
What I actually meant was that if being the smartest person in the room was going to be a problem, then perhaps it would be wiser to find a room where is wasn't a problem.
I hear the Illuminati are recruiting...:)
Priory Sion ( the actual secret one)
The Rome Club.
Knights Templar
Mensa
NSA
and a few others.... hee hee.

Were everybloody is the smartest in the room.
 
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Confusing right and wrong, or even more commonly knowledgable and ignorant, with smart and stupid,

right out of the gate,

doesn't hold out much hope.

When those who claim to be right, or knowledgable, are treated as if they were claiming to be smarter and better than others, not much future of discussion is to be expected.
 
Confusing right and wrong, or even more commonly knowledgable and ignorant, with smart and stupid,

right out of the gate,

doesn't hold out much hope.

When those who claim to be right, or knowledgable, are treated as if they were claiming to be smarter and better than others, not much future of discussion is to be expected.
Most of the time it appears that the objective (ball) is forgotten and the man is the target.
When the world desparately needs solutions one does not shoot down those that may have the capacity to find them.
If vanity is all there is then it is indeed game over...
 
I've enjoyed coming back to SF, but I don't miss the one-upping or the know-it-all, condescension that is so pervasive on here. It's not just on here though, if we're honest. I see this behavior in the workplace, politics, even with some of my friends. Maybe the internet makes it much easier however, for people to look at others as opponents, I'm not quite sure.
It's an interesting dynamic, and not uncommon on the internet. We see this kind of thing play out on social media, too, at least where strangers are involved. Twitter is a good example (although I don't really use it, so can't comment much from direct experience).

One relevant feature is anonymity, I think. People who feel like they are not accountable for what they say or write (because nobody is likely to work out who they are in "real life") can feel less encumbered about expressing their "true self", in some ways. If they are the kind of person who enjoys putting others in their place, or somebody who thinks that life is some kind of power game, then that attitude is more likely to get free reign on internet discussion platforms.

Anonymity helps because it makes people less accountable. They can get away with behaviour that would never be condoned among their family members, work colleagues or (in some cases) friends. If they insult somebody on the internet, or troll them, or get into a flame war, that has no real affect on their reputation, outside the particular forum in which the behaviour occurs. Few meaningful consequences mean that some people feel free to let their worst side out. Moreover, if the online consequences start to stack up too much, it's a simple matter to adopt a new anonymous identity and start again.

When it comes to one-upmanship, I think we mostly see that kind of thing from insecure people. To feel better about themselves, they think they need to pound other people down. It's a zero-sum game for some people: one person's gain must be another's loss, in this mindset.

In some cases, the people who make the most ostentatious claims to intellectual achievement - like the ones here who claim they have proven Einstein wrong, for instance - are the ones who are the least secure in their own knowledge and abilities. These people are usually crying out for somebody to notice them, and they perhaps think they can achieve that by making grandiose claims about themselves.

The other elephant in the room is this: it's usually the men. That's not to say that women are incapable of one-upping or condescension. But in my experience, the most arrogant know-it-alls are almost invariably men. The reasons for that are complex, too, social and probably also evolutionary, to an extent. The desire on the part of some men to assume the position of Alpha Male is conducive to posturing and to making everything a contest - especially when one is perceived to be "competing" against other males for the "top dog" position. On an internet discussion forum like this one, "top dog" is presumed to be the smartest, most knowledgable, or wittiest member, so the males to whom these things are of prime importance try either to compete on that basis or to bluff their way through.

Is it a mindset, to want others to believe that you're the smartest person in the room? Is it healthy to act like this? I don't think it is. :(

If you're the smartest person in the room, you should find a new room. - Unknown author
It's definitely a mindset. Personally, I have met quite a few people of limited life experience who have this kind of attitude. Their mistake, more often than not, is to assume that because they are the smartest person in their small and socially circumscribed peer group, they must necessarily therefore retain their position as the smartest person in the room when they interact with strangers.

There's also the Dunning-Kruger effect, in which people of low(er) capability are unable to accurately access their own relative level of expertise or the relative expertise of others. The smartest people tend to be people who are acutely aware of all the things they don't know. Meanwhile, the self-appointed "smartest people in the room" think they can match it easily with Einstein.

I've personally met a few Nobel prize winners and other award-winning individuals. In most instances I have found these people to be patient and eager to share their knowledge, as well as eager to help other people by applying their expertise. I have met people who can run rings around me when it comes to certain intellectual pursuits. With that kind of real ability, there's no need for one-upmanship or posing. The proof is in what these people produce. Meanwhile, the posers spend so much of their time asserting their supposed superiority that they never produce anything of value.
 
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It's an interesting dynamic, and not uncommon on the internet. We see this kind of thing play out on social media, too, at least where strangers are involved. Twitter is a good example (although I don't really use it, so can't comment much from direct experience).

One relevant feature is anonymity, I think. People who feel like they are not accountable for what they say or write (because nobody is likely to work out who they are in "real life") can feel less encumbered about expressing their "true self", in some ways. If they are the kind of person who enjoys putting others in their place, or somebody who thinks that life is some kind of power game, then that attitude is more likely to get free reign on internet discussion platforms.

Anonymity helps because it makes people less accountable. They can get away with behaviour that would never be condoned among their family members, work colleagues or (in some cases) friends. If they insult somebody on the internet, or troll them, or get into a flame war, that has no real affect on their reputation, outside the particular forum in which the behaviour occurs. Few meaningful consequences mean that some people feel free to let their worst side out. Moreover, if the online consequences start to stack up too much, it's a simple matter to adopt a new anonymous identity and start again.

When it comes to one-upmanship, I think we mostly see that kind of thing from insecure people. To feel better about themselves, they think they need to pound other people down. It's a zero-sum game for some people: one person's gain must be another's loss, in this mindset.

In some cases, the people who make the most ostentatious claims to intellectual achievement - like the ones here who claim they have proven Einstein wrong, for instance - are the ones who are the least secure in their own knowledge and abilities. These people are usually crying out for somebody to notice them, and they perhaps think they can achieve that by making grandiose claims about themselves.

The other elephant in the room is this: it's usually the men. That's not to say that women are incapable of one-upping or condescension. But in my experience, the most arrogant know-it-alls are almost invariably men. The reasons for that are complex, too, social and probably also evolutionary, to an extent. The desire on the part of some men to assume the position of Alpha Male is conducive to posturing and to making everything a contest - especially when one is perceived to be "competing" against other males for the "top dog" position. On an internet discussion forum like this one, "top dog" is presumed to be the smartest, most knowledgable, or wittiest member, so the males to whom these things are of prime importance try either to compete on that basis or to bluff their way through.


It's definitely a mindset. Personally, I have met quite a few people of limited life experience who have this kind of attitude. Their mistake, more often than not, is to assume that because they are the smartest person in their small and socially circumscribed peer group, they must necessarily therefore retain their position as the smartest person in the room when they interact with strangers.

There's also the Dunning-Kruger effect, in which people of low(er) capability are unable to accurately access their own relative level of expertise or the relative expertise of others. The smartest people tend to be people who are acutely aware of all the things they don't know. Meanwhile, the self-appointed "smartest people in the room" think they can match it easily with Einstein.

I've personally met a few Nobel prize winners and other award-winning individuals. In most instances I have found these people to be patient and eager to share their knowledge, as well as eager to help other people by applying their expertise. I have met people who can run rings around me when it comes to certain intellectual pursuits. With that kind of real ability, there's no need for one-upmanship or posing. The proof is in what these people produce. Meanwhile, the posers spend so much of their time asserting their supposed superiority that they never produce anything of value.
You have inspired an interesting question...

See new thread in Phys Math fora.
What would it take to prove Albert Einstein wrong?
http://www.sciforums.com/threads/what-would-it-take-to-prove-albert-einstein-wrong.162196/

You may wish to participate....

Should be fun...
 
The other elephant in the room is this: it's usually the men. That's not to say that women are incapable of one-upping or condescension. But in my experience, the most arrogant know-it-alls are almost invariably men. The reasons for that are complex, too, social and probably also evolutionary, to an extent. The desire on the part of some men to assume the position of Alpha Male is conducive to posturing and to making everything a contest - especially when one is perceived to be "competing" against other males for the "top dog" position. On an internet discussion forum like this one, "top dog" is presumed to be the smartest, most knowledgable, or wittiest member, so the males to whom these things are of prime importance try either to compete on that basis or to bluff their way through.


The proof is in what these people produce. Meanwhile, the posers spend so much of their time asserting their supposed superiority that they never produce anything of value.

Great post, but these points especially stood out to me, as there is a guy on here who fits this to a tee. Won't name him, but it's to the point of harassing me, lying to appear superior in an argument. lol I just don't know what motivates his rants, but...that last sentence that I've bolded for emphasis - you hit the nail on the head. He's an otherwise smart guy, but his rants and lies really drown out anything of value that I'd hope to glean from his posts.

My guess is people who feel the need to ''win'' every debate, even if they have to resort to lying and condescending behaviors, are likely insecure in their own opinions. And maybe themselves.
 
Great post, but these points especially stood out to me, as there is a guy on here who fits this to a tee. Won't name him, but it's to the point of harassing me, lying to appear superior in an argument. lol I just don't know what motivates his rants, but...that last sentence that I've bolded for emphasis - you hit the nail on the head. He's an otherwise smart guy, but his rants and lies really drown out anything of value that I'd hope to glean from his posts.

My guess is people who feel the need to ''win'' every debate, even if they have to resort to lying and condescending behaviors, are likely insecure in their own opinions. And maybe themselves.

not many people want to be considered part of a personality group outside their desire to fit-in with a specified group.
they will tend to give different answers depending on which group they are participating with.
there is a definite difference between gender indoctrination.
culture also
some people lie just to always oppose a group process so they feel like an individual.
their motive is not to fool,
their motive is to be considered independent and an individual.
the irony of such things is often their value is set against group values and can only be considered an individual by being contrasted against a group.
this is quite common.
likely insecure in their own opinions.
insecure in their own personal identity...
 
Great post, but these points especially stood out to me, as there is a guy on here who fits this to a tee. Won't name him, but it's to the point of harassing me, lying to appear superior in an argument. lol I just don't know what motivates his rants, but...that last sentence that I've bolded for emphasis - you hit the nail on the head. He's an otherwise smart guy, but his rants and lies really drown out anything of value that I'd hope to glean from his posts.

My guess is people who feel the need to ''win'' every debate, even if they have to resort to lying and condescending behaviors, are likely insecure in their own opinions. And maybe themselves.
As James wrote and you agree with, it is the lack of valuable contribution to the discussion that inevitably stands out. They will attack those that are attempting to create value.
Perhaps frustrating the aims of a discussion props up their own failure...?
 
The ultimate one upmanship is to be uninformed and yet sure that you have a theory that will set the world on fire, if you just weren't so misunderstood by all those "no nothings".
 
You and Rainbow are non-stop examples of posters who claim to be a victim all the while trying to inflate your ego by spouting "theories" that you know nothing about, ready to upturn the scientific world even though you don't know anything about those subjects. You are just hoping that your imagination is going to result in a Nobel Prize and then the rest of the world will see how great you are.

Right?
 
You and Rainbow are non-stop examples of posters who claim to be a victim all the while trying to inflate your ego by spouting "theories" that you know nothing about, ready to upturn the scientific world even though you don't know anything about those subjects. You are just hoping that your imagination is going to result in a Nobel Prize and then the rest of the world will see how great you are.

Right?
Go on, prove me right.
 
Go on, prove me right.
Go to the search function and anyone can see that you have been talking about the same things/asking the same questions all the way back to 2004 (and probably before). You say that it takes 20 years to be an expert. You have been talking about overturning GR for almost that long and yet you still haven't read one text book on this subject.
 
You and Rainbow are non-stop examples of posters who claim to be a victim all the while trying to inflate your ego by spouting "theories" that you know nothing about, ready to upturn the scientific world even though you don't know anything about those subjects. You are just hoping that your imagination is going to result in a Nobel Prize and then the rest of the world will see how great you are.

Right?

having a whine because your worried about your right wing outsourcing labour policy's now requiring tariffs and resulting in a USA china trade war ?

go on whine some more.
it will really help that international trade deficit and put americans back into jobs they can pay their mortgages with.
we will work on the failing health care system later once they get jobs.
 
Go to the search function and anyone can see that you have been talking about the same things/asking the same questions all the way back to 2004 (and probably before). You say that it takes 20 years to be an expert. You have been talking about overturning GR for almost that long and yet you still haven't read one text book on this subject.
So?
who cares?
Why do you care?
 
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You have been talking about overturning GR for almost that long and yet you still haven't read one text book on this subject.
Oh there is one book you reminded me of:

All I really Need to know I learned in kindergarten ~ Robert Fulghum 1986

Great read... you should give it a go...
 
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