Very good answer, karrde. I would say what bothers me more is similar to what akafred suggests as choice c., but I'd describe it as the "Ion" problem, after the Platonic dialogue of that name. It is people who are smart or talented in one area and thereby conclude that they are smart in all areas, and act arrogant as a result.
I get along beautifully with smart people who are arrogant, always have. It's not that I don't find them difficult, it's more that it bothers me so much less than it bothers other people that I can make sort of a specialty of being able to deal with them. Give me as Asperger-ish Dr. House character to deal with as a boss or a judge or a client every time, I'm in seventh Heaven. I'm hopeless with many normal people. And I can't tolerate a stupid arrogant person for two seconds.
Seeing as how I am an arrogant smart person, I will go with B. Or on days when I am annoying myself, A.
Right now the personality type that I am POed at is the average joe nobody who thinks they are somebody and can therefore talk to people like 5 year olds. Like a drafting techie telling an engineer what to do on something very obvious, without first checking if the engineer already knew that or already tried that. LOVE IT!!!!
On a related note, Dr. Helen linked to this article today which suggests that the low competence/high arrogance combination is the worst possible, though the high competence/high arrogance combination is certainly no prize, either.
I must go with the stupid and arrogant being more irritating, since such people have nothing to be arrogant about but are arrogant nonetheless. Misplaced arrogance.
An arrogant smart person can also be a P.I.A., but at least he or she has some basis for his or her arrogance.
Note: I do not consider an arrogant liberal to be a smart person, because liberalism as we have accepted the term denotes a large hole where a certain portion of the ability to reason should be.
C. Smart people who are stupid! (Sorry, it's not my fault - I just came from two days of corporate retreat where we "envisioned" the future. Ho boy.)
ReplyDeleteMy answer is...Yes.
ReplyDeleteIf pressed, (A), because the stupid-and-arrogant can be ignored once the stupidity manifests, while the smart-and-arrogant are harder to ignore.
Very good answer, karrde. I would say what bothers me more is similar to what akafred suggests as choice c., but I'd describe it as the "Ion" problem, after the Platonic dialogue of that name. It is people who are smart or talented in one area and thereby conclude that they are smart in all areas, and act arrogant as a result.
ReplyDeleteI get along beautifully with smart people who are arrogant, always have. It's not that I don't find them difficult, it's more that it bothers me so much less than it bothers other people that I can make sort of a specialty of being able to deal with them. Give me as Asperger-ish Dr. House character to deal with as a boss or a judge or a client every time, I'm in seventh Heaven. I'm hopeless with many normal people. And I can't tolerate a stupid arrogant person for two seconds.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how I am an arrogant smart person, I will go with B. Or on days when I am annoying myself, A.
ReplyDeleteRight now the personality type that I am POed at is the average joe nobody who thinks they are somebody and can therefore talk to people like 5 year olds. Like a drafting techie telling an engineer what to do on something very obvious, without first checking if the engineer already knew that or already tried that. LOVE IT!!!!
...on a personal level, or in the public sphere?
ReplyDeleteOn a related note, Dr. Helen linked to this article today which suggests that the low competence/high arrogance combination is the worst possible, though the high competence/high arrogance combination is certainly no prize, either.
ReplyDeleteI must go with the stupid and arrogant being more irritating, since such people have nothing to be arrogant about but are arrogant nonetheless. Misplaced arrogance.
ReplyDeleteAn arrogant smart person can also be a P.I.A., but at least he or she has some basis for his or her arrogance.
Note: I do not consider an arrogant liberal to be a smart person, because liberalism as we have accepted the term denotes a large hole where a certain portion of the ability to reason should be.