Smartest Guy in the Room syndrome is related to Dunning/Kruger Effect, and affects men and women equally.
The Smartest Guy in the Room is smart enough to know that he's smarter than most people, but not smart enough to recognize when other people are smarter. He defaults to the belief that because he is smarter than the majority of the population, he must be smarter than the people he's talking to, and tends to look no further or deeper than whatever initial assumption he has made or conclusion he has come to.
The Smartest Guy in the Room is recognizable for his tendency to dismiss other people's views without critically examining why, for glancing at a discussion, assuming other people are being foolish, and correcting them based on that assumption without actually checking the source material himself to understand what they are discussing, and for either digging in his heels and screeching, or for "refusing to argue because it's pointless" whenever anyone else presents difficult-to-refute information that contradicts his conclusion.
He actually can't learn, because he thinks he already knows, and that the rest of us simply aren't smart enough to see his enlightenment. The Smartest Guy in the Room has usually been through at least one, sometimes two jailbreaks, but then something critical happened; he stopped. Convinced that he had broken out of his cell, he latched onto whatever form of enlightenment helped him get there, failing to realize that enlightenment is a verb, not a noun. Clinging to the implements of his enlightenment, he also failed to notice that he is once again squatting in a cell almost identical to the one he believed he had left behind.
There is nothing that can be done with a Smartest Guy in the Room, as any attempt to convince him that he is missing out on a huge aspect of bipedal development will simply lead to him thinking that you don't understand his unique and highly sophisticated perspective. In that sense, the Smartest Guy in the Room is stuck in a state of arrested development, at approximately age fourteen.
He is a lost cause and cannot be rehabilitated.
Another distinguishing habit of The Smartest Guy In The Room is the practice of calling in to question any and all statements or decisions that don't immediately make perfect sense from his own perspective. He sees no reason to spend 5 seconds thinking about why someone might do or say something that way.
If you don't discourage this behavior, you might spend untold precious minutes of your life explaining why you chose to go to the gas station first, and the grocery store second; the minutia of your life are open to critical dissection and analysis, to determine just how stupid you are compared to The Smartest Guy In The Room.
A Smart Smartest Guy in the Room will recognize that there are other Rooms.
I had this affliction in high school. Fortunately, flunking out of university cured me.
I once suffered this painful affliction. Luckily, I knew someone who really was the smartest guy in the room, and when I realized this, I accepted Lady Doubt into my heart.
Smartest guy in the room is often legitimately the smartest guy on a particular topic. He is aware of this fact and believes that this bleeds over into other areas of expertise where he is either adequate or deficient. That does not stop him on spouting the "facts" on those particular topics.
I occasionally suffer from this. I am just smart enough, though, to change my mind if I'm shown actual proof of my error. So I'm about half-way there.
A Smartest Guy in the Room often has an advanced degree, and believes that it qualifies him as an expert on any topic. Likewise, he often thinks he is superbly well-connected and savvy, and can help you out by putting in a good word for you or writing you a letter of recommendation. This belief often defies all logic and crosses the boundaries of even remote plausibility, but being the Smartest Guy in the Room, he is incapable of recognizing that he sounds like a complete tool.
Frequently, many people will see The Smartest Guy in the Room as... The Smartest Guy in the Room, and they will defer to him or her for no apparent reason at all. In fact, if you point out that The Smartest Guy in the Room is talking out of his or her rectum, the crowd will resent you for this.
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 04:32:17 PM
A Smartest Guy in the Room often has an advanced degree, and believes that it qualifies him as an expert on any topic.
Then there's the po'bucker SGitR, who dismisses all higher education as "book learning with no common sense", without ever considering that there's things that his limited education didn't teach him, and thinks that there are amazingly simple answers to very complicated problems.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on March 29, 2012, 04:35:01 PM
Frequently, many people will see The Smartest Guy in the Room as... The Smartest Guy in the Room, and they will defer to him or her for no apparent reason at all. In fact, if you point out that The Smartest Guy in the Room is talking out of his or her rectum, the crowd will resent you for this.
Ron Paul/Richard Dawkins/RAW devotees come to mind.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 04:27:22 PM
I occasionally suffer from this. I am just smart enough, though, to change my mind if I'm shown actual proof of my error. So I'm about half-way there.
I would say that we all suffer from the symptoms of Smartest Guy in the Room from time to time, but few of us have the full
syndrome.
A defining part of the syndrome is an inability to change your mind or, in the most severe cases, admit error. The Smartest Guy in the Room is stuck in the moment when he realized that everyone around him was wrong,
and so was he. It was a light bulb moment... and then he was done. Bam, he had it. And whatever savior led him to his Enlightenment™ became his new Jesus.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on March 29, 2012, 04:35:01 PM
Frequently, many people will see The Smartest Guy in the Room as... The Smartest Guy in the Room, and they will defer to him or her for no apparent reason at all. In fact, if you point out that The Smartest Guy in the Room is talking out of his or her rectum, the crowd will resent you for this.
The Smartest Guy in the Room often surrounds himself with such people, because they reinforce what he already knows about himself. A certain Color Religion Bird we know comes to mind.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 04:37:55 PM
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 04:32:17 PM
A Smartest Guy in the Room often has an advanced degree, and believes that it qualifies him as an expert on any topic.
Then there's the po'bucker SGitR, who dismisses all higher education as "book learning with no common sense", without ever considering that there's things that his limited education didn't teach him, and thinks that there are amazingly simple answers to very complicated problems.
This particular type of SGitR also avoids situations and people that challenge his beliefs with an astounding tenacity, and reacts as if to a threat to health and safety if he finds himself cornered by someone who can rationally out-argue him. Confronted with facts and reason, he promptly escalates into shouting and threats of violence.
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on March 29, 2012, 04:35:01 PM
Frequently, many people will see The Smartest Guy in the Room as... The Smartest Guy in the Room, and they will defer to him or her for no apparent reason at all. In fact, if you point out that The Smartest Guy in the Room is talking out of his or her rectum, the crowd will resent you for this.
Dude, I was about to post this exact same thing. Cosmic synergy!
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 04:44:06 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 04:37:55 PM
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 04:32:17 PM
A Smartest Guy in the Room often has an advanced degree, and believes that it qualifies him as an expert on any topic.
Then there's the po'bucker SGitR, who dismisses all higher education as "book learning with no common sense", without ever considering that there's things that his limited education didn't teach him, and thinks that there are amazingly simple answers to very complicated problems.
This particular type of SGitR also avoids situations and people that challenge his beliefs with an astounding tenacity, and reacts as if to a threat to health and safety if he finds himself cornered by someone who can rationally out-argue him. Confronted with facts and reason, he promptly escalates into shouting and threats of violence.
Actually, I've found that they tend to seek out those situations, so they can bellow their beliefs in everyone's face. The fact that most people are too polite to tell them to go shit in their hats is then mistaken for agreement.
I think there is a corollary to this as well which is the person who is unwittingly perceived as the Smartest Guy or one of the Smartest Guys in the room. And it usually is someone who is certainly a very capable person in any given field or area of expertise, but not someone who holds themselves as the Ultimate Guru of Everything. And then that person gets laden with everyone else's work.
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on March 29, 2012, 04:55:18 PM
I think there is a corollary to this as well which is the person who is unwittingly perceived as the Smartest Guy or one of the Smartest Guys in the room. And it usually is someone who is certainly a very capable person in any given field or area of expertise, but not someone who holds themselves as the Ultimate Guru of Everything. And then that person gets laden with everyone else's work.
Yeah, but that's not the syndrome at all. That's
other people's perceptions.
Life must be rough on someone like that. Kids in Africa don't have it as bad.
Well, no, the point just being that there are external forces that sometime feed the syndrome.
ETA: e-primed
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 04:56:44 PM
Quote from: What's-His-Name? on March 29, 2012, 04:55:18 PM
I think there is a corollary to this as well which is the person who is unwittingly perceived as the Smartest Guy or one of the Smartest Guys in the room. And it usually is someone who is certainly a very capable person in any given field or area of expertise, but not someone who holds themselves as the Ultimate Guru of Everything. And then that person gets laden with everyone else's work.
Yeah, but that's not the syndrome at all. That's other people's perceptions.
Life must be rough on someone like that. Kids in Africa don't have it as bad.
Also, I think that just sort of happens naturally if you're competent. The incompetent flock to you in the hope that A: you will solve their problems for them, or B: your competence juju will rub off on them. The best defense is the word "no" and a rolled-up newspaper.
The Smartest Guy in the Room frequently flirts with/hits on members of the interesting sex in ways that are deeply inappropriate. He believes that his intelligence and wit make him charming and debonaire, and has no grasp on the dismay and/or amusement his actions generate.
The Smartest Guy in the Room never does anything wrong; any negative consequences of his behavior is somebody else's fault or the result of an unfair policy, or possibly even of a conspiracy.
Because the higher-ups feel threatened by his influence.
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 03:50:33 PM
Smartest Guy in the Room syndrome is related to Dunning/Kruger Effect, and affects men and women equally.
The Smartest Guy in the Room is smart enough to know that he's smarter than most people, but not smart enough to recognize when other people are smarter. He defaults to the belief that because he is smarter than the majority of the population, he must be smarter than the people he's talking to, and tends to look no further or deeper than whatever initial assumption he has made or conclusion he has come to.
I like this. I know this guy. I've been this guy, on occasion but the first sentence doesn't quite ring true. SGitR strikes me as being smart in some areas but dumb as shit in others. I sometimes feel like I'm the smartest guy in the room, when I probably am but if there's someone smarter than me there or even some dumb fuck who knows more about something than me, it doesn't fuck up my delicate ego to recognise this. SGitR on the other hand seems to be blindly oblivious to even the possibility of this and that's just plain dumb in my eyes.
Kinda like an atrophied limb or something - SGitR usually seems to be amongst the dumbest guys in the room.
Sgitr is the guy with the unreasonably high iq. People dont question this since they dont understand how iqs work. When he doesnt have an advanced degree theres always some reason for it like his professors were idiots. All of them. When he actually does go to a class he overlaps into that guy territory.
That Guy (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1930)?
Sgitr excels at bullshit. When he doesnt have the facts he can make them up on the fly. And even he believes the bullshit. His confidence in the correctness of the wrong answer leads others to accept it. He doesnt need to skew the facts when he can just make them up as he goes.
That guy is the guy who always answers. To the point where the professor starts to ignore him so he can gauge how the other students are faring. That guy needs to not only be at the head of the class but the center of it too. The class is only there for his benefit and no one elses.
If there was a Venn diagram, there would be some serious overlap between The Smartest Guy in the Room and The Loudest Guy in the Room
The more I read, the more I'm convinced a large part of my life was spent being the SGitR.
It should be noted that not all that guys are sgitr. That guy can admit error and is more likely to say "i agree but what about..." than "youre wrong"
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on March 29, 2012, 06:58:11 PM
The more I read, the more I'm convinced a large part of my life was spent being the SGitR.
Same here. This was not helped by the fact that I spent roughly 6 years of my childhood in the larval stage: The Smartest Little Shit In The Room.
When you're the statistical outlier in a class of three dozen kids for the whole grade, and your reading level is three times everyone else's, it's hard not to be more knowledgeable about nearly everything than your peers. It's especially difficult to grow out of when your identity among your peers and teachers is built up as "The Smart Kid", and you're
just likable enough that no one calls you out on being a SGitR.
Then I started being wrong more often, once the things we were expected to know got more complicated. I also decided that I preferred being liked to being The Smart Kid.
The Smartest Guy in the Room also has a bag of first world problems.
Mike the Engineer, for example, makes 3 times what I make - and I make a damn good wage - and he never stops bitching about how poor he is, having to pay on a $500,000 house, the biggest pickup truck ever made, the constant need to upgrade his computer so he can play the newest games, etc.
ETA: He does this bitching in front of the operators, who make about $30K/year. It's a form of boasting, of course. They are not amused by this.
Sgitr is the intellectual equivalent about the guy who keeps talking about how big his junk is and how big his loads are. The only difference is you dont really want to see big dick guys evidence or lack thereof. Youre comfortable with his delusion as long as no one brings it up.
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on March 29, 2012, 06:14:28 PM
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 03:50:33 PM
Smartest Guy in the Room syndrome is related to Dunning/Kruger Effect, and affects men and women equally.
The Smartest Guy in the Room is smart enough to know that he's smarter than most people, but not smart enough to recognize when other people are smarter. He defaults to the belief that because he is smarter than the majority of the population, he must be smarter than the people he's talking to, and tends to look no further or deeper than whatever initial assumption he has made or conclusion he has come to.
I like this. I know this guy. I've been this guy, on occasion but the first sentence doesn't quite ring true. SGitR strikes me as being smart in some areas but dumb as shit in others. I sometimes feel like I'm the smartest guy in the room, when I probably am but if there's someone smarter than me there or even some dumb fuck who knows more about something than me, it doesn't fuck up my delicate ego to recognise this. SGitR on the other hand seems to be blindly oblivious to even the possibility of this and that's just plain dumb in my eyes.
Kinda like an atrophied limb or something - SGitR usually seems to be amongst the dumbest guys in the room.
The Smartest Guy in the Room IS a dumbfuck. He's just a dumbfuck with a significantly above-average IQ, the score of which he has committed to memory and occasionally manages to interject into conversation.
Part of the syndrome requires actually being pretty smart. Above average enough to have been praised for their intelligence through childhood and young adulthood, even if they had trouble in school. Particularly if they blame their trouble on having been "too smart" and "bored" in class.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 06:47:39 PM
Sgitr excels at bullshit. When he doesnt have the facts he can make them up on the fly. And even he believes the bullshit. His confidence in the correctness of the wrong answer leads others to accept it. He doesnt need to skew the facts when he can just make them up as he goes.
What I love is that we
all know SGitR. Everyone does. Everywhere. He's a universal!
Oh definitely! Sgitr is part of the human condition. I can picture a homo erectus sgitr going "thats not the right way to make a flint axe. Youre doing it all wrong" and then making a flint axe thats exactly the same.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 07:26:09 PM
The Smartest Guy in the Room also has a bag of first world problems.
Mike the Engineer, for example, makes 3 times what I make - and I make a damn good wage - and he never stops bitching about how poor he is, having to pay on a $500,000 house, the biggest pickup truck ever made, the constant need to upgrade his computer so he can play the newest games, etc.
ETA: He does this bitching in front of the operators, who make about $30K/year. It's a form of boasting, of course. They are not amused by this.
Oh holy shit, YES.
Many of them also had a troubled and tragic youth, brought on by the terrible burden of being too bright and raised in a nice suburb.
Ooh. I got a music specific one. Sgitr is the guy who goes into guitar center and "tries out" new gear. And by that i mean he plays a bunch of complicated but well known songs that hes practiced at and when hes done jamming decides that hell think about it and come back later.
Eta: hes also that guy at the party always playing the same songs on the porch. If youre watching a movie hell watch it with you but also practice at the same time.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 08:43:04 PM
Ooh. I got a music specific one. Sgitr is the guy who goes into guitar center and "tries out" new gear. And by that i mean he plays a bunch of complicated but well known songs that hes practiced at and when hes done jamming decides that hell think about it and come back later.
Eta: hes also that guy at the party always playing the same songs on the porch. If youre watching a movie hell watch it with you but also practice at the same time.
Holy shit, I know THAT guy.
I spent a good part of my early and mid 20's being TSGitR, but I think I did a fairly good job balancing it by being TSGitR who has no problem admitting he doesn't know about <insert subject> and then asking a lot of questions about it.
Probably one of my father's best personality traits I learned to mimic at a young age.
Party etiquette question: if someone breaks out an acoustic guitar at a social gathering, is it acceptable to smash the guitar and garrote him with the low E string? What if it's the host?
Quote from: Danny Muffin on March 29, 2012, 09:50:46 PM
Party etiquette question: if someone breaks out an acoustic guitar at a social gathering, is it acceptable to smash the guitar and garrote him with the low E string? What if it's the host?
According to
Animal House, yes.
It is legal to destroy anyone who breaks out an acoustic guitar - and said guitar -
anywhere.
Unless the guy is named Keith, and lives in Rhode Island.
It is acceptable to bust out a guitar at a party if youre at a party ofmusicians and everyone gets a turn or everyone goes hey play a couple of songs. The later only happens in high school though and is usually asked by girls who both think the guitarist in question is dreamy and want him to play dave matthews.
This brings me to another item sgitr guitarist wants you to jam with him at said party. If you oblige he will ask you to play some of your stuff and then proceed to make suggestions on how to make it better. He also does this at shows.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:07:25 PM
It is acceptable to bust out a guitar at a party if youre at a party ofmusicians and everyone gets a turn or everyone goes hey play a couple of songs. The later only happens in high school though and is usually asked by girls who both think the guitarist in question is dreamy and want him to play dave matthews.
Q: Is it an acoustic guitar?
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:07:25 PM
This brings me to another item sgitr guitarist wants you to jam with him at said party. If you oblige he will ask you to play some of your stuff and then proceed to make suggestions on how to make it better. He also does this at shows.
Look, Twid...God put engineer boots on this planet for a REASON. That reason is for you to USE THEM. And not like James Hetfield does. The proper home for an engineer boot is UP SOMEONE'S ASS, not all clean & shiny in a cheesy music video.
A) yes it is an acoustic guitar some of the time. But if at a musician party and electric instruments are not available it becomes ok if something good collaborationwise comes out of it and collaboration is eventually transferred to electric. At least i think so. But you wont see me being the one initiating said collaboration.
B) i aint got no boots anymore. :(
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:15:48 PM
A) yes it is an acoustic guitar
:thisguy:
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:15:48 PM
B) i aint got no boots anymore. :(
Oh, boy.
You haven't started singing the Delilah hipster song, have you?
The only acceptable venue to play Dave Matthews is a prelude to a mass suicide.
Quote from: Cain on March 29, 2012, 10:19:43 PM
The only acceptable venue to play Dave Matthews is a prelude to a mass suicide.
I will make an exception for
I Did It.
I've never actually heard it.
Given the rest of their output, I'm sure you can understand why I never went looking for more.
Quote from: Cain on March 29, 2012, 10:22:11 PM
I've never actually heard it.
Given the rest of their output, I'm sure you can understand why I never went looking for more.
You know how Pearl Jam sucked ass, and then did "Do the Evolution"? Most of the fun was the video, but it sounded very different from their normal moaning.
I Did It is kind of the same way. The video is half the fun, but the surreal quality of the song itself is totally different from the regular shit he plays.
Granted, he was well supported by another singer.
No delilah. I hate that song. No more boots because i wore them out.
Twid
eventually destroys the soles even on doc martens.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:24:19 PM
No delilah. I hate that song. No more boots because i wore them out.
Twid
eventually destroys the soles even on doc martens.
And there are no cobblers near by to repair your footwear?
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:24:19 PM
No delilah. I hate that song. No more boots because i wore them out.
Twid
eventually destroys the soles even on doc martens.
NOT A SUBSTITUTE.
You need ENGINEER BOOTS. Or just get used to the idea of whimpering into the microphone like The Plain White Tees.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 10:24:14 PM
Quote from: Cain on March 29, 2012, 10:22:11 PM
I've never actually heard it.
Given the rest of their output, I'm sure you can understand why I never went looking for more.
You know how Pearl Jam sucked ass, and then did "Do the Evolution"? Most of the fun was the video, but it sounded very different from their normal moaning.
I Did It is kind of the same way. The video is half the fun, but the surreal quality of the song itself is totally different from the regular shit he plays.
Granted, he was well supported by another singer.
I will have to check it out, then.
Engineer boots it is then.
Cobblers- i dont know actually.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 10:27:11 PM
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:24:19 PM
No delilah. I hate that song. No more boots because i wore them out.
Twid
eventually destroys the soles even on doc martens.
NOT A SUBSTITUTE.
You need ENGINEER BOOTS. Or just get used to the idea of whimpering into the microphone like The Plain White Tees.
Not engineer boots exactly, but when I receive my tax refund or my financial aid (whichever comes first) I'm getting these:
(http://ii.sundancecatalog.com/sundance/images//products/en_us/detail/35219.jpg)
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 10:31:43 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 10:27:11 PM
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:24:19 PM
No delilah. I hate that song. No more boots because i wore them out.
Twid
eventually destroys the soles even on doc martens.
NOT A SUBSTITUTE.
You need ENGINEER BOOTS. Or just get used to the idea of whimpering into the microphone like The Plain White Tees.
Not engineer boots exactly, but when I receive my tax refund or my financial aid (whichever comes first) I'm getting these:
(http://ii.sundancecatalog.com/sundance/images//products/en_us/detail/35219.jpg)
Invisible shoes? :?
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 10:32:16 PM
Quote from: Nigel on March 29, 2012, 10:31:43 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 10:27:11 PM
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:24:19 PM
No delilah. I hate that song. No more boots because i wore them out.
Twid
eventually destroys the soles even on doc martens.
NOT A SUBSTITUTE.
You need ENGINEER BOOTS. Or just get used to the idea of whimpering into the microphone like The Plain White Tees.
Not engineer boots exactly, but when I receive my tax refund or my financial aid (whichever comes first) I'm getting these:
(http://ii.sundancecatalog.com/sundance/images//products/en_us/detail/35219.jpg)
Invisible shoes? :?
:( :(
Frye belted harness boots.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:31:08 PM
Engineer boots it is then.
Cobblers- i dont know actually.
There has got to be shoe repair shops somewhere in that morass of people you people live in.
Im sure there is. Ive never really lloked before because i would always just get cheap shoes. The docs were a birthday gift though and ive held onto them. Ill look around.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 10:57:11 PM
Im sure there is. Ive never really lloked before because i would always just get cheap shoes. The docs were a birthday gift though and ive held onto them. Ill look around.
Do NOT buy the Redwing version. They will murder your feet.
The Harley Davidson brand are pretty comfy, and last the longest.
The Smartest Guy in the Room is the physicist that says "because I can't understand how a system as complex as an eyeball could evolve on its own, evolution must be wrong." The Smartest Guy in the Room is that fucking guy who calls himself an author, even though he's never written anything longer than a ten page essay and will never ever get published.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on March 29, 2012, 11:02:21 PM
The Smartest Guy in the Room is that fucking guy who calls himself an author, even though he's never written anything longer than a ten page essay and will never ever get published.
Actually, that's a libertarian. :lulz:
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 29, 2012, 11:03:56 PM
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on March 29, 2012, 11:02:21 PM
The Smartest Guy in the Room is that fucking guy who calls himself an author, even though he's never written anything longer than a ten page essay and will never ever get published.
Actually, that's a libertarian. :lulz:
Which is, of course, the perfect example of TSGitR.
Dok- thanks for heads up. I have flat feet so comfort is a main consideration.
The smartest guy in the room is more than willing to show you his knife skills by using your throat as a target to pull back from at the last second at a barbecue. You didnt ask him about it and didnt know he considered himself a knife expert until a couple of seconds ago and didnt really warn you about the knife. He manages to not accidentally kill you but you keep your distance for the rest of the night. And you dont want to fight him because you know hes armed now. :lulz:
You need something done and your friend says "i know a guy."
you dont need something done and sgitr says "i know a guy" smirks and then points at himself with both thumbs.
The Smartest Guy in the Room owns all of Mitnick's books, which clearly makes him a hacker. When he breaks into your computer by turning it on when you're away, it's your fault he read your emails because you saved passwords in your browser. It's totally inappropriate that you stole his diary.
Sgitr corrects your pronunciation on a word (hes wrong of course) and then uses it incorrectly in conversation.
Sgitr when undeniably shown to be incorrect follows up with "oh sorry i thought you meant (blank). You were a little unclear in what you were saying."
everyone on yahoo is sgitr. They all point everyone else out as sgitr.
OP is the fucking SHIT, Nigel. I suffer from SGITRS from time to time so I'm gonna say he can be rehabilitated...but the only prescription for that fever is a heaping, humbling spoonful of I'm A Complete Dumbshit elixir.
I feel this from the other side as well: being exposed to people who don't listen. You have what you think is a debate or a conversation and they're so busy trying to school you that they interrupt you mid-sentence: sometimes even to make the same point you were trying to make before they cut you off. Interrupting them to point it out is useless. SGITRS tend to believe they've heard enough of your side to "sum up" your argument and attack all the holes and only become impatient with your forcing them to finish listening to a point they feel is redundant.
The only treatment for SGITRS (pronounced: ess-JITTERS) is to have life kick the ever-living crap out of you and pull down your pance in front of everyone.
I like that pronunciation!
When the sgitr changes his mind mid debated (a rare thing) he says "yes exactly. Now you get what ive been trying to say."
I hope this is not premature but i think this thread, a little bit of sleep dep, and beer are going to lead to holiness tonight that i will try and channel into other things.
I've been pronouncing it like "skitters" in my head, but with a hard g instead of a k.
I've never seen a case of full-blown SGitR Syndrome be rehabilitated... perhaps it's possible, but in most cases it's just smart people exhibiting SGitR behavior, not a diagnosable case of the syndrome.
All kids are hyper and distractible sometimes, right? And they usually grow out of it.
Most smart kids have a tough transition to adulthood, because once you hit adulthood, you don't get cookies just for being smart anymore. You have to actually accomplish something with all that smartness. That creates a difficult patch for kids who have gotten used to everyone fawning over them just for being smart; a know-it-all adult is not particularly endearing. So they grow out of it.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 29, 2012, 11:53:40 PM
I hope this is not premature but i think this thread, a little bit of sleep dep, and beer are going to lead to holiness tonight that i will try and channel into other things.
Ooooh, I hope so!
I think sgitr syndrome is a chronic incurable thing but sgitr social dysfunction disorder is ultimately treatable.
Both are offshoots of thatguyism once that guy reaches his pinnacle. But with the social dysfunction disorder sgitr realizes that he used to be that guy and he used to not be as smart as he thinks he is now and maybe still isnt.
Something may be posted in principia discussion on grounds of beginnings of a holy book. We shall see. I may put it elsewhere too. But i think the fermentation process on this thought is there.
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 30, 2012, 12:03:52 AM
I think sgitr syndrome is a chronic incurable thing but sgitr social dysfunction disorder is ultimately treatable.
:lulz: I am so writing my PhD thesis on this.
Quote from: Nigel on March 30, 2012, 12:35:48 AM
Quote from: An Twidsteoir on March 30, 2012, 12:03:52 AM
I think sgitr syndrome is a chronic incurable thing but sgitr social dysfunction disorder is ultimately treatable.
:lulz: I am so writing my PhD thesis on this.
Oh hell yes!
Little prick deserves everything he gets (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?action=markasread;sa=all;bd8a793e4=857c3b746d58b52add4e154030a8e844), imo.
Quote from: navkat on March 30, 2012, 01:08:51 AM
Little prick deserves everything he gets (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?action=markasread;sa=all;bd8a793e4=857c3b746d58b52add4e154030a8e844), imo.
Link didn't work?
Is that a fact..?
Huh...I'll have to do something about that later...
Quote from: Nephew Twiddleton on March 29, 2012, 07:57:20 PM
Sgitr is the intellectual equivalent about the guy who keeps talking about how big his junk is and how big his loads are. The only difference is you dont really want to see big dick guys evidence or lack thereof. Youre comfortable with his delusion as long as no one brings it up.
Speak for yourself, sir.
I'm glad this thread exists.
I have been on both ends of The Syndrometm
I enjoy the humor that accompnies recognizing the syndrome, but I'm curious.
What is the protocol when you actually are the smartest guy in the room? I find that asking "intelligent" questions often puts people on the defensive.
I have noticed in myself, I tend to try to dumb myself down in an effort to keep things copacetic. I have learned a great deal about internal combustion engines.
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
Quote from: The Freeky of SCIENCE! on March 30, 2012, 01:42:07 AM
Quote from: Nephew Twiddleton on March 29, 2012, 07:57:20 PM
Sgitr is the intellectual equivalent about the guy who keeps talking about how big his junk is and how big his loads are. The only difference is you dont really want to see big dick guys evidence or lack thereof. Youre comfortable with his delusion as long as no one brings it up.
Speak for yourself, sir.
:lulz: well, I'm not particularly interested in literal dick waving contests. It always struck me as "methinks he doth protest too much" sort of stuff. That sort of thing should come down through discovery or the grapevine.
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
I'm glad this thread exists.
I have been on both ends of The Syndrometm
I enjoy the humor that accompnies recognizing the syndrome, but I'm curious.
What is the protocol when you actually are the smartest guy in the room? I find that asking "intelligent" questions often puts people on the defensive.
Well, ask yourself if your questions are actually intelligent. Get objective confirmation.
Quote
I have noticed in myself, I tend to try to dumb myself down in an effort to keep things copacetic. I have learned a great deal about internal combustion engines.
SGitR loves to use jargon, and dumbing it down is fine, but don't expect others to understand what you're saying even then. Chances are if you're dumbing it down, unless they initiated the topic, they're still not going to get it because they're just not interested in hearing in because it's too niche.
Quote
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
We can admit that we are wrong or not have expertise in a particular topic. I would not expect to have an in depth conversation with Roger about music theory, nor would he expect to have an in depth conversation with me about green goo.
Edited to specify which conversation I would not expect Roger to follow.
I was talking about irl. Now I think the defensiveness in others stems from they, themselves, suffering from the syndrome.
It is, however, difficult to agree with a falsity only because you know asserting the known truth will require an argument.
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 02:20:18 AM
I was talking about irl. Now I think the defensiveness in others stems from they, themselves, suffering from the syndrome.
It is, however, difficult to agree with a falsity only because you know asserting the known truth will require an argument.
You mentioned the board though...
Defensiveness can be a symptom but aggressiveness is more common of a symptom.
purple Shirley0 U has Moved E-Mail to google so pdx00782@pdx.edu AinT
(http://web.pdx.edu/~pdx00782/img/i1.jpg)
19:56 OU CAN HAVE MY SNO {Fine by me But its the '40s sno i remember
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
Actually, that's because we're a bunch of dicks.
Aspie.
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
I'm glad this thread exists.
I have been on both ends of The Syndrometm
I enjoy the humor that accompnies recognizing the syndrome, but I'm curious.
What is the protocol when you actually are the smartest guy in the room? I find that asking "intelligent" questions often puts people on the defensive.
I have noticed in myself, I tend to try to dumb myself down in an effort to keep things copacetic. I have learned a great deal about internal combustion engines.
Bring the rest of the room up to your level. If by "intelligent" questions you mean "incisive" (in the "cuts to the heart of the matter") then yeah, people get defensive because they start worrying (correctly?) that you're about to find some major flaw in whatever they're thinking. Or if it's a question that takes some cleverness to see how it applies to the situation, people don't know how you intend to use the answer - so they don't know if their answer is going to help them or harm them, and in any case you clearly know something they don't and that should make anyone nervous (in the same way that armed people make unarmed people nervous.)
I'm still working out the exact specifics, but there's ways to phrase ideas and suggestions such that people think that they came up with them (like Socratic-style questions?) so you can get your ideas out there with the minimum of personal ego-driven opposition.
In particular you want to avoid being this mysterious black box that turns ordinary information into clever ideas, because nobody wants to trust an idea they didn't personally see created and people especially hate it when someone else can clearly do something they can't. Try "showing your work" by doing as much of your thinking out loud as possible - this lets people follow along (so they can keep up with you instead of feeling like they're falling behind) and more importantly, gives them the chance to catch mistakes and see angles that you haven't thought of. Because being the smartest person in the room is not smart enough, when compared to the potential intelligence of the whole room working together effectively.
If you frequently find yourself the smartest person in the room - you need to find a bigger room.
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
Oh god, he's right.
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
Speak for yourself. I've got lots of friends. :lulz:
The smartest guy in the room has the social savvy to know that a particular venue will or won't be conducive for his sort of "conversation", but will utterly fail at predicting the level of acceptance it receives with the other people at the place. Or at least that is what he will claim after it is all said and done.
Playing with an idea for a moment, maybe not a bigger room : A better room.
Example - I can think of a few people I know who probably haven't read a book in their adult lives. One of them can tear apart pretty much anything motorbike related and has his own terms for practically every component. One would struggle to name an interest of theirs and probably couldn't tell you much about any of them. Guess which one I spend more time with?
I have a sense that we need to broaden and sharpen definition of knowledge. You may be the sgitr (in my head this becomes "smug git") when it comes to a something you know about, but I doubt you know more about everything than everyone. If you truly believe you do, you probably have some sort of severe personality disorder.
I see very little value in being tsgitr. If you are I think it likely that you have either not found an area of knowledge between the group and yourself that you are lacking in. This may be because it is of little interest to you or many other reasons. The big problem occurs when you cease trying to learn more about anything/everything.
I think what I'm trying to get at is we can never be sgitr, unless we choose to be. Mainly by not exchanging knowledge. Consider who benefits the room. Get more smart people in there! Get a better room!
As an aside, when considering the traits of sgitr I can't help but associate more than a few with the harpy from "The weakest link". The mindset and ethos of the show and presenter had a curious combination of praise and hate towards knowledge and success. Good choices were always second guessed, bad ones played to a further extreme.
I like this idea. I'm going to go and play with it more.
I think the implication was that SGitR is that severe personality disorder.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on March 30, 2012, 05:51:17 AM
I think the implication was that SGitR is that severe personality disorder.
Yes. SGitR can never admit fault.
When he is right, he is right.
When he is wrong, you're wrong, not him.
When you prove him wrong, you were either unclear about what you meant, or you're somehow agreeing with him in some inexplicable way, or you're still somehow wrong.
What ever you do, you're doing it wrong.
If you're not doing it wrong, he can do it better and is more than happy to show you regardless of how less efficient, less rational or less cost effective his method is.
He's the guy who gives unsolicited advice.
He's the one who can't admit that your burgers are good because you didn't grill them like he does.
He thinks everyone looks up to him, and if they don't, it's because his genius is misunderstood.
What I'm thinking about is more the room aspect. The sgitr never actually leaves his room.
I'm probably mixing my metaphors and trying to make this more BIP-ish than it may be. It just struck me that there's a bit of overlap here and one may well influence the other. That probably didn't come over very well. Writing is a bit of a struggle for me, I was raised to communicate through interpretive dance.
I get the sense that sgitr can and does frequently leave the room. He does after all have to so everyone how awesome he is at everything.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on March 30, 2012, 05:51:17 AM
I think the implication was that SGitR is that severe personality disorder.
Exactly.
Quote from: Doktor M. Phox0 on March 30, 2012, 05:02:33 AM
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
Speak for yourself. I've got lots of friends. :lulz:
The smartest guy in the room has the social savvy to know that a particular venue will or won't be conducive for his sort of "conversation", but will utterly fail at predicting the level of acceptance it receives with the other people at the place. Or at least that is what he will claim after it is all said and done.
The Smartest Guy in the Room has a lot of friends, but almost no
close friends.
The Smartest Guy in the Room says that he will do anything for his friends, and cites extreme loyalty as one of his biggest faults. He then talks shit about his friends behind their backs, which is okay because his "friends" do the same as soon as that pretentious git is out of earshot.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on March 30, 2012, 06:00:58 PM
The Smartest Guy in the Room says that he will do anything for his friends, and cites extreme loyalty as one of his biggest faults. He then talks shit about his friends behind their backs, which is okay because his "friends" do the same as soon as that pretentious git is out of earshot.
This is SO TRUE.
And most of his friends are unsure of why they're friends with him, but can't quite seem to just disentangle themselves. Of course, the main reason is because of the tantrums he throws when he thinks he's been "betrayed"; it's easier to simply tolerate him for a few hours every other month or so while he gets shit-faced and tries to impress everyone in the bar by talking loudly.
Mine was a non-drinker. And like all non-drinking SGitRs, he would go on about how unhealthy alcohol is for the body and how stupid people are for consuming it.
he tries that shit with me, he'll be instantly relegated to the most injured guy in the room :argh!:
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on March 30, 2012, 07:08:30 PM
Mine was a non-drinker. And like all non-drinking SGitRs, he would go on about how unhealthy alcohol is for the body and how stupid people are for consuming it.
So many beautiful variations. Like snowflakes. Special, special snowflakes.
SGitR will tell anyone and everyone how to parent, because he has three children. Nevermind that they didn't ask for help, nevermind that they don't even have children, they obviously need his or her advice because they aren't doing it the same way or are thinking about doing it differently.
SGitR may occasionally hook up with other SGitR, but never ones who have different opinions.
I find at work there are often several smartest guys in the room.
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
Quote from: Doktor M. Phox0 on March 30, 2012, 05:02:33 AM
Speak for yourself. I've got lots of friends.
Yes: &
i have 0
WhiTch is 1 to many | i do have lots of Nations / Religions / & GoMint
Enemies HOWever. & 4 Sfo's too.
Never the less i do wish you would at least read the request | Link Later
yeah Reply #4: February 18, 2012, 05:16:11 (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php/topic,31689.msg1148713.html#msg1148713)
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 08:22:19 PM
I find at work there are often several smartest guys in the room.
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
Do they get louder and louder while talking to each other, until nobody else can carry on a conversation anywhere in their vicinity?
YES: Sum12:47:04.000 {maybe
Quote from: hirley0 on March 30, 2012, 08:32:45 PM
Quote from: Doktor M. Phox0 on March 30, 2012, 05:02:33 AM
Speak for yourself. I've got lots of friends.
Yes: &i have 0
WhiTch is 1 to many | i do have lots of Nations / Religions / & GoMint
Enemies HOWever. & 4 Sfo's too.
Never the less i do wish you would at least read the request | Link Later
:fnord: yeah Reply #4: February 18, 2012, 05:16:11 (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php/topic,31689.msg1148713.html#msg1148713)
Quote from: The Freeky of SCIENCE! on March 30, 2012, 08:20:46 PM
SGitR will tell anyone and everyone how to parent, because he has three children. Nevermind that they didn't ask for help, nevermind that they don't even have children, they obviously need his or her advice because they aren't doing it the same way or are thinking about doing it differently.
SGitR may occasionally hook up with other SGitR, but never ones who have different opinions.
SGitR will also do this when he has no children, and the person he is talking to is a parent of three.
Quote from: Nigel on March 30, 2012, 08:40:50 PM
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 08:22:19 PM
I find at work there are often several smartest guys in the room.
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
Do they get louder and louder while talking to each other, until nobody else can carry on a conversation anywhere in their vicinity?
One guy definitely uses the louder technique. The other ones either change the subject or resort to blaming management. One guy just holds his ground, asserting his rank.
SGITR is a self-control and give a shit about other people's opinions issue.
Also: We're all a bunch of bitches.
Bump
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 30, 2012, 04:00:52 AM
Quote from: rong on March 30, 2012, 01:56:45 AM
Also, it occurs to me that this board suffers from "smartest forum on the internet syndrome" and that's why you don't have many friends.
Actually, that's because we're a bunch of dicks.
This is still the best comeback ever.
Quote from: AFK on March 29, 2012, 04:55:18 PM
I think there is a corollary to this as well which is the person who is unwittingly perceived as the Smartest Guy or one of the Smartest Guys in the room. And it usually is someone who is certainly a very capable person in any given field or area of expertise, but not someone who holds themselves as the Ultimate Guru of Everything. And then that person gets laden with everyone else's work.
Also, bump because I remember deliberately not responding to this but oh, god, oh, god, so much irony right here. :lol:
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on October 24, 2015, 10:04:36 PM
Quote from: AFK on March 29, 2012, 04:55:18 PM
I think there is a corollary to this as well which is the person who is unwittingly perceived as the Smartest Guy or one of the Smartest Guys in the room. And it usually is someone who is certainly a very capable person in any given field or area of expertise, but not someone who holds themselves as the Ultimate Guru of Everything. And then that person gets laden with everyone else's work.
Also, bump because I remember deliberately not responding to this but oh, god, oh, god, so much irony right here. :lol:
Yeah, I remember that. It was one of RWHN's finest moments. :lol:
(small note: I was at page 2 and thread blew up to page 8 out of nowhere, but I want to contribute with terminology from my field in a parallel type of conceptualization.)
SGITR is the equivalent of believing and desiring to be the "subject of knowledge"... which is one of the possible subderivations of the "subject of power" or in anthropological/psychoanalytical terms, "the phallus"...
While the most common demonstration/aspiration to show itself as "the phallus" (the holder of power) to others is physical power, be it muscular strenght (see: gym vigorexics), "toughness" (see: "internet tough guy"), or ability at handling weapons (see: "fedora samurai" and/or "gun freaks") not all humans have physically or directly violent interests.
That's were SGITR falls into... the category of aspiration to power thru "knowledge" and "words"... one can be mystical power (see: "wiccans", "satanists" and or "mystick wicks elders"), or the power of seduction (see: PUAs, marketers, salesmen of any kind, lawyers) or "science specialists/experts" which think that expertise in one area means all of them.
**scurries away to catch up on thread**
As I keep going thru the thread there also seems to be one of these characteristics:
1. Big fish in a small pond
2. Slightly smarterer than average
3. The overestimation/misuse/boasting of its capabilities/gifts and/or random shit.
Quote from: The Johnny on October 25, 2015, 06:49:46 AM
(small note: I was at page 2 and thread blew up to page 8 out of nowhere, but I want to contribute with terminology from my field in a parallel type of conceptualization.)
SGITR is the equivalent of believing and desiring to be the "subject of knowledge"... which is one of the possible subderivations of the "subject of power" or in anthropological/psychoanalytical terms, "the phallus"...
While the most common demonstration/aspiration to show itself as "the phallus" (the holder of power) to others is physical power, be it muscular strenght (see: gym vigorexics), "toughness" (see: "internet tough guy"), or ability at handling weapons (see: "fedora samurai" and/or "gun freaks") not all humans have physically or directly violent interests.
That's were SGITR falls into... the category of aspiration to power thru "knowledge" and "words"... one can be mystical power (see: "wiccans", "satanists" and or "mystick wicks elders"), or the power of seduction (see: PUAs, marketers, salesmen of any kind, lawyers) or "science specialists/experts" which think that expertise in one area means all of them.
**scurries away to catch up on thread**
This does indeed seem to be the case.
Quote from: The Johnny on October 25, 2015, 06:49:46 AManthropological/psychoanalytical terms, "the phallus"...
From now on I'm going with "SGitR or what anthropologists would call 'kind of a dick'."
Quote from: Cainad (dec.) on March 29, 2012, 07:10:13 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on March 29, 2012, 06:58:11 PM
The more I read, the more I'm convinced a large part of my life was spent being the SGitR.
Same here. This was not helped by the fact that I spent roughly 6 years of my childhood in the larval stage: The Smartest Little Shit In The Room.
When you're the statistical outlier in a class of three dozen kids for the whole grade, and your reading level is three times everyone else's, it's hard not to be more knowledgeable about nearly everything than your peers. It's especially difficult to grow out of when your identity among your peers and teachers is built up as "The Smart Kid", and you're just likable enough that no one calls you out on being a SGitR.
Then I started being wrong more often, once the things we were expected to know got more complicated. I also decided that I preferred being liked to being The Smart Kid.
I know it's been four years, but this, so much this.
Also, for what it's worth (very little, I know), I do this a lot. I did it here a lot. Must have been a bit boring. I'm thinking about entering a 12-step programme (Smartarse Anonymous).
Quote from: Dildo Argentino on January 29, 2016, 11:30:50 AM
Quote from: Cainad (dec.) on March 29, 2012, 07:10:13 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on March 29, 2012, 06:58:11 PM
The more I read, the more I'm convinced a large part of my life was spent being the SGitR.
Same here. This was not helped by the fact that I spent roughly 6 years of my childhood in the larval stage: The Smartest Little Shit In The Room.
When you're the statistical outlier in a class of three dozen kids for the whole grade, and your reading level is three times everyone else's, it's hard not to be more knowledgeable about nearly everything than your peers. It's especially difficult to grow out of when your identity among your peers and teachers is built up as "The Smart Kid", and you're just likable enough that no one calls you out on being a SGitR.
Then I started being wrong more often, once the things we were expected to know got more complicated. I also decided that I preferred being liked to being The Smart Kid.
I know it's been four years, but this, so much this.
Also, for what it's worth (very little, I know), I do this a lot. I did it here a lot. Must have been a bit boring. I'm thinking about entering a 12-step programme (Smartarse Anonymous).
Well, as they say, admitting it is the first step...
Quote from: AFK on March 29, 2012, 04:55:18 PM
I think there is a corollary to this as well which is the person who is unwittingly perceived as the Smartest Guy or one of the Smartest Guys in the room. And it usually is someone who is certainly a very capable person in any given field or area of expertise, but not someone who holds themselves as the Ultimate Guru of Everything. And then that person gets laden with everyone else's work.
What was this toolery? Geezus