Smartest Guy in the Room Syndrome

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I think sgitr syndrome is a chronic incurable thing but sgitr social dysfunction disorder is ultimately treatable.

I am so writing my PhD thesis on this.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I think sgitr syndrome is a chronic incurable thing but sgitr social dysfunction disorder is ultimately treatable.

I am so writing my PhD thesis on this.

Oh hell yes!

[navkat]

Little prick deserves everything he gets, imo.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Little prick deserves everything he gets, imo.

Link didn't work?

[navkat]

Is that a fact..?

Huh...I'll have to do something about that later...

[Freeky]

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.

[rong]

I'm glad this thread exists.

I have been on both ends of The Syndrome^tm

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.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

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.

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.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I'm glad this thread exists.

I have been on both ends of The Syndrome^tm

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.

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.

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.

[rong]

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.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

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.

[hirley0]

purple Shirley0 U has Moved E-Mail to google so pdx00782@pdx.edu AinT

19:56 OU CAN HAVE MY SNO {Fine by me But its the '40s sno i remember

[Doktor Howl]

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.

[Golden Applesauce]

I'm glad this thread exists.

I have been on both ends of The Syndrome^tm

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.

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.

[Phox]

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. 

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.