My friend is a pseudo-intellectual. He follows some entry-level courses on philosophy and sociology and name drops a lot of writers and concepts without actually understanding what he is saying.
Of course you also encounter these kind of people, those who are more interested in appearing intellectual than actually being an intellectual. Putting yourself on 'interested' on Facebook for public lectures about interesting subjects but never actually going. Paraphrasing arguments from online articles and then acting like they're your own. You know it. Maybe you're even one of them (I hope not).
Anyway, my question is: HOW DO I DEAL WITH THESE KIND OF PEOPLE. This guy annoys me to death, much to the point I don't see him as my friend anymore. When I call him out on his bullshit he gets really salty and his ego is obviously injured (he loves himself so much). But when I try to have a serious conversation with this guy he just gives me an incoherent and superficial monologue about stuff that wasn't even relevant to the conversation but he just wants to say to appear smart. When I try to counter his thin non-arguments he feels really attacked and defends himself till the end by subtly shifting his argumentation until his view point is completely changed and not relevant to the argument anymore ("No... I meant... You did not understand me"). This guy literally has TWO books on book shelf outside manga and study books, which are: The Metamorphosis and Dead Souls (of course he constantly quotes these books to appear well-read).
Example of conversation between me and him
"What do you think about Scotland wanting to seperate from the UK? I think the fact is that..." "There are no facts bro, just like Nietzsche says, there are only interpretations" "But that is not what Nietzsche..." "Haven't you read Derrida? You see in our post-truth world [incoherent monologue where he name drops some more French philosophers he never read and only heard in passing in Philosophy 101]... And that is why Foucault says that even when we walk on the sidewalk we're under the power of the state!"
I'm asking you (providing you're not one of them) how to handle with these people, because it's driving me fucking crazy. They do not have the ability to listen and do not have the self-reflection to see what they're doing is just acting smart instead of actually engaging with the subject. I especially rage when other friends say "Wow that guy sure knows what he is talking about, he improved a lot in intelligence!" The worst thing is that pseuds like this sometimes get really far in life, look at all the Youtube personalities talking about philosophy and politics without actually saying anything. So, should I try to make him see his vain life, or should I just walk away because people like this are unsavable?
Also, share similar pseud stories like this, green text or not.
Schopenhauer said somewhere that a certain level of bullshit (or pseudo-intellectuality) deserves only laughter, and not reasonable arguments against their positions. To have a discussion about philosophical topics with someone, BOTH of you must have 1. Intellectual honesty (idk how do you say this in English, so I translated it as best as I could -that is, literally) 2. A minimum level of understanding of the subject matter 2 depends on 2.1 minimum level of intelligence 2.2 minimum KNOWLEDGE of the subject
That is my little theory. Please anons, critique it.
Daniel Ward
Also, I'd like to add that 2 is rare, but 1 is extremely fucking difficult to find.
Xavier Campbell
I can't. It just won't be comprehensible to a pseud like you.
Jaxon Gray
What a pseud thing to say
Elijah Taylor
I see what you did there
Jeremiah Mitchell
One of my friends is kind of like this as well. First of all hes still a great guy and I myself am not the most well read in philosophy and high literature apart from what you read at school but Im working on it and at least I am aware of the fact that Im not the most educated person on the planet. I however take issue with how he handles discussions. He always presents really flat arguments, often purely emotional ones as well. When you argue against him and he doesnt know how to respond he starts to either try to change his argument along the lines of "What I meant was..." or "You dont understand..." or he mocks you or spews memes. He can never say why he disagrees or dislikes something other than on a surface level or through strawmaning, you can tell that he gets a lot of his philosophical or intellectual input from genre fiction or pseudo intellectual youtubers. It upsets me because first of all hes not even stupid, he could easily pick up on philosophy but I dont think he really wants to experience anything thats outside of his comfort zone. Despite all of this and him more or less just living his life like society tells him to without questioning things that he does and enjoys he thinks of himself as intellectual and perhaps a free spirit. This attitude also translates into every day conversations as well and for some reason he seems to be proud of his irrational opinions, most of the time dislikes. He for example has a strong dislike for vegetarians and vegans but cant explain why he cant agree with their view on the consumption of meat beyond "I like to eat it and their attitude makes me feel bad". He claims that every vegetarian or vegan want to convert others to their cause, which might be the case for some of them but surely not all of them. I suspect that he is secretly bothered by this because he himself cant explain why he eats pigs but wouldnt eat a dog. This just as an example, Im not an advocate for veganism myself. Should I just ignore his opinions?
Jack Ward
see definition 1 above
Owen Lopez
Just talk ironically to them. The people who understand what they are talking about will get it and the pseuds will be fooled.
Nolan Gray
How does one talk ironically
Luke Roberts
This. But dont let your voice sound ironic while you do it. This is a deep art, and ultimately only you will know youre being ironic. If you are OP... You will either learn it with time or never fully understand it. Either way I dont give a fuck AND itd be better for you that you dont ever understand it.
I sound so cringy and memeable, right? Wont get any yous with me, I guarantee that, user.
Xavier Bell
>But dont let your voice sound ironic while you do it. >This is a deep art, and ultimately only you will know youre being ironic. This sounds like a pseud thing to do. Also it sounds like womenlike, passive-agressiveness
Oliver Green
>be me >start 'Introduction to Kant' course >day 1, hour 1 >prof explains syllabus >proceeds to give a short summary of what the categorical imperative is >normie wearing a cap (seriously wtf this shouldn't be allowed in uni) raises his hand >prof: yes? >normie: excuse me, but I disagree >prof: why do you disagree >normie: [rambles two or three sentences about God does not exist and we cannot know he exist] >prof cuts him off and continues lecture ("Yea, let's talk about this later") >he's visibly insulted, his hands are shaking, face is very angry, upper lip trembling >probably feels ashamed and humiliated rather than anxious >oh wait, now I see, it's injured narcissistic pride >narcissistic rage is clearly incoming >he raises hand again >prof ignores >he coughs "Excuse me, I have something to say" >prof: "We will do this later" >narcissist: "Wow really, you just cut me off because I disagree with you and now you try to silence me? I thought philosophers were free thinkers! Shame on you!" >prof: "I don't even agree with..." >he screams in a most barbaric fashion "SHAME ON YOU". He gets his bag and stumbles out of the lecture hall >before slamming the door he mumbles "This always happens, they do not understand me... they don't want to hear!" >other students including me confused as fuck >prof, stoically: "Well, weird" and continues lecture Serves me right for getting in a state university
Thomas Ward
Well memed (unironically). I would've enjoyed this more if the "neckbeard loser" had refused to gtfo of class and things wouldve gotten to a really really tense situation. Anyways, decent job.
Jacob Davis
But the prof. clearly silenced him
Nicholas Ramirez
Swede here. You should smack him in the face with Janteloven. I have no idea how such a smacking would occur, but it sounds like this guy needs it.
Ignore them. I used to be friend's with an autistic pseud and he was annoying. Now I don't listen to his bullshit.
Jeremiah Anderson
Ha, I hadnt heard about this before It reminds me of a book by jack london i believe that i read a year ago This idea that when you make a giant present to the tribe you will be treated as tho it was nothing... Sounds deeper than the way we do things socially around here (western world) to me I like it
Sorry i was mistaken It reminds me of the novel El antropólogo inocente by nigel barley (translate the title).
Adam Bell
Or maybe it was Vacas, cerdos, guerras y brujas by Harris? (Translate title Im sorry im kinda drunk and cant remember Every one of the books i mentioned are worth reading though.
Austin Flores
I'm unsure. I'd suspect a true intellectual to be unbothered by the likes of pseuds, and ultimately ignore or even humor their arguments for the sake of entertainment. Do you happen to see yourself within your friend? Do you grow indignant at the mere subtlety of being considered a pseud by him, or by someone else, and therefore feel as though you must prove your authenticity by anecdotal polemics against the exact, albeit abstracted and applied, conception you're so weary of being identified as?
Ethan Bell
watch some woodie allen movies and just try to be more like him... neurotic and pissed off but sly and understated.
start with Annie Hall or Midnight in Paris for quality pseudo-intellectuals
Nicholas Carter
Your writing is good but youre trying so hard that i cant help but find ironic your pretension of being able to define what a pseud is or how one should behave around pseuds. My apologies
>Trying to be like someone else The mark of a pseud. And Im not memeing in the slightest. Or am I
Brandon Gutierrez
>Not letting every autistic take over the class with their ramblings wasting the other students time >Silencing them
Lucas Flores
The wikipedia description doesn't exactly match my intuition for how the word is used. I read a modern best-selling novel called "Populärmusk från Vittulla". This was a few years back, so don't take the details literally.
The story takes place in Vittulla, a very small town in the middle of nowhere, way the fuck north of Stockholm. Th main character starts playing the guitar and it's evident that he's really, really good at it (wins some sort of competition, I believe). And his family basically says "well, that's pretty okay". Not even "You seem to have a knack for this guitar thing, son" as that could put silly ideas in his head.
My thoughts about it is this: Don't get any ideas of grandeur. If you do you'll leave the safety you have here only to be devoured by a chaos monster.
Hudson Peterson
Id answer to that: dont let any chaos put you down. Be what you know you are, what you want to be. Become what you truly are. Fuck happiness and fuck what your family believes is best for you. Follow your own path.
Samuel Roberts
Janteloven is from Aksel Sandemose, a Danish-Norwegian, don't try claiming him, sven!
Ayden Bailey
I never did. How about a nice game of stadskupp, danskjävel?
Luke Cooper
>Should I just ignore his opinions? Yes. He sounds not much like a pseud but more of a real idiot.
Bentley Powell
Well it's obvious the guy needs it, but the problem is he actually didn't achieve anything, he just makes it appear so. So Jante is not applicable really
Christopher Barnes
because its cultural
dogs have been mans companion for a very long time, we see them like family
Isaiah Wilson
kek
sounds Wittgenstein-eque
Aaron Bennett
In Middle Eastern cultures dogs are considered unclean and they do not have them as pets and in China people eat dogs.
But wait let me guess your reply >who cares dirty mudslimes are unclean themselves XDDDD >who cares what a degenerate gook does XDDDD
fuck you
Brayden Bailey
Lmao so let them eat dogs
The reason its strange for your friend to entertain the idea of eating dogs compared to pigs is because of the culture he grew up in.
Are you retarded?
Lincoln Price
>dude meta-irony lmao
Andrew Roberts
Really eating up that communist propaganda, eh?
Jordan Morris
If you laugh at him or attempt to one-up him he won't learn. Pseuds are extremely fragile and talented at mental acrobatics. >he laughed at me, he clearly doesn't understand >he keep arguing with me, he must not see why I'm right, I'll repeat my initial argument
The only way to defeat the pseud is to educate. Offer to loan him a book on a topic that he claims he's interested in, maybe he'll actually pick it up hoping that it will help his facade. If he's a pseud it's because he values intelligence but he's either too lazy, too stupid, or lacks to means to actually learn something of depth. Education is the key.
Luke Ortiz
As much as I can get my hands on. I'll shit it down your throat in just a little while. Then you can claim that it's all shit, even though the experience was divine for me.
Adam Rodriguez
I know the guy. He will skim over the book in two days, claims he read it thoroughly and then abuse the book by quoting it out of context. One time I caught him trying to hit on a girl by explaining to her that he is 'an existentialist'.
Julian Brooks
Actually, prof was lecturing and the interruptor was trying to silence the prof from expressing an idea that doesn't align with his preconceived notions.
Jeremiah Turner
Is dead souls a mix of funny and soul crushing like Gogol's short stories or is it just properly depressing
Parker Thompson
The fact that you've come up with a derogatory label for them--"pseuds"--tells me that you're putting far too much thought into it.
Kill them with honesty. Ask questions. I have a feeling that the real issue there is that you're trying to battle their arrogance with your own. Why do you care? Why do you need to be intellectually superior to them? Let them have their vapid victory and move on. Would it kill you?
As it is, I wouldn't share a word with either or you. If they annoy you that much, break it off. There are a lot of people in the world. Move on.
Andrew King
"Pseud" has been around since before anyone on this board was born, and you need to lurk more if this is seriously your first time seeing it.
Jonathan Torres
interesting. i'd like to read more. where does shope say this?
Angel Parker
People around the world have different cultures, what a wild concept, right?
Gavin Baker
Use the socratic method of enightnement. Be calm,knowing that you are superior, and ask questions like "what do you mean by this? Is this what you eant to say? But that would imply X and that would be a contradiction. What do yo mean by realiy,truth? Etc And then using logic you can expose his flaws
Ryan Edwards
t. moffi
Sebastian Perez
How can I tell if I'm a pseud, and how can I avoid being a pseud?
Please help. I don't wanna be a phony.
Hunter Fisher
Iam one of them.
I treat ideas like engineers use theories.
Iam interested in wielding concepts for only their ability to bring clarity to present moment, or problematise what seems clear.
I find it useless to try to understand what some dead philosopher turly meant, most of the time.
Andrew Collins
if you care about what people think of you then you may well be a pseud if you care about being a pseud or others being pseuds you may also be a pseud
Sebastian Powell
fug
Lucas Morris
Double dubs... this guy tells the truth.
Or, just sarcastically tell him how smart he is every time he says anything.
Matthew Perez
Lot's of people telling you to ignore him. That's fine, but here's an alternative.
When I was a kid, I had a friend who was WAY more well-read than I was, and I would always pseudo- my way through conversations with him. What eventually changed me was the effortless way he would admit to not knowing things. When he asked questions, he didn't pretend to know the answer, but instead wanted a dialectic.
So my advice is this: emphasize how much you HAVEN'T read, and get it across that this is normal. I think this is the only way to get a pseud's guard down.
Jaxson Williams
In the middle east I'd be able to kill you for being such an obtuse faggot too. Shame I can't do it in the west.
Nicholas Garcia
Lots of people telling you to ignore him. That's fine, but here's an alternative.
When I was a kid, I had a friend who was WAY more well-read than I was, and I would always pseudo- my way through conversations with him. What eventually changed me was the effortless way he would admit to not knowing things. When he asked questions, he didn't pretend to know the answer, but instead wanted a dialectic.
So my advice is this: emphasize how much you HAVEN'T read, and get it across that this is normal. I think this is the only way to get a pseud's guard down.
Kevin Cook
>"There are no facts bro, just like Nietzsche says, there are only interpretations" But Name McMadeup said in the third chapter of his book "False Title" that "...", have you even read him? >Yeah of course dude you think I haven't read all of his works ??6?
That's how you refute them
David Miller
desu you are more of a pseud user for not really engaging in those statements
Carter Hill
>engaging with pseuds i shiggy diggy
Brody Jones
>being a pseud so sorry for you
Gavin Powell
can you explain more what you mean by item 1?
Xavier Wilson
is someone a pseud if they claim to know about virtually every field of science and constantly act like they're smarter than everyone, but very rarely if ever back it up, even when asked to? because I know someone like that on-line
Parker Martinez
>I have a feeling that the real issue there is that you're trying to battle their arrogance with your own. Why do you care? Why do you need to be intellectually superior to them? Let them have their vapid victory and move on. Would it kill you? have you been to Veeky Forums? have you been to Veeky Forums? have you been to Earth? it's all people trying to be that little bit better than the others, including that guy, including his friend, including you, including me also autists can get very angry at people just for being wrong, it's an affront to their world and what it's made of
Landon Cox
It means that you honestly and consciously aim for the truth and nothing else. To be honest (ha), the intelligence required to do this is by itself extremely rare...almost nobody can really talk about philosophy with intellectual honesty -therefore, almost nobody is worth getting into a philosophical discussion with. This is just how it is. Im sorry if I sound pretentious.
Luke Howard
From savage to respectable gentleman in one simple step
Michael Gomez
In The world as will and representation. Its an incredible work. You MUST read it : )
Jason Williams
I have a friend like that too. I read way more than this guy, except that he read Brothers Karamazov earlier than I did (it's one of the like three books he read). So whenever BK comes up somewhere and there are other people around, he says: "Hm yea, FINALLY you read it..."
Justin Watson
Get him a girlfriend.
Ayden Nelson
Woah hes so smart He read a book SOONER than someone Im genuinely impressed
Mason Cruz
Don't do this. I've talked ironically so much that everyone thinks I'm always being serious about the dumbest shit.
Aiden Lopez
>implying you'd last a day in an honor society
Ayden Cox
That wasnt even me. I know full well why its acceptable in our culture to eat pigs but not dogs. But this is exactly my problem with my friend, despite evidence showing that pigs are just as smart if not even smarter than dogs. His counterpoints are "But dogs are cuter", or "But pigs taste good". I dont think these are valid counter arguments to be honest, pigs make for fine pets too and I bet that dog meat tastes very similiar if prepared properly.
Thomas Long
right? what the fuck is wrong with these people
Michael Stewart
Asking why he eats pigs and not dogs isn't really a good argument. I eat oranges but I don't eat lemons. They're both fruit.
Owen Johnson
You're both haunted as fuck, so at this point it's just a matter of degree.
If you still believe in the notion of "the political" (e.g. you think it's worth having a thought about Scotland separating from the UK when it will probably never affect your personal life) you're not going to make any progress with someone who commits his time to hoarding intellectual trifles. He will take his own shiny baubles over yours any day.
Michael Gonzalez
Engage him in honest conversation. Correct his mistakes and recommend him further works to read and expand his knowledge. Most people who fit the pseud definition have at least a passing interest in the subject at hand, and trying to delve deeper with them is a method of calling them out on it. Either you expose how shallow their understanding actually is or you realize they simply come across as shallow when in fact they're well read. The shame associated with not knowing something, which pseuds are afraid of, should either drive them to stop pretending or to learn more. Both are victories.
Grayson Adams
"The political" does affect my life - it affects all of our lives - ESPECIALLY the election of Donald Trump, given that he is going to start World War III.
Jackson Foster
>people in other cultures do it so that invalidates the argument that it's better to do things that are culturally acceptable in your own culture Boi
Kevin Davis
Hm
Jaxson Cooper
You're the autist here, nobody is going to prove that eating pigs is better than eating dogs a priori, and it's a frivolous and meaningless discussion to have which obviously is causing tension between you and your friend
You realize it's much easier to acquire pig meat than dog meat, right? Most people don't hunt their own food, so supermarkets are their best bet at getting meat. And they don't sell dog meat, most of them at least. And even if they did, and I'm speaking out of experience, it tastes like shit.
If dog meat were widespread and delicious, most people would not give a shit about whether or not dog makes a good pet; they'd be able to have dogs as pets and still eat their meat all the same. You're trying to accuse your friend of being a hypocrite when it comes down to conformism.
Isaiah Watson
I like to think about stuff that doesn't necessarily have an impact on my personal life. The world is more than just me. But let me guess, a you're a Stirnerist?
Tyler Collins
honestly probably everyone on Veeky Forums is a pseud by definition since it actually requires years of study and real academic work to be a "true" intellectual.
Jackson Collins
>>"Bee sarcastic to him" >>"Talk ironically to him" Do you understand how ironically this sounds? Every poster in this thread is pseudointellectual by definition. Just think of a person you consider true intellectual. Would this pearson post in this pathetic thread? All of you are just bunch of kids trying to distinguish yourselves from your surroundings, without any interest in gaining "intellectuality" you fetishise so much.
Wyatt Butler
Not really. I don't know shit, but I'm aware of it and I don't try to come off as intelligent. Therefore, I'm no pseud.
Hudson Kelly
What's worse : to be an self-aware idiot or pseud?
Evan Brooks
Pseud. There is nothing wrong with self-aware idiots
Jaxon Wilson
Wrong. Recognizing self as an idiot gives one the ultimate justification for idiotic actions.
Colton Thomas
I've only taken one philosophy course, but it was structured as a lecture MWF with discussions TR. If the course in the story was the same way it would be inappropriate to critique the philosophy during the lecture portion.
Nathaniel Martinez
I don't consider myself a true intellectual, but at least I'm intellectually honest. I admit when I don't know something and I'm not talking about stuff of which I have no knowledge of. Also I don't give a fuck about other people seeing me as smart. HOWEVER when someone is intellectually honest it is really hard and annoying to converse with someone who is not, because you know the other guy is bluffing and it's hard to expose these bluffers in an unaggressive way, especially if they're your friends. Pseudo-intellectuals tend to be narcissistic and narcissists feel attacked quickly and will defend themselves from allegations by bluffing more, which does not solve anything. So that's why I made this thread because I wondered whether or not people here have experience with getting pseudo-intellectuals 'on the right path' so to say.
Elijah Sanders
Wrong. Being aware of one's limitations comes with modesty, humbleness and willingness to improve. Being a pseud is all downsides.
Jacob Stewart
I pay my taxes, I avoid the police (hence paying taxes), and I keep tabs on the news to make sure a draft isn't in the works. This is as far as it affects my life: this is as far as I let it affect my life.
>The world is more than just me. I never said it wasn't, but this particular opinion ("what about Scotland") leads to nothing but hypothesizing. Let's say they leave: Scotland joins the EU, Scandinavia gets a closer, sovereign Anglo trading partner, direct control over Northern Ireland is made that much harder by the perceived illegitimacy of the British government, etc. But all of this is mere hypothesis: it isn't real to you. It's all dreaming in the same way Baudrillard refers to the notion that the "gulf war didn't happen." And this situation is doubly hypothetical because you're talking about political events that haven't happened yet.
Adrian White
kill him
Leo Myers
This is the situation it's acceptable to spookmeme in.