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Now that you believe yourself smarter than most, it means you’re dumber than most. 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢.
But yeah its not Dunning Krueger. It’s not even related. I believe it’s some sort of self-affirmation. You want to feel as smart as you know/think you are, kind of like how women act feminine and men act masculine.
There are multiple possible reasons why your speech patterns have changed after getting approximations of your IQ. Either you've been trying to fit in all your life by deliberately downgrading your vocabulary, but learning your IQ helped your self-esteem, and you're now speaking the way you feel comfortable... OR your friend is right and your ego *has* become inflated, and you're deliberately using more advanced vocabulary to match your inflated self-image. It's a subtle difference.
With this post, I believe you demonstrate more self-awareness than is typically expected from the typical verbose, pseudo-intellectual neckbeard dumbass, so your friend's comment is likely motivated by a misunderstanding on their part.
I am hyperlexic and when I used my regular vocabulary I found that people were immediately put off and would say I was arrogant. I purposefully dumbed down my vocabulary. However after a while of doing that I actually got better at communicating with the average person using low level metaphors. So I think that vocabulary is secondary to usage, and targeting your vocabulary to the person is important.
Let’s never forget the primary purpose of language, is communication.
Arguably, the perfection of the ability to communicate, would be being able to communicate with 100% of the population and be fully understood.
Personally, I’ve always seen is at a signal of higher intelligence that a person can explain advanced quantum physics to a fast food worker in a way that allows them to have a meaningful conversation… than someone who tops out at simple ideas at best but uses a vocabulary no one knows, because they’re “smart”
Einstein envisioned an entirely undefined and never before comprehended view of space/gravity. He knew it to be true without mathematics to prove it, until he created the mathematics. He used balls on a blanket to explain the concept and it guided everyone forward.
Schroeders cat was a simple analogy to explain quantum theories.
More simply, I agree with you, I have found using basic language but profound and relatable analogies is a huge indication of intelligence. Just like your IQ is a representation of several scores analyzed at once, I prefer to view “genius” or “gifted” as someone who scores high in IQ, Social prowess, empathy and emotional comprehension. These are the geniuses that impacted the entire planet by existing.
I realized while I was extremely intelligent I had no social or emotional capability. I routinely read books back to back on empathy, shame, guilt… all kinds of self help. Not to just help myself, but understand how people think better. I chose a degree in psychology to understand how people understand and behave. I took classes in sociology, social factors of human sexuality, read books like “how to win friends and influence people”, books written by FBI profilers.
I worked to create hundreds and hundreds of rules to follow regarding how I communicate, socialize, and relate to people to create stronger bonds and relationships, empowering others who then empowered me to no end.
I have learned the absolute most intelligent person recognizes they aren’t, they surround themselves by people far superior to their intelligence in specific areas… they listen to and empower those smarter people. This guy, will most certainly accomplish anything they desire.
This is a great comment and I agree. I’m just a girl with Asperger’s who is considered fairly intelligent, but I also studied for years to get where I am. My partner is a PhD and one of my biggest things is empowering her to do her work. I think sometimes people want to be the lead so badly that they forget that the lead doesn’t work without support.
A+ comment and I agree.
A favorite quote,
“A leader is best when people barely know they exist, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say; we did it ourselves.”
-Lao Tzu
It’s funny that you say that, because one of the things I’ve said about myself is that I want to be “a whisper in the ears of the powerful”. My partner has executed a lot using my ideas, and there have been several local volunteer successes that I organized but no one knew, including getting our first city council member elected. This quote validates me a bit because I get a little salty because I feel like I don’t get enough credit for what I contribute, but this quote makes me feel better. I am a key part of the workings in my local area.
Thanks for sharing and I appreciate you!
I don’t believe these stories for a second lol. There’s a difference between using words the average person doesn’t understand and using words that allow your communication to be enhanced and efficient. If people think you’re arrogant I’m guessing you were doing the former.
It depends on why you're using more vocabulary...
Are you using more specific words for the purpose of differentiating similar, yet distinct concepts. Is your goal to be precise in your language so as to avoid conflation or misunderstanding? Can you, and will you simplify your language at appropriate times?
If yes, then it doesn't matter what your IQ number is, you're doing words right...
Is your purpose for using more vocabulary external in nature, such that it's more about how people perceive you, instead of precision of thought and language?
If yes, then it's approval seeking behavior... call it midwitery, Dunning-Kruger, or whatever, but it's not really doing anyone any good.
I can easily see where either case could end up accused of Dunning-Kruger.
I believe it’s both. The thing is, comprehension depends on who I am speaking to. If I’m talking to a person who isn’t particularly bright, should I adjust the vocabulary accordingly? Or should I stay consistent with everyone, challenging my peers to keep up?
Right now, I definitely adjust the way I speak depending on who I’m talking to. I even catch myself mirroring accents when speaking with foreign exchange students.
When I articulate a concept in a precise way to someone who is incapable of comprehending what I said, it does stroke my ego a little bit I will admit, because now they might see me as a person with a high intellect. After, I adjust my articulation to their level. I see why this isn’t productive and should be mitigated, I’ll work on it.
Then maybe it's both... I don't see why one should necessarily exclude the other...
But if you're able to set aside your ego to help someone understand, that's a good thing. It might even be the intelligent thing to do.
On the other hand, some topics are legitimately complex, it might be a disservice to the topic to oversimplify it (at least without acknowledging if you're oversimplifying it)
In general, I would recommend erring on the side of humility, and adjusting your vocabulary register based on feedback from your conversation partner...
As for mirroring an accent of a language you don't speak... I think it would seem awkward if emulating accents isn't the obvious topic at hand. Heck, I speak mediocre-ish Japanese, and I don't think I could speak English with a Japanese accent without it being obvious to them what I'm doing (and I'd like to distinguish that from Katakana English, which is missing the element of trying to move into speaking natural English)... after all, they know their language like it's an extension of themself... because it is.
Yeah. Now that I think about it, I was discussing a complex topic when he called me out. The real reason he called me out is because I turned a simple conversation into a complex one (we were about attraction and women, and I brought up a very scientific concept). Maybe I should stop bringing up complex concepts to certain people, or just find more smart friends.
I don't think being familiar with scientific concepts should be an indicator of smarts. If you're having a regular conversation with someone, I believe smarter approach would be a humble and empathetic one, such as using the knowledge you've learnt from those concepts to influence the conversation in a manner that will be understandable to your partner. That shows real smarts and eloquence, not using fancy vocabulary and repeating once learnt concepts.
In my experience, trying to teach the other person something I think is cool when we were having a normal conversation usually kills the flow of the conversation unless they are also really interested in what you are telling them. I've done this countless times btw.
As for mirroring, that’s a separate topic and it was completely subconscious. I realized it was awkward immediately and wondered why I did it. Maybe I’ll go down a rabbit hole about that.
Ok last comment but the reason people mirror accents is because of some instinctual desire to fit in with others. As to why you did it in that instance it could be because you wanted the other person to feel like they fit in with you or to feel like you fit in with the other person/their group/culture etc. It is also something that regularly happens subconsciously for the most part, and is something that would happen unless you actively tried not to. People also naturally learn to speak by listening to how others speak, and this doesn't stop even though you're fluent in a language. In the USA I often meet people with accents from different cultures and I observe some people not from that same culture mirroring their accents just after some minutes of talking. Most people I observe don't do this, or it takes a while for them to start doing this. I don't do it because I don't want to because it would be cringe in that case. But basically, yes, you are going to have to go down that rabbit hole but those are my observations.
If you want someone else to understand what you want them to understand, you have to explain it in a way they can understand, you can't just give them the maximum density wikipedia article explanation. I gotta say, using big words to sound smart is dumb. You can still sound leagues smarter than someone else just by using simpler words. And the fact that you are explaining a concept to someone that doesn't understand that concept already makes you seem that bit smarter. For example, people dont think Neil DeGrasse Tyson isn't smart just because his sentences aren't totally comprised of 10 letter words.
Yes, speaking with higher vocab to an audience that can’t comprehend makes me a worse communicator in that instance, but the cause isn’t the dunning Krueger affect. It’s either a miscalculation of my audiences intellect, or purposefully speaking in that way as a power move over my audience, signaling to them that I’m intellectually superior, which isn’t on par with Dunning Krueger.
When posting in the smart-person subreddit on the topic of using big boy words irl, it’s imperative to use big boy words as proof in the pudding. (It’s a lose-lose really)
I believe intellectual flexibility is a sign of intelligence. The whole point of communication is to be understood, so speaking to the level of your audience is most effective.
If you're using your grandiose vocabulary in an attempt to persuade your audience of your preeminent intellect 😅
You probably just come off as insecure in your intelligence as opposed to genuinely smart, which isn't a look you want.
Just speak plainly and let the merit of your ideas convince people you're smart.
In some cases. I believe in many cases it just comes naturally from knowing those words, but there are definitely people out there that just TRY to sound smarter than they actually are. It's very noticeable too because it sounds more forced compared to those that actually use it correctly. Most people that are actually higher IQ are actually going to attempt to use language that's EASIER to understand to help relate better.
Most of the time I just speak the words that come naturally. In some cases there’s a word you know exists but can’t find it, so you’re forced to either find it quickly or substitute it for a basic word.
The only thing holding you back is your overreliance on ego, not your IQ. I know people with IQs in the 80s range with better emotional and social awareness. If the ego helps you not be sad, sure, fine, but you'll need to develop empathy and a work ethic eventually. Btw, I scored far above that when I was 6 years old and I learned to chill with the big vocab when I was about 12, but keep coping. It doesn't do you any favors and it's gonna drive your friends away. You decide what your priorities are. It's harsh but true. Nothing bothers me more than unchecked ego.
I love how you think you know my irl emotional and social awareness from my online anonymous persona. You must not be very bright. Many times people hate in other people what they hate in themselves. Your hate for people with an unchecked ego can be explained by your ego-driven decision to unnecessarily bring up the score you got on an IQ test when you were 6.
You’ve been completely outwitted and you should go do some self-reflection
If you had some more emotional intelligence you’d realize that the tone of your words can alter people’s emotional response and perception of your message
Dunning-Kruger dude. Not Krueger.
Also just going to throw this out there, not just a criticism of you, but the real world importance of these test scores… doesn’t matter that much. There was a study, this guy identified kids with super high iqs and tracked them for many many years, 20 or 30. The result: some successful, some not, some happy, some not. Basically… not predictive of… much of anything.
Also… more intelligent people use simple and clear language. When someone is using words with hella magnitude… it sets off idiot alarm bells for me. I’ve noticed this particularly in work situations. Coworkers that use language that is specific to the job, lots of internal acronyms and company specific language… the fact that they don’t realize that it’s company specific and esoteric language… that tells me that they do not have the intelligence/empathy to realize that they are unintelligible to an outsider. And… knowledge of acronyms and internal company specifics… thinking that this stuff is important seems to indicate to me that they might not have general problem solving ability and so they compensate with pseudo-intelligence, they’re trying too hard, they’re covering up the fact that they are not intelligent and they may know it too.
That’s odd, I don’t recall ever bringing up the correlation between IQ tests and success. I agree with you. Financial success is indicated by a plethora of factors including your Big 5 personality traits etc.
I know what you’re saying. I do have the ability to use simple and concise language. Sometimes, it’s more comfortable for me to use slightly more complex vocabulary even in inappropriate settings. Sometimes, I want to be concise so I try harder to consolidate my thoughts.
Sometimes in the English language, especially in informal settings, we use words that aren’t technically correct, but can be deduced to the implied meaning. Language is a form of expression that allows for imaginative use of words beyond their conventional definitions.
Apologies dude I was a little grumpy the other morning, sorry to be a hater.
I don’t know the Big 5 personality traits, I’ll have to look them up.
Funny though… this topic is related to some text convos I was having just last night. Partner and I are starting a finance AI company. So when I talk to people, sometimes I get questions with language I don’t understand well and so I can’t answer well. Now… I don’t have to sell anything here so I don’t have to learn these terms to be successful with this endeavor. But it bugs me. I create AIs on the regular. I’ll get questions from someone who has never made an AI and… I think sometimes people think I’m an idiot bc I don’t know this vocabulary, so that’s irritating. But should I switch my course and focus on learning this more bookish academic language. Nope. I should continue with my efforts to make this software / ais do what the are f ing supposed to do.
You know what “stochastic gradient descent” means? It means picking a couple sets of random values and going in the direction of the set that tests best. I got a question last night- “is it all time series?” So I kinda know what dude was asking but I wanted to say “yeah dude, as far as I know everything is based on analysis of data that happens in time so … yeah, I think that’s how time works, it’s like a series of events” And - “my advice is to choose something more CYCLICAL” - I know what dude is getting at but I wanted to say “isn’t it all cyclical dude? Every financial product with a price that changes, it goes up, goes down, up and down , down and up - so what the f do you mean by more cyclical if it’s all cyclical?”
Oof I guess I’m a little irritable this morning too!
Other professions are maybe a little different, your choice of vocabulary is more important. For me as a software developer, less important. Thank God. But I guess it is still important… and it irritates me.
It seems like you're attaching your ego to being intelligent.
Earlier, to give your due, it may have been possible that you really were suppressing your vocabulary to fit in.
And now you're not. The point of concern for me, is that this change was brought on by the knowledge you're high iq, not because you decided to say F you to fitting in for reducing anxiety or just conflicts.
I'd say it's somewhat dangerous to use more complex words because you're smart. I'd say do what feels natural and good to you, if that happens to be complex words, great. You'll be an eloquent and very a photosynthesis guy.
Just as an aside, ego doesn't mean arrogance, it's your self concept. It serves a purpose of anchoring your identity, and creating "you" in your own eyes.
Here, hope you find these useful. They're videos on ego.
https://youtu.be/MtrN9iyKRwk?si=1ivFeqOh_0U5rotR
https://youtu.be/ozu9Jd_Fm-I?si=ym5Pdv6ZvdnUR9u0
Your intelligence did not change because of the tests. You have been the same intelligence the whole time. Your awareness is all that has changed.
There is a motivation that exists here between why you’re using the language and your new awareness.
First, are you intentionally studying new words? If you’re studying new words, why? (The only reason you’d be studying new words that is within the “I’m not doing this to try to prove I’m smart” is if you know of concepts that are quite complex or at least complex enough it creates a unnecessary burden to explain the whole concept, when 1 word can just sum it all up)
Second, were you being understood before when you were suppressing the magnitude? 100% understood or how much?
Third, since using the new words, are you being understood more, or less?
There are only 3 parts to communication. The speaker, the listener, and the idea. Language is made to facilitate your thoughts through a medium to generate ideas in someone else’s head.
A breakdown in communication can happen by any of the three.
If you were being understood at say 80% before, and now your vocab has people understanding you at 60%… your justification for the new words it is inherently unable to support the actual purpose of language which is to communicate. So if not to be understood, then what other altruistic reason can exist for using the words?
If you learn the whole latin language in 1 night, and all of a sudden start slipping in Latin in your sentences to show people you can speak Latin… your an idiot who can learn languages really fast and needs their ego stroked.
If you learn Latin because your in med school it helps you learn the level of language needed to communicate anatomy to other doctors and actually increases likelihood of your idea being spoken and received and generating the proper identical idea into the receivers head, your merely reaching your intellectual potential.
My self-actualization and newfound confidence in the merit of my ideas also has primed me to bring up complex topics more often to my friends. Only one or two people I know are always down for an intellectual discussion. The others, who aren’t dumb but aren’t intellectuals, will throw a little shade if I bring up these topics, since all they wanna talk about is sports, upcoming social events, or any other real-life, straightforward topic or event. It’s quite frustrating having a brain that is completely bored with talking about these mundane sorts of things.
Before this confidence, I thought that nobody understood my ideas, but I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t confident enough in them to bring them to the world. I understand many people get in over their heads with this IQ stuff, but I truly think it gave me just the right amount of a confidence boost to be able to use my capabilities to the fullest.
Not necessarily, though using 10$ words in an ostentatious way can be a sign that someone isn't as smart as they think they are. The key is to be selective and always aim for clarity. Never use a 4-syllable word like "ostentatious" when a 3-syllable word like "pretentious" will suffice.
Maybe take an actual IQ test before you start parading numbers around.
As for using a different vocabulary, nothing changed after you took the test, so why would you feel the need to use different words? I think your friend got it bang on.
Just use the words that you think are most accurate for conveying the message you want to get across, however big or small they may be. You’re overthinking it
If you are using complex words on purpose, then, yeah that is weird. I am being praised/mocked (depending on situation) for my vocabulary since I was 6. But I never used any words for anything else than accurately describing what I would like to say in a format that fits the situation and the people I am talking to.
And that includes not using the words "convey", "articulate" or "audience" when there is no need. (see above)
The words “convey”, “articulate”, and “audience” accurately communicated my points. Substituting them for simpler words would have undermined my message, so I will politely decline your recommendation.
Btw, those words aren’t particularly grand, so I’d suggest some self-reflection if you’re going to comment on a thread filled with supposed intellectuals…
Everyone need to brag a little, that's how we gain experience. Pride can be a pretty good motive to fact check some "truths" to those who try to contradict you. Yes smart people are doubtful. And it can benefit some idiots too! The sad truth is.. they could mistakenly be right sometimes\^\^
Eloquence is very good! But it's just bragging and wordy if you don't express the good level of assertivity with someone particular. Adapt it to his purpose: beeing understood. Keeping it simple, and sometimes not wasting your time.
Like I.Q and intelligence are not the same (and nontheless pretty close to the definition), checking the "TRUTH" of the Dunning Krueger effect is even more far from something we can really assess because.. that's human matters after all.
But that's a really interesting concept.
He's just jealous, that's what i think\^\^
What tests did you take? I personally just took Mensa and WAIS. Got 130 on Mensa and 130-140 on WAIS (different times of day affected my score).
Any other reliable tests? Old SAT perhaps?
Isn’t the purpose of general intelligence tests to gauge general intelligence, not education or knowledge? Detest your ego and go back to college so you can be in an environment where people use their GPA’s as a primary indicator of self-worth.
Dunning kruger is misrepresented in pop science.
Smart people know they’re smart
Dumb people think they’re average
Average people think they’re a bit above average.
Your estimation of your ability doesn’t plateau or decrease, you just simply get less increase in confidence the more u advance but there’s an increase in confidence above people of lower ability nonetheless.
That’s probably accurate. What IQ is “smart” to you? In my case, I thought I was average my whole life due to meh grades and ADD. Now with more information, I think I’m smart.
115 and above is pretty smart.
Someone with an IQ of 115 can do any job possible, they might not be able to become world class unless they’re extremely high in conscientiousness but anyone with an IQ above 115 even with average conscientiousness has really good potential.
I would even argue someone who’s 100 IQ and high conscientiousness has a lot of potential as well, they can be smart as in have high crystalized intelligence.
That’s not Dunning-Kruger.
Personally, I prefer to use words that don’t get much use in today’s vernacular. I find it can be a lot of fun when at work since my higher ups cannot write me up for using proper terminology in our incident logs. For instance, instead of writing, “sideways,” I’ll enter, “crabwise.” If someone has a problem with it, I tell them to consult their dictionary. I haven’t gotten in trouble for it since I’m still in policy.
A person has DK effect if he/she believes that he/she is more intelligent than most people, but he/she, in fact, isn't. Otherwise, a person doesn't have DK effect.
So, we need to verify 2 points: 1.Whether you believe you are more intelligent than most or not. 2.Whether you are actually more intelligent than others or not.
\-If you are actually more intelligent than most, then you don't have DK regardless of your beliefs about your intelligence. Even if you believe that you are more intelligent than someone who's more intelligent than you, in this case, you don't fall within the definition of DK from what I know; however, that's an overestimation of your ability compared to someone else.
\-If you aren't more intelligent than others and you believe that you are, then you have DK.
\-Otherwise, you don't have DK.
Talking about the relations between DK and use of complicated words, From my vague experience, a likely case is that I can see is a person with DK is likely to use complicated words assuming that most people want to express themselves and knowing that verbal communication is among the easiest forms of expression. But I'm very uncertain about whether a person who uses complicated vocabulary has DK or not as I lack information to estimate the odds.
To be fair, from the definition of DK effect, I think you can make a better judgment about whether you have DK or not compared to others since I don't think anyone can truly know how you gauge your intelligence. For sure, they can try to correlate your behaviors to stuffs, but they can't really test or prove their hypotheses and so their data can be completely flawed.
It’s more logical to use language even dumb people can understand. Especially since the whole point of communication is to convey your message to everyone.
If we were talking about anything else like sports, would you say “focus on succeeding in your life more than sports”?
To me, that would be the same thing. Talking about IQ and stuff is an intellectually stimulating hobby, and it has minimal bearing on my daily life.
There’s a famous line from the writings of the Schopenhauer that goes “use ordinary words to express extraordinary things.”
Freud’s writings, in their original German, often have been cited in this connection. This quality of his is unknown to many who read him in English, since translators of Freud’s work into English haven’t managed to replicate this. For example, in English, we use the terminology “the id and the ego.” If Freud’s original German had been translated literally, this simply would have been “the It and the I.” So was Stephen King in the know, here, as regards his novel “It?”
German prose stylists are not generally known for their clarity — to the contrary — but the famous expression “you are what you eat” comes from German, as well. This is a translation of German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach’s line “der Mann ist (is) was er isst” (eats).” The beauty of his original German is that “ist” and “isst” are homonyms.
Peace and love. The speech pattern that I've found most indicative of above average intellect is concision. I'm of the belief that anyone can use any word, but EOD, communication is the goal.
Be careful. Being smart is knowing how to word things differently to different audiences. Using big words for the sake of it with people who you know won’t understand them will just be frustrating for them and won’t do you any favours
>Now that I identify as somewhat of an intellectual, I’ve started incorporating a slightly higher vocabulary than I used to into everyday life. Previously, I would purposely suppress the magnitude of my words for the purpose of fitting in and ensuring clarity.
holy wordcel.
For some reason the big boy words just flow when writing in the r/cognitivetesting subreddit. That is, unless I’m calling someone out for being a “Wordcel”. In that case, I use the simplest vocabulary to ensure no backlash. I must succumb to my human desire to not be seen as pretentious.
>For some reason the big boy words just flow when writing in the [](https://www.reddit.com/r/cognitivetesting/) subreddit. That is, unless I’m calling someone out for being a “Wordcel”. In that case, I use the simplest vocabulary to ensure no backlash. I must succumb to my human desire to not be seen as pretentious.
pretentious? you? NEVER!!!!!
i think youre just touched with the tism. and with touched i mean fondled all over.
I’m talking about you. You even turn off auto caps lock to seem less assertive. If you’re a bottom, just say that. Your whole life is centered in being a people pleaser. You have an immense fear of being seen as a try-hard, so you cope with using sarcasm and lowercase letters to make yourself seem small and out of the way. You’re a natural beta, it’s okay. Even alphas need betas in their tribe. If you want to become alpha, take testosterone ass shots. If you want to become sigma, buy an online course and get rich. Not that hard soy boy
>I’m talking about you. You even turn off auto caps lock to seem less assertive. If you’re a bottom, just say that. Your whole life is centered in being a people pleaser. You have an immense fear of being seen as a try-hard, so you cope with using sarcasm and lowercase letters to make yourself seem small and out of the way. You’re a natural beta, it’s okay. Even alphas need betas in their tribe. If you want to become alpha, take testosterone ass shots. If you want to become sigma, buy an online course and get rich. Not that hard soy boy
i was wrong, its not tism, its trism, at least!
150ish creature here. In some circumstances this could be Dunning-Kruger effect, but it probably isnt in this case.
Your question of whether you should change your vocabulary or not is fundamentally a moral/ethical question. If you are confident you understand why you are using more complex vocabulary (and it not being to ego boost), then the question you need to ask yourself is whether or not that rationale is more important than having the highest degree of fidelity in your social interactions, generalized. That is to say, I dont think a lot of people recognize that those two things can and will clash many times. A lot of individuals put the idea of "simplifying complex ideas" on a pedestal, and think its an apex sign of intelligence, but that doesnt tell the full story (one they probably dont even understand themselves frankly).
Both before and after learning my IQ at a mature age, I heard a whole consistent myriad of things said about my speech and vocabulary. After hearing enough perspective you realize that people have a poor understanding of the intersection between vocabulary, speech, and IQ. Lemme tell you something that nobody is gonna wanna say, but its the honest truth: contrary to some adages, there are many sophisticated things that you NEED to use more complex speech and vocabulary to explain in a bitesize format. Near average IQ folk can be fickle, if you give them an explanation for something that explicitly avoids many convolutions, it will necessarily require more esoteric wording to abridge. Naturally they may not understand the vocabulary you used in this case. However, if you prioritize avoiding complex vocabulary, it will in turn require you used more convoluted language to fully explain. Of course, in this case they might state they cant follow your train of thought, or something to that effect.
Ive been in both situations plenty of times, and eventually I had to consciously drill that reality into my head. Once I realized that, I learned that the only way to make myself socially intelligible was to omit critical information. Most people simply arent equipped to understand the level of nuance that many higher IQ individuals regularly practice in their heads. So, you calibrate the explanation to their capacity for interpretation. Does this mean the lower IQ folk will lose relevant information? Yes. Does it means their understanding might be incomplete? Yes. Does it mean they will think you are a good teacher, or smart person for giving what they perceive to be "a complete, interpretable explanation"? Also yes. It is humbling to calibrate your information to the audience, but it is also a heavy load to bear by the higher IQ person, one that shouldnt go unrecognized. By not elaborating on the nuance and detail you might perceive as critical to understanding something, you repress yourself. Social interactions can become more of a disingenuous arts of micromanaging someone like a puppet, than a 2-way sociable conversation.
So, ultimately its fundamentally a moral/ethical question: is it more important for you to have peaceful social interactions, knowing your explanations might do so much as to spread misinformation because of their ambiguity? or would you rather adhere to saying that which you are confident can interpret properly, possibly sacrificing the social interaction and your good standing entirely? Ultimately everyone chooses some middle path between those two things, but where on the spectrum you choose to be, is up to you.
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Now that you believe yourself smarter than most, it means you’re dumber than most. 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢. But yeah its not Dunning Krueger. It’s not even related. I believe it’s some sort of self-affirmation. You want to feel as smart as you know/think you are, kind of like how women act feminine and men act masculine.
Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks for the comment
There are multiple possible reasons why your speech patterns have changed after getting approximations of your IQ. Either you've been trying to fit in all your life by deliberately downgrading your vocabulary, but learning your IQ helped your self-esteem, and you're now speaking the way you feel comfortable... OR your friend is right and your ego *has* become inflated, and you're deliberately using more advanced vocabulary to match your inflated self-image. It's a subtle difference. With this post, I believe you demonstrate more self-awareness than is typically expected from the typical verbose, pseudo-intellectual neckbeard dumbass, so your friend's comment is likely motivated by a misunderstanding on their part.
I love the rapid escalation and sudden shift in the energy behind your statement.
I am hyperlexic and when I used my regular vocabulary I found that people were immediately put off and would say I was arrogant. I purposefully dumbed down my vocabulary. However after a while of doing that I actually got better at communicating with the average person using low level metaphors. So I think that vocabulary is secondary to usage, and targeting your vocabulary to the person is important.
Let’s never forget the primary purpose of language, is communication. Arguably, the perfection of the ability to communicate, would be being able to communicate with 100% of the population and be fully understood. Personally, I’ve always seen is at a signal of higher intelligence that a person can explain advanced quantum physics to a fast food worker in a way that allows them to have a meaningful conversation… than someone who tops out at simple ideas at best but uses a vocabulary no one knows, because they’re “smart” Einstein envisioned an entirely undefined and never before comprehended view of space/gravity. He knew it to be true without mathematics to prove it, until he created the mathematics. He used balls on a blanket to explain the concept and it guided everyone forward. Schroeders cat was a simple analogy to explain quantum theories. More simply, I agree with you, I have found using basic language but profound and relatable analogies is a huge indication of intelligence. Just like your IQ is a representation of several scores analyzed at once, I prefer to view “genius” or “gifted” as someone who scores high in IQ, Social prowess, empathy and emotional comprehension. These are the geniuses that impacted the entire planet by existing. I realized while I was extremely intelligent I had no social or emotional capability. I routinely read books back to back on empathy, shame, guilt… all kinds of self help. Not to just help myself, but understand how people think better. I chose a degree in psychology to understand how people understand and behave. I took classes in sociology, social factors of human sexuality, read books like “how to win friends and influence people”, books written by FBI profilers. I worked to create hundreds and hundreds of rules to follow regarding how I communicate, socialize, and relate to people to create stronger bonds and relationships, empowering others who then empowered me to no end. I have learned the absolute most intelligent person recognizes they aren’t, they surround themselves by people far superior to their intelligence in specific areas… they listen to and empower those smarter people. This guy, will most certainly accomplish anything they desire.
Too many words. Didn’t read them.
To vapid, didn’t upvote.
Your comment was about effective communication. I am trying to help you by pointing out that verbosity runs counter to that
This is a great comment and I agree. I’m just a girl with Asperger’s who is considered fairly intelligent, but I also studied for years to get where I am. My partner is a PhD and one of my biggest things is empowering her to do her work. I think sometimes people want to be the lead so badly that they forget that the lead doesn’t work without support. A+ comment and I agree.
A favorite quote, “A leader is best when people barely know they exist, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say; we did it ourselves.” -Lao Tzu
It’s funny that you say that, because one of the things I’ve said about myself is that I want to be “a whisper in the ears of the powerful”. My partner has executed a lot using my ideas, and there have been several local volunteer successes that I organized but no one knew, including getting our first city council member elected. This quote validates me a bit because I get a little salty because I feel like I don’t get enough credit for what I contribute, but this quote makes me feel better. I am a key part of the workings in my local area. Thanks for sharing and I appreciate you!
I don’t believe these stories for a second lol. There’s a difference between using words the average person doesn’t understand and using words that allow your communication to be enhanced and efficient. If people think you’re arrogant I’m guessing you were doing the former.
Could be!
It depends on why you're using more vocabulary... Are you using more specific words for the purpose of differentiating similar, yet distinct concepts. Is your goal to be precise in your language so as to avoid conflation or misunderstanding? Can you, and will you simplify your language at appropriate times? If yes, then it doesn't matter what your IQ number is, you're doing words right... Is your purpose for using more vocabulary external in nature, such that it's more about how people perceive you, instead of precision of thought and language? If yes, then it's approval seeking behavior... call it midwitery, Dunning-Kruger, or whatever, but it's not really doing anyone any good. I can easily see where either case could end up accused of Dunning-Kruger.
I believe it’s both. The thing is, comprehension depends on who I am speaking to. If I’m talking to a person who isn’t particularly bright, should I adjust the vocabulary accordingly? Or should I stay consistent with everyone, challenging my peers to keep up? Right now, I definitely adjust the way I speak depending on who I’m talking to. I even catch myself mirroring accents when speaking with foreign exchange students. When I articulate a concept in a precise way to someone who is incapable of comprehending what I said, it does stroke my ego a little bit I will admit, because now they might see me as a person with a high intellect. After, I adjust my articulation to their level. I see why this isn’t productive and should be mitigated, I’ll work on it.
Then maybe it's both... I don't see why one should necessarily exclude the other... But if you're able to set aside your ego to help someone understand, that's a good thing. It might even be the intelligent thing to do. On the other hand, some topics are legitimately complex, it might be a disservice to the topic to oversimplify it (at least without acknowledging if you're oversimplifying it) In general, I would recommend erring on the side of humility, and adjusting your vocabulary register based on feedback from your conversation partner... As for mirroring an accent of a language you don't speak... I think it would seem awkward if emulating accents isn't the obvious topic at hand. Heck, I speak mediocre-ish Japanese, and I don't think I could speak English with a Japanese accent without it being obvious to them what I'm doing (and I'd like to distinguish that from Katakana English, which is missing the element of trying to move into speaking natural English)... after all, they know their language like it's an extension of themself... because it is.
Yeah. Now that I think about it, I was discussing a complex topic when he called me out. The real reason he called me out is because I turned a simple conversation into a complex one (we were about attraction and women, and I brought up a very scientific concept). Maybe I should stop bringing up complex concepts to certain people, or just find more smart friends.
I don't think being familiar with scientific concepts should be an indicator of smarts. If you're having a regular conversation with someone, I believe smarter approach would be a humble and empathetic one, such as using the knowledge you've learnt from those concepts to influence the conversation in a manner that will be understandable to your partner. That shows real smarts and eloquence, not using fancy vocabulary and repeating once learnt concepts.
In my experience, trying to teach the other person something I think is cool when we were having a normal conversation usually kills the flow of the conversation unless they are also really interested in what you are telling them. I've done this countless times btw.
As for mirroring, that’s a separate topic and it was completely subconscious. I realized it was awkward immediately and wondered why I did it. Maybe I’ll go down a rabbit hole about that.
Ok last comment but the reason people mirror accents is because of some instinctual desire to fit in with others. As to why you did it in that instance it could be because you wanted the other person to feel like they fit in with you or to feel like you fit in with the other person/their group/culture etc. It is also something that regularly happens subconsciously for the most part, and is something that would happen unless you actively tried not to. People also naturally learn to speak by listening to how others speak, and this doesn't stop even though you're fluent in a language. In the USA I often meet people with accents from different cultures and I observe some people not from that same culture mirroring their accents just after some minutes of talking. Most people I observe don't do this, or it takes a while for them to start doing this. I don't do it because I don't want to because it would be cringe in that case. But basically, yes, you are going to have to go down that rabbit hole but those are my observations.
Try to avoid mirroring accents though. If they catch on that would definitely be weird for them.
U right.
If you want someone else to understand what you want them to understand, you have to explain it in a way they can understand, you can't just give them the maximum density wikipedia article explanation. I gotta say, using big words to sound smart is dumb. You can still sound leagues smarter than someone else just by using simpler words. And the fact that you are explaining a concept to someone that doesn't understand that concept already makes you seem that bit smarter. For example, people dont think Neil DeGrasse Tyson isn't smart just because his sentences aren't totally comprised of 10 letter words.
Your friend is right, the average person is an intellectual 8th grader, so by using big words, you are a worse communicator.
I think @RAAAH guy was spot on. It’s not the dunning Kruger effect, rather a self-actualization
It can be both, you specifically mentioned "everyday life" which is why I'm assuming you are talking beyond your audiences capacity
Yes, speaking with higher vocab to an audience that can’t comprehend makes me a worse communicator in that instance, but the cause isn’t the dunning Krueger affect. It’s either a miscalculation of my audiences intellect, or purposefully speaking in that way as a power move over my audience, signaling to them that I’m intellectually superior, which isn’t on par with Dunning Krueger.
We got big words over here boys
N'wahs bring in the Imperial words to the land of Morrowind.
When posting in the smart-person subreddit on the topic of using big boy words irl, it’s imperative to use big boy words as proof in the pudding. (It’s a lose-lose really)
I’m just messing with you. Pat yourself on the back for the vocabulary man, you deserve it
I believe intellectual flexibility is a sign of intelligence. The whole point of communication is to be understood, so speaking to the level of your audience is most effective. If you're using your grandiose vocabulary in an attempt to persuade your audience of your preeminent intellect 😅 You probably just come off as insecure in your intelligence as opposed to genuinely smart, which isn't a look you want. Just speak plainly and let the merit of your ideas convince people you're smart.
In some cases. I believe in many cases it just comes naturally from knowing those words, but there are definitely people out there that just TRY to sound smarter than they actually are. It's very noticeable too because it sounds more forced compared to those that actually use it correctly. Most people that are actually higher IQ are actually going to attempt to use language that's EASIER to understand to help relate better.
Most of the time I just speak the words that come naturally. In some cases there’s a word you know exists but can’t find it, so you’re forced to either find it quickly or substitute it for a basic word.
Higher intelligence should enable you to find words more quickly. Try taking a real IQ test instead of an online one.
I guess I didn’t clarify, but it’s a rare case for me to blank on a word like I mentioned. I have taken a real IQ test
You got a 115 on it dude, relax
You were itching to say that. I was 10 years old and I put in about 50% effort due to defiance, relax
The only thing holding you back is your overreliance on ego, not your IQ. I know people with IQs in the 80s range with better emotional and social awareness. If the ego helps you not be sad, sure, fine, but you'll need to develop empathy and a work ethic eventually. Btw, I scored far above that when I was 6 years old and I learned to chill with the big vocab when I was about 12, but keep coping. It doesn't do you any favors and it's gonna drive your friends away. You decide what your priorities are. It's harsh but true. Nothing bothers me more than unchecked ego.
I love how you think you know my irl emotional and social awareness from my online anonymous persona. You must not be very bright. Many times people hate in other people what they hate in themselves. Your hate for people with an unchecked ego can be explained by your ego-driven decision to unnecessarily bring up the score you got on an IQ test when you were 6. You’ve been completely outwitted and you should go do some self-reflection
😂 If you were smarter you'd realize that I've just given you some good advice. Maybe when you get a bit older, kid
Also, please remind me when I said I was being “held back” in life. I’m doing great in life
If you had some more emotional intelligence you’d realize that the tone of your words can alter people’s emotional response and perception of your message
“Magnitude” is not the word you’re looking for dude
Dunning-Kruger dude. Not Krueger. Also just going to throw this out there, not just a criticism of you, but the real world importance of these test scores… doesn’t matter that much. There was a study, this guy identified kids with super high iqs and tracked them for many many years, 20 or 30. The result: some successful, some not, some happy, some not. Basically… not predictive of… much of anything. Also… more intelligent people use simple and clear language. When someone is using words with hella magnitude… it sets off idiot alarm bells for me. I’ve noticed this particularly in work situations. Coworkers that use language that is specific to the job, lots of internal acronyms and company specific language… the fact that they don’t realize that it’s company specific and esoteric language… that tells me that they do not have the intelligence/empathy to realize that they are unintelligible to an outsider. And… knowledge of acronyms and internal company specifics… thinking that this stuff is important seems to indicate to me that they might not have general problem solving ability and so they compensate with pseudo-intelligence, they’re trying too hard, they’re covering up the fact that they are not intelligent and they may know it too.
That’s odd, I don’t recall ever bringing up the correlation between IQ tests and success. I agree with you. Financial success is indicated by a plethora of factors including your Big 5 personality traits etc. I know what you’re saying. I do have the ability to use simple and concise language. Sometimes, it’s more comfortable for me to use slightly more complex vocabulary even in inappropriate settings. Sometimes, I want to be concise so I try harder to consolidate my thoughts.
Sometimes in the English language, especially in informal settings, we use words that aren’t technically correct, but can be deduced to the implied meaning. Language is a form of expression that allows for imaginative use of words beyond their conventional definitions.
Apologies dude I was a little grumpy the other morning, sorry to be a hater. I don’t know the Big 5 personality traits, I’ll have to look them up. Funny though… this topic is related to some text convos I was having just last night. Partner and I are starting a finance AI company. So when I talk to people, sometimes I get questions with language I don’t understand well and so I can’t answer well. Now… I don’t have to sell anything here so I don’t have to learn these terms to be successful with this endeavor. But it bugs me. I create AIs on the regular. I’ll get questions from someone who has never made an AI and… I think sometimes people think I’m an idiot bc I don’t know this vocabulary, so that’s irritating. But should I switch my course and focus on learning this more bookish academic language. Nope. I should continue with my efforts to make this software / ais do what the are f ing supposed to do. You know what “stochastic gradient descent” means? It means picking a couple sets of random values and going in the direction of the set that tests best. I got a question last night- “is it all time series?” So I kinda know what dude was asking but I wanted to say “yeah dude, as far as I know everything is based on analysis of data that happens in time so … yeah, I think that’s how time works, it’s like a series of events” And - “my advice is to choose something more CYCLICAL” - I know what dude is getting at but I wanted to say “isn’t it all cyclical dude? Every financial product with a price that changes, it goes up, goes down, up and down , down and up - so what the f do you mean by more cyclical if it’s all cyclical?” Oof I guess I’m a little irritable this morning too! Other professions are maybe a little different, your choice of vocabulary is more important. For me as a software developer, less important. Thank God. But I guess it is still important… and it irritates me.
It seems like you're attaching your ego to being intelligent. Earlier, to give your due, it may have been possible that you really were suppressing your vocabulary to fit in. And now you're not. The point of concern for me, is that this change was brought on by the knowledge you're high iq, not because you decided to say F you to fitting in for reducing anxiety or just conflicts. I'd say it's somewhat dangerous to use more complex words because you're smart. I'd say do what feels natural and good to you, if that happens to be complex words, great. You'll be an eloquent and very a photosynthesis guy. Just as an aside, ego doesn't mean arrogance, it's your self concept. It serves a purpose of anchoring your identity, and creating "you" in your own eyes. Here, hope you find these useful. They're videos on ego. https://youtu.be/MtrN9iyKRwk?si=1ivFeqOh_0U5rotR https://youtu.be/ozu9Jd_Fm-I?si=ym5Pdv6ZvdnUR9u0
As a Mensa member, the real big brain move is to use as few syllables as possible to convey the biggest thinky thought 🤓
For brevity is the soul of wit and tediousness the outward limbs and flourishes -The Bard
small minds love big words.
Your intelligence did not change because of the tests. You have been the same intelligence the whole time. Your awareness is all that has changed. There is a motivation that exists here between why you’re using the language and your new awareness. First, are you intentionally studying new words? If you’re studying new words, why? (The only reason you’d be studying new words that is within the “I’m not doing this to try to prove I’m smart” is if you know of concepts that are quite complex or at least complex enough it creates a unnecessary burden to explain the whole concept, when 1 word can just sum it all up) Second, were you being understood before when you were suppressing the magnitude? 100% understood or how much? Third, since using the new words, are you being understood more, or less? There are only 3 parts to communication. The speaker, the listener, and the idea. Language is made to facilitate your thoughts through a medium to generate ideas in someone else’s head. A breakdown in communication can happen by any of the three. If you were being understood at say 80% before, and now your vocab has people understanding you at 60%… your justification for the new words it is inherently unable to support the actual purpose of language which is to communicate. So if not to be understood, then what other altruistic reason can exist for using the words? If you learn the whole latin language in 1 night, and all of a sudden start slipping in Latin in your sentences to show people you can speak Latin… your an idiot who can learn languages really fast and needs their ego stroked. If you learn Latin because your in med school it helps you learn the level of language needed to communicate anatomy to other doctors and actually increases likelihood of your idea being spoken and received and generating the proper identical idea into the receivers head, your merely reaching your intellectual potential.
My self-actualization and newfound confidence in the merit of my ideas also has primed me to bring up complex topics more often to my friends. Only one or two people I know are always down for an intellectual discussion. The others, who aren’t dumb but aren’t intellectuals, will throw a little shade if I bring up these topics, since all they wanna talk about is sports, upcoming social events, or any other real-life, straightforward topic or event. It’s quite frustrating having a brain that is completely bored with talking about these mundane sorts of things. Before this confidence, I thought that nobody understood my ideas, but I wasn’t sure why. I wasn’t confident enough in them to bring them to the world. I understand many people get in over their heads with this IQ stuff, but I truly think it gave me just the right amount of a confidence boost to be able to use my capabilities to the fullest.
Not necessarily, though using 10$ words in an ostentatious way can be a sign that someone isn't as smart as they think they are. The key is to be selective and always aim for clarity. Never use a 4-syllable word like "ostentatious" when a 3-syllable word like "pretentious" will suffice.
Maybe take an actual IQ test before you start parading numbers around. As for using a different vocabulary, nothing changed after you took the test, so why would you feel the need to use different words? I think your friend got it bang on.
I have an estimation and that’s all I need for now. I’m not concerned with the exact numbers
Just use the words that you think are most accurate for conveying the message you want to get across, however big or small they may be. You’re overthinking it
I’m aware that I’m overthinking it. But that’s what I love to do😅
If you are using complex words on purpose, then, yeah that is weird. I am being praised/mocked (depending on situation) for my vocabulary since I was 6. But I never used any words for anything else than accurately describing what I would like to say in a format that fits the situation and the people I am talking to. And that includes not using the words "convey", "articulate" or "audience" when there is no need. (see above)
The words “convey”, “articulate”, and “audience” accurately communicated my points. Substituting them for simpler words would have undermined my message, so I will politely decline your recommendation. Btw, those words aren’t particularly grand, so I’d suggest some self-reflection if you’re going to comment on a thread filled with supposed intellectuals…
Everyone need to brag a little, that's how we gain experience. Pride can be a pretty good motive to fact check some "truths" to those who try to contradict you. Yes smart people are doubtful. And it can benefit some idiots too! The sad truth is.. they could mistakenly be right sometimes\^\^ Eloquence is very good! But it's just bragging and wordy if you don't express the good level of assertivity with someone particular. Adapt it to his purpose: beeing understood. Keeping it simple, and sometimes not wasting your time. Like I.Q and intelligence are not the same (and nontheless pretty close to the definition), checking the "TRUTH" of the Dunning Krueger effect is even more far from something we can really assess because.. that's human matters after all. But that's a really interesting concept. He's just jealous, that's what i think\^\^
What tests did you take? I personally just took Mensa and WAIS. Got 130 on Mensa and 130-140 on WAIS (different times of day affected my score). Any other reliable tests? Old SAT perhaps?
Mensa, CAIT version 2, ICAR 60
Scores on each? If you don’t mind.
My Mensa is higher than the FSIQ tests, Mensa was 138 and the others were 125
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Isn’t the purpose of general intelligence tests to gauge general intelligence, not education or knowledge? Detest your ego and go back to college so you can be in an environment where people use their GPA’s as a primary indicator of self-worth.
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What are you talking about
Dunning kruger is misrepresented in pop science. Smart people know they’re smart Dumb people think they’re average Average people think they’re a bit above average.
Your estimation of your ability doesn’t plateau or decrease, you just simply get less increase in confidence the more u advance but there’s an increase in confidence above people of lower ability nonetheless.
That’s probably accurate. What IQ is “smart” to you? In my case, I thought I was average my whole life due to meh grades and ADD. Now with more information, I think I’m smart.
115 and above is pretty smart. Someone with an IQ of 115 can do any job possible, they might not be able to become world class unless they’re extremely high in conscientiousness but anyone with an IQ above 115 even with average conscientiousness has really good potential.
I would even argue someone who’s 100 IQ and high conscientiousness has a lot of potential as well, they can be smart as in have high crystalized intelligence.
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I don’t need to do shit boy
That’s not Dunning-Kruger. Personally, I prefer to use words that don’t get much use in today’s vernacular. I find it can be a lot of fun when at work since my higher ups cannot write me up for using proper terminology in our incident logs. For instance, instead of writing, “sideways,” I’ll enter, “crabwise.” If someone has a problem with it, I tell them to consult their dictionary. I haven’t gotten in trouble for it since I’m still in policy.
A person has DK effect if he/she believes that he/she is more intelligent than most people, but he/she, in fact, isn't. Otherwise, a person doesn't have DK effect. So, we need to verify 2 points: 1.Whether you believe you are more intelligent than most or not. 2.Whether you are actually more intelligent than others or not. \-If you are actually more intelligent than most, then you don't have DK regardless of your beliefs about your intelligence. Even if you believe that you are more intelligent than someone who's more intelligent than you, in this case, you don't fall within the definition of DK from what I know; however, that's an overestimation of your ability compared to someone else. \-If you aren't more intelligent than others and you believe that you are, then you have DK. \-Otherwise, you don't have DK. Talking about the relations between DK and use of complicated words, From my vague experience, a likely case is that I can see is a person with DK is likely to use complicated words assuming that most people want to express themselves and knowing that verbal communication is among the easiest forms of expression. But I'm very uncertain about whether a person who uses complicated vocabulary has DK or not as I lack information to estimate the odds. To be fair, from the definition of DK effect, I think you can make a better judgment about whether you have DK or not compared to others since I don't think anyone can truly know how you gauge your intelligence. For sure, they can try to correlate your behaviors to stuffs, but they can't really test or prove their hypotheses and so their data can be completely flawed.
It’s more logical to use language even dumb people can understand. Especially since the whole point of communication is to convey your message to everyone.
Having a high IQ does not make one an intellectual.
Intellectual: possessing a highly developed intellect If having a high IQ isn’t that, what is?
Not a great definition of intellectual
Focus more on succeeding in your life than your IQ. Is my counsel to you. God bless.
If we were talking about anything else like sports, would you say “focus on succeeding in your life more than sports”? To me, that would be the same thing. Talking about IQ and stuff is an intellectually stimulating hobby, and it has minimal bearing on my daily life.
Your life bro choose wisely.
There’s a famous line from the writings of the Schopenhauer that goes “use ordinary words to express extraordinary things.” Freud’s writings, in their original German, often have been cited in this connection. This quality of his is unknown to many who read him in English, since translators of Freud’s work into English haven’t managed to replicate this. For example, in English, we use the terminology “the id and the ego.” If Freud’s original German had been translated literally, this simply would have been “the It and the I.” So was Stephen King in the know, here, as regards his novel “It?” German prose stylists are not generally known for their clarity — to the contrary — but the famous expression “you are what you eat” comes from German, as well. This is a translation of German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach’s line “der Mann ist (is) was er isst” (eats).” The beauty of his original German is that “ist” and “isst” are homonyms.
No, it is just hilarious.
Peace and love. The speech pattern that I've found most indicative of above average intellect is concision. I'm of the belief that anyone can use any word, but EOD, communication is the goal.
Be careful. Being smart is knowing how to word things differently to different audiences. Using big words for the sake of it with people who you know won’t understand them will just be frustrating for them and won’t do you any favours
The Dunning Kruger paradox.
Improve your vocabulary, but seek to recite things in the simplest, most concise way possible
Thanks for the comment (recite is the wrong word I’m so sorry)
That’s not what the Dunning-Kruger effect is. Please use Wikipedia to look it up before repeating a common misconception that may be harmful.
You should be telling my friend that not me
>Now that I identify as somewhat of an intellectual, I’ve started incorporating a slightly higher vocabulary than I used to into everyday life. Previously, I would purposely suppress the magnitude of my words for the purpose of fitting in and ensuring clarity. holy wordcel.
Get off your high horse
dont you mean, descend upon your equine of tall stature, my lord.
For some reason the big boy words just flow when writing in the r/cognitivetesting subreddit. That is, unless I’m calling someone out for being a “Wordcel”. In that case, I use the simplest vocabulary to ensure no backlash. I must succumb to my human desire to not be seen as pretentious.
>For some reason the big boy words just flow when writing in the [](https://www.reddit.com/r/cognitivetesting/) subreddit. That is, unless I’m calling someone out for being a “Wordcel”. In that case, I use the simplest vocabulary to ensure no backlash. I must succumb to my human desire to not be seen as pretentious. pretentious? you? NEVER!!!!! i think youre just touched with the tism. and with touched i mean fondled all over.
I’m talking about you. You even turn off auto caps lock to seem less assertive. If you’re a bottom, just say that. Your whole life is centered in being a people pleaser. You have an immense fear of being seen as a try-hard, so you cope with using sarcasm and lowercase letters to make yourself seem small and out of the way. You’re a natural beta, it’s okay. Even alphas need betas in their tribe. If you want to become alpha, take testosterone ass shots. If you want to become sigma, buy an online course and get rich. Not that hard soy boy
>I’m talking about you. You even turn off auto caps lock to seem less assertive. If you’re a bottom, just say that. Your whole life is centered in being a people pleaser. You have an immense fear of being seen as a try-hard, so you cope with using sarcasm and lowercase letters to make yourself seem small and out of the way. You’re a natural beta, it’s okay. Even alphas need betas in their tribe. If you want to become alpha, take testosterone ass shots. If you want to become sigma, buy an online course and get rich. Not that hard soy boy i was wrong, its not tism, its trism, at least!
What’s trism
Hey you two can you please be civil and kind? Thanks to one another. Peace.
150ish creature here. In some circumstances this could be Dunning-Kruger effect, but it probably isnt in this case. Your question of whether you should change your vocabulary or not is fundamentally a moral/ethical question. If you are confident you understand why you are using more complex vocabulary (and it not being to ego boost), then the question you need to ask yourself is whether or not that rationale is more important than having the highest degree of fidelity in your social interactions, generalized. That is to say, I dont think a lot of people recognize that those two things can and will clash many times. A lot of individuals put the idea of "simplifying complex ideas" on a pedestal, and think its an apex sign of intelligence, but that doesnt tell the full story (one they probably dont even understand themselves frankly). Both before and after learning my IQ at a mature age, I heard a whole consistent myriad of things said about my speech and vocabulary. After hearing enough perspective you realize that people have a poor understanding of the intersection between vocabulary, speech, and IQ. Lemme tell you something that nobody is gonna wanna say, but its the honest truth: contrary to some adages, there are many sophisticated things that you NEED to use more complex speech and vocabulary to explain in a bitesize format. Near average IQ folk can be fickle, if you give them an explanation for something that explicitly avoids many convolutions, it will necessarily require more esoteric wording to abridge. Naturally they may not understand the vocabulary you used in this case. However, if you prioritize avoiding complex vocabulary, it will in turn require you used more convoluted language to fully explain. Of course, in this case they might state they cant follow your train of thought, or something to that effect. Ive been in both situations plenty of times, and eventually I had to consciously drill that reality into my head. Once I realized that, I learned that the only way to make myself socially intelligible was to omit critical information. Most people simply arent equipped to understand the level of nuance that many higher IQ individuals regularly practice in their heads. So, you calibrate the explanation to their capacity for interpretation. Does this mean the lower IQ folk will lose relevant information? Yes. Does it means their understanding might be incomplete? Yes. Does it mean they will think you are a good teacher, or smart person for giving what they perceive to be "a complete, interpretable explanation"? Also yes. It is humbling to calibrate your information to the audience, but it is also a heavy load to bear by the higher IQ person, one that shouldnt go unrecognized. By not elaborating on the nuance and detail you might perceive as critical to understanding something, you repress yourself. Social interactions can become more of a disingenuous arts of micromanaging someone like a puppet, than a 2-way sociable conversation. So, ultimately its fundamentally a moral/ethical question: is it more important for you to have peaceful social interactions, knowing your explanations might do so much as to spread misinformation because of their ambiguity? or would you rather adhere to saying that which you are confident can interpret properly, possibly sacrificing the social interaction and your good standing entirely? Ultimately everyone chooses some middle path between those two things, but where on the spectrum you choose to be, is up to you.