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> I'm drawn towards groups that promise an intelligent gathering, but I'm frequently disappointed by what I find once I get there. Maybe you're looking in the

by sejje 13y ago

> I'm drawn towards groups that promise an intelligent gathering, but I'm frequently disappointed by what I find once I get there. Maybe you're looking in the wrong place. I don't think groups promising intelligence are a great place to look for intelligence (unless that "promise" is just your supposition, and not their claim). Either that, or you're looking for the wrong thing. I'm not sure what you're trying to find there, but I find most people purporting to be intellectuals really just want to spew opinions and not be interrupted. I enjoy the company of people with passion, more than I do that of "smart" people. Passionate people are experts at something, and they have something to teach me.

bane 13y ago
> Either that, or you're looking for the wrong thing. I'm not sure what you're trying to find there, but I find most people purporting to be intellectuals really just want to spew opinions and not be interrupted. > I enjoy the company of people with passion, more than I do that of "smart" people. Passionate people are experts at something, and they have something to teach me. I wish I could upvote this a million times over. I've often found that groups proposing to be built of smart people are often as not built of over-opinionated pretentious people who've come to believe they are intelligent through one way or another. It's why I've avoided high-IQ societies and the like. It's just a bother and I don't think I'm particularly enriched by them. I've actually found that I do like energetic, "passionate", self-aware people more, which is probably why I've hung around HN so long.
- kibibu 13y ago
  > groups proposing to be built of smart people are often as not built of over-opinionated pretentious people who've come to believe they are intelligent through one way or another Dunning-Kruger societies. I used to associate with a bunch of people who self-identified as "being smart". Trying to fit in led me to form the terrible habit of never saying "I don't know". I've since met a number of genuinely smart people, and they are typically driven by curiosity and delight in learning, not pretension.

by sejje 13y ago

bane 13y ago

> Either that, or you're looking for the wrong thing. I'm not sure what you're trying to find there, but I find most people purporting to be intellectuals really just want to spew opinions and not be interrupted. > I enjoy the company of people with passion, more than I do that of "smart" people. Passionate people are experts at something, and they have something to teach me. I wish I could upvote this a million times over. I've often found that groups proposing to be built of smart people are often as not built of over-opinionated pretentious people who've come to believe they are intelligent through one way or another. It's why I've avoided high-IQ societies and the like. It's just a bother and I don't think I'm particularly enriched by them. I've actually found that I do like energetic, "passionate", self-aware people more, which is probably why I've hung around HN so long.

kibibu 13y ago
> groups proposing to be built of smart people are often as not built of over-opinionated pretentious people who've come to believe they are intelligent through one way or another Dunning-Kruger societies. I used to associate with a bunch of people who self-identified as "being smart". Trying to fit in led me to form the terrible habit of never saying "I don't know". I've since met a number of genuinely smart people, and they are typically driven by curiosity and delight in learning, not pretension.