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FORGOTTEN HISTORY: People trying too hard to look smart | History Defined
Seeing someone embarrass themselves can be painful even if you aren’t involved in it at all. It’s just a normal part of human empathy. But if that person at first did something annoying, entitled or just prideful, then their failures become a very satisfying sort of entertainment.
We’ve gathered some of the funniest examples of someone trying very hard to show off their alleged “high IQ” online and just making a fool of themselves. So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare for some secondhand embarrassment, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments down below.
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#1
Tall Tales From A Genius
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#2
A Friend Of Mine On Facebook Always Toes The “I Am Very Smart” Line But This Morning He Jumped Right Over It
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
Emotional intelligence is a thing and I think homeboy here failed that class.
#3
Tired: Reading Books. Wired: Reading Wikipedia Summaries And Goodreads Reviews. Inspired: Reading Dubious AI Hallucinations About A Book
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
No, I know how to use my own brain and not outsource my thinking to an AI datacenter that burns as much gas as a small city. AI sux!
There is a specific word that the Germans coined for this exact feeling and it is called schadenfreude. The basic idea is that we find joy in the misfortunes of others. While that might sound a little bit mean on the surface, it is actually a deeply ingrained part of how we maintain social balance.
When someone walks into a room or a digital comment section and starts acting like they are the only person who has ever read a book, they are setting a very high bar for themselves. They are essentially telling the rest of the world that they are superior, which creates a natural desire in the audience to see them prove it. If they can not back up that big talk, the fall is much more dramatic than it would be for a humble person.
#4
Found On Twitter This Morning
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
Hint: The first one is WATER. The next is TEA LEAVES. After that probably Citric acid and Sorbic Acid as preservatives. Tea isn't complicated.
#5
So Smart He Can Confound Minimum Wage Best Buy Employees
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
Anyone else get the feeling that this dude has no clue what a lumen is? Like its a word he read in a trade magazine somewhere and now it's his favorite word of the week?
#6
Simple As That
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
"Also, check out my storefront online! Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine on sale this month ONLY!"
Think about the classic internet trope of the person who tries to correct the grammar of someone else while making a glaring spelling error in the very same sentence. It is the ultimate moment of unintentional comedy because it exposes a lack of self awareness that is just objectively funny.
#7
This Girl Is Consistently Tweeting Stuff Like This
#8
Its Just Fascinating
#9
Not Sure What That Has To Do With Anything
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
Is there a context where someone would ask that question IRL? I can't think of one.
When we see a self proclaimed genius get stumped by a simple riddle or a basic fact, it reminds us that no one is truly above the rest of us. It acts as a social leveler. We live in a world where people are constantly trying to curate these perfect versions of themselves online and when that mask slips, it feels like we are finally seeing something authentic. Even if that authentic thing is just a silly mistake, it humanizes the person while also punishing their arrogance.
#10
"I Still Can't Believe How Much People Like Things I Don't Like"
Plentyofoomph 52 minutes ago
Its interesting to watch people who are really good at what they do regardless of the activity
#11
She Has Been At A Community College For Years And Also Constantly Begs For Money
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 hours ago
His goal was to microdose the Ketamine but he misplaced a decimal somewhere and now he's tasting colors.
#12
Tunnel Vision
There is also a fascinating concept known as the Dunning Kruger effect which basically says that people with low ability at a task often overestimate their own competence. This is often what we are seeing when someone goes on a rant about their high IQ. They are so confident in their own brilliance that they do not even realize how they sound to everyone else.
#13
There’s Nothing Incredibly Intellectual About Either Of Those
#14
With Great Knowledge Comes Even Greater Responsibility
Watching this play out in real time is like watching a slow motion car crash where nobody actually gets hurt. It is harmless fun that allows us to feel a little bit better about our own modest lives. We might not be rocket scientists, but at least we are not the person who just spent twenty minutes explaining a concept incorrectly to a literal expert in the field.
#16
Poor Guy
#17
Zombie Apocalypse
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 hour ago
Oh great. I'll eat him first. Who needs to grow their own food when there are so many people you can just gobble up.
#18
This Was Really Legit The Answer He Gave, I Was There
The entertainment value also comes from the anticipation. When you see someone post a photo of a membership application or a screenshot of an online test they took while they were bored, you just know that something is going to go wrong eventually. It is the setup for a joke that they did not even know they were telling. When the punchline finally hits, it provides a sense of narrative satisfaction.
#20
When Someone Says He Use "Facts And Logic" Its More Often Than Not An Opinion Not Based On Fact Nor Logic
Elladine DesIsles 40 minutes ago
Right. The average pre-K or kindie absolutely has nothing better to do, and no other responsibilities taking priority, over engaging in three-hour political debates with a single, insufferable student. Presumably, the 20-30 other five-year-olds in the room just watched in awe, completely oblivious to the fact that they were hungry or needed help using the washroom, nobody had a sudden urge to climb the bookshelf, or draw on a wall, or poke their neighbour?
#21
Definitely Relevant Comment On A Kitchen Nightmares Episode
StrangeOne 1 hour ago
Chef Ramsey would scream at you for daring to call him Gordon so casually. Then, if he hasn't fired your sorry a**e, he would shout at you to get back to f*****g work and wash those d**n dishes harder so you can actually earn to level up in the kitchen. FFS.
We love stories where the underdog wins and the boastful giant gets defeated. In the world of social media, the giant is often just a person with a keyboard and a very inflated sense of self importance. This phenomenon is often linked to the concept of hubris, which has been a staple of storytelling since the days of ancient Greece. It is the classic story arc of pride coming before a fall, and we are all just here to watch the tumble.
#22
I Went To Harvard
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 hour ago
an·ec·do·tal /ˌanəkˈdōd(ə)l/ adjective (of an account) not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research. Like talking about your personal experience in college and using it to make a vast generalization about other people's experiences.
#23
Gather Round Everyone It’s Time For The Weekly Family IQ Test
Speak easy buttercup 1 hour ago
Amazingly I have 3 children over the age of 18(and one nipping on 18s door!) And EVERY SINGLE ONE of them KNOWS they are smarter than me!! What a crazy coincidence!! 🤣🤣🤣
Furthermore, these moments of public failure serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of us. They remind us to stay humble and to check our facts before we start acting like we know everything. Seeing someone else take the hit for being a bit too proud allows us to learn that lesson without having to experience the embarrassment ourselves. It is a form of collective learning. We watch, we laugh, and then we think to ourselves that we should probably double check that thing we were about to post. It is a cycle of social correction that keeps everyone a little bit more grounded.
#25
His Entire Facebook Is Like This
#26
Imagine Greeting Someone And Getting This Answer
In the end, it is not about being cruel or wanting people to suffer in any meaningful way. It is about the love of irony. There is nothing more ironic than a person who claims to be the smartest person in the room failing at something that a child could do. That contrast between their perceived self and their actual reality is the foundation of almost all great comedy. So, as you look through these examples of people tripping over their own egos, do not feel too bad about laughing.
#28
I Could Do Anything And Be Really Freaking Good At It
#29
Well, If That's What AI Said
Jane, Not Plain 1 hour ago
Everyone is a deep thinker about something, and maybe not just at the same time as you.
You are just participating in a very old human tradition of finding humor in the arrogance of others. It is one of the things that makes the internet such a wild and interesting place to spend time. Just remember that the next time you feel like bragging about your latest achievement, there is probably someone out there waiting for you to make a typo. We all need a reality check now and then, and sometimes that check comes in the form of a very public and very funny mistake that reminds us we are all just human.
#31
Yes, Because You Need To Be A Grad Student To Do Basic Middle School Math
#32
Be Very Scared, This Guy Understands Music And Has A Good Brain
#34
I Learnt A Language In 2 Weeks
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 2 hours ago
This one doesn't fit here tbh, they're just saying they had to learn the basics for going to school in two weeks. They're not bragging and saying they became fluent in two weeks, they're laughing at the situation.
#35
I Said “Hey, What’s Good?”
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 hour ago
"Pedigree" EWW! Like he's breeding a dog or something. Run away!
#37
Apparently You Can't Use 'Lmao' Anymore
#40
I Am The Only One Who Understands Nipponese
Lost Panda 5 minutes ago
My lords in heaven and hell please hold me back before I jump through this screen to harm their parents for having put these out into the world
#42
In Case You Didn’t Know, She’s A Fantastic Speed Reader
Elladine DesIsles 28 minutes ago
Can we introduce her to the dude (currently #36) who reads "so much" by regularly meeting his Goodreads goals of 25-50 books a year? I'd like to see these two have a go at sorting out who is the sharpest, most academic, dominant bibliophile.
#45
Hello I Am Smart
#46
Good For You
#47
Is The Master’s Degree In How To Be A Karen? Or Is That The High-Level Job?
Charlotte 2 hours ago
Actually, I get this one. When I ask for plain, black coffee some people seem determined to show me the error of my ways. It would be one thing if they were trying to push something new but when it's "are you sure you don't want cream and sugar? I have it right here. Maybe just try it with the cream and sugar?" It's annoying. I mean, I have been alive over half a century. Do they really think I have never tried whatever combination they are proposing?
#48
On A Post About Someone Getting Money From Redditors To Visit His Mother Who Is Passing Away
#51
Don't Lie To This Man's Trained Mind
#55
Look At Me... I Am So Smart In This Hypothetical Situation
Lost Panda 1 minute ago
I may be wrong, but even still that is a weak password that given the owner admitted it was 12345678 a brute force application could be setup to try all the many different ways it could be set...
#57
Almost Every Tweet Is About How They Went To Harvard
Speak easy buttercup 50 minutes ago
Yeah well I went to The University of Arkansas!! WOO PIG SOOIE!! Razorbacks! 🤣🤣🤣
#58
A Genius Among Us
Speak easy buttercup 46 minutes ago
It amazes me how many people claim to have genius level IQs these days! 🤣 and its usually the ones that can't put a coherent thought together! 🤣
#59
He Is A Very Smart
Elladine DesIsles 18 minutes ago
By logic, if my great grandparents had never existed, neither would I. It seems this believer is unfamiliar with the concept of evidence.
#66
Yikes
Elladine DesIsles 13 minutes ago
I see versions of this frequently pop up on social media. I really, really want to believe that answers like this - of which there are many - are posted by bots. But unless the bots are also voting and wearing red hats, there really must be plenty of people with critical thinking skills this atrophied.
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