Open thread, Dec. 14 - Dec. 20, 2015

MrMind

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If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Notes for future OT posters:

1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.

2. Check if there is an active Open Thread before posting a new one. (Immediately before; refresh the list-of-threads page before posting.)

3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.

4. Open Threads should start on Monday, and end on Sunday.

You might have been more arrogant when you were young because you might have actually been smarter than most people around you. As people grow up they self select into careers that require intelligence and most of them are no longer smarter than most of their peers and signaling 'I'm smarter than you' becomes unfounded and starts to look silly.

To avoid arrogance signalling let's instead poll for it:

I think I was smarter than my class-mates in school [pollid:1078]

I think I was smarter than my co-students during university [pollid:1079]

I think I was smarter than my colleagues on the job [pollid:1080]

I have appeared arrogant in school [pollid:1081]

I have looked silly in school [pollid:1082]

I have appeared arrogant during university [pollid:1083]

I have looked silly during university [pollid:1084]

I have appeared arrogant on the job [pollid:1085]

I have looked silly on the job [pollid:1086]

For referen... (read more)

2Lumifer10y

The classic example of this is when a smart kid from a middling high school finds herself at a good university. She was so used to being the smartest one around and not having to work hard to get good grades, and then... BAM! The level of effort she's used to is now clearly insufficient and there are smarter people all around her. The adjustment can be difficult.