# Are people on this board too smart for their own darn good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 6, 2009, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058 "2009-01-06T06:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/21 "2009-01-06T15:35:56Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > P.S. - Reagan had lots more clues than people around here like to give him credit for. He was probably the most effective president – economically, politically, internationally and inspirationally – of my lifetime, and he didn’t acheive all that by accident: the man knew what he was doing! I have no doubt he knew what he was doing, and that he was effective at it. That doesn’t mean I believe what he did was good for the country. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/22 "2009-01-06T15:49:52Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > There are lots of smart people around here, all of whom will be willing to tell you at the drop of a hat just how smart they are. Digonies the Cynic, RTFirefly, E1vislives, Redfury, gonzomax, Der Trihs…the list goes on and they’ll tell you how smart they are until the cows come home. Me? I’m an idiot. An educated idiot, but an idiot all the same. The difference is that I realize that and have some common sense, while recognizing that while my knowledge is vast, my ignorance is legion. The posters I’ve mentioned above believe the exact opposite, which is why they are so consistently able to post opinions without basis in fact. Any particular reason why you felt the need to turn a general discussion about the SDMB into snide remarks about specific members? You’re way too close to insulting posters and being a jerk. Knock it off. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/23 "2009-01-06T15:53:24Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > It seem like around here, if the question is to uncomfortable, the topic changes and salient points are never addressed. Alternatively, some points are so silly that it is presumed that every reader will recognize their lack of merit and so no one feels the need to point out the errors, particularly when the requirements to demonstrate just how silly they are will outweigh the benefit of posting the rebuttal. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/24 "2009-01-06T16:01:35Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > It seems that a lot of threads degrade into “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin”, with no certain answer ever emerging. Smart people can argue anything with facility, so are we only battling egos here? This is why I try to pin people down and determine what they actually mean. Then someone gets mad at me for arguing semantics, apparently oblivious to the fact that the OP of that thread has not made a lick of sense. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/25 "2009-01-06T17:06:26Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Any particular reason why you felt the need to turn a general discussion about the SDMB into snide remarks about specific members? > > You’re way too close to insulting posters and being a jerk. > Knock it off. > > [/Moderating] Sorry. I was going for tongue in cheek silly, I guess I missed the mark a bit. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/26 "2009-01-06T17:11:16Z")
I don’t think it is possible to be too smart for your own good. It is possible to think you are smarter than you are and for that to be detrimental. General distribution of population would almost guarantee that there are people like that on this board. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/27 "2009-01-06T17:14:16Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Yes. Me. It amazes me how many threads I get into where my points are not responded to. It seem like around here, if the question is to uncomfortable, the topic changes and salient points are never addressed. 1. Examples? 2. How exactly would that be an instance of Dopers being “too smart for their own good”? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/28 "2009-01-06T17:29:51Z")
but of course. ignorance is bliss ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/29 "2009-01-06T17:59:41Z")
I’m still waiting for the smart dopers to tell me about the rabbits. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/30 "2009-01-06T18:19:21Z")
[QUOTE=cosmosdan] I’m still waiting for the smart dopers to tell me about the rabbits. [/QUOTE] Well…it’s got HUGE NASTY SHARP TEETH! It can leap \<----------------------\>… :eek: Look at the BONES MAN! -XT ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/31 "2009-01-06T18:24:29Z")
I’m uncomfortable with the particular turn of phrase “Too smart for your own good”. It implies that ignorance and stupidity are somehow better than being informed and intelligent. So no, we’re not. But we might just be too smart for some peoples “good”. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/32 "2009-01-06T18:28:35Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > There are smart people on SDMB? Isn’t that what the “S” stands for? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/33 "2009-01-06T18:54:51Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Isn’t that what the “S” stands for? Sado- ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/34 "2009-01-06T19:11:13Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Well…it’s got HUGE NASTY SHARP TEETH! It can leap \<----------------------\>… > > :eek: > > Look at the BONES MAN! > > -XT I laughed so hard I soiled my armor. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/35 "2009-01-06T22:54:55Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > I’m still waiting for the smart dopers to tell me about the rabbits. Are you quoting Lenny or Spiro Agnew? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/36 "2009-01-06T22:57:32Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > It seems that a lot of threads degrade into “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin”, with no certain answer ever emerging. Smart people can argue anything with facility, so are we only battling egos here? Have you ever been in a real debate? If a debate topic can be resolved easily one way or another, it is a lousy topic. I’ve had my opinion changed when preparing for a formal debate, so it can happen. Now that I have a brain bigger than a planet, however … ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/37 "2009-01-06T23:00:26Z")
I’m too smart for my own darn good. I’m trying to get dumber. Posting in threads like this one seems as good a start as any! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/38 "2009-01-06T23:00:29Z")
[QUOTE=cosmosdan] I laughed so hard I soiled my armor [/QUOTE] Damn…that sucks. Once you soil your armor it’s SO hard to get the smell out. Er…not that I would know that, you _in an OUTRAGEOUS Franch accent_ English PigDog! Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time! Your mother was a hamster (probably used to run this board in fact!) and your father smelled of elderberries! -XT ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/39 "2009-01-06T23:24:19Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Are you quoting Lenny or Spiro Agnew? Lenny. Sorry for being dense but could you explain the Agnew reference? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2009, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058/40 "2009-01-06T23:26:44Z")
Wasn’t he referred to as the White Rabbit at some point? That’s all I gots anyway… (Now Carter…that was a man with a great rabbit story!) -XT [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-on-this-board-too-smart-for-their-own-darn-good/480058.md?page=3)