# Does this rhetoric have a documented name ('you seem like a smart person; I'm surprised...') **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896 "2021-06-23T14:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/1 "2021-06-23T14:39:11Z")
I’ve seen this a lot in internet discussions; opening debate comments of the form: “I’m surprised you said that you don’t believe in [flying squid ghosts] because you seem like a smart person” Specifically, this argument seems most common in support of arguments that are not supported by evidence or verifiable facts, and it often seems to be the case that the person making the argument really should have no reason at all to be expressing surprise - that is, the argument is used to attack something that’s really kind of consistent for the person being addressed. The format nearly always contains all three of: - ‘I thought you were smart’ - ‘I am surprised about your views’ - Crackpot argument It’s so consistent, I feel sure someone must have written about this already. ---
**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:** [June 23, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/2 "2021-06-23T15:39:17Z")
I’ve always called it “condescension.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/3 "2021-06-23T16:38:59Z")
Said another way, the poster’s internal syllogism goes about like this: > _I’m_ smart or at least a correct thinker. > These are my views with which all right-thinking people agree. > _You’ve_ expressed disagreement. > Therefore you must be stupid, wrong, or both. > I can’t quite say that so I say what amounts to “For a smart person you sure have stupid views”. > I’m so pleased that I outsmarted you with my linguistic subtlety. Like in judo, your own ego momentum will now force you to agree with me. > I win! In other words, it’s a variant of damning by faint praise. And just as ineffective. In the majority of cases I suspect it’s really just “A dumb person’s idea of a smart debating move.” Cf. Dunning Kreuger. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/4 "2021-06-23T21:06:24Z")
What I’ve heard is: “If you’re so smart, why do you believe in God?” “If you’re so smart, why don’t you?” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/5 "2021-06-23T21:54:02Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > A dumb person’s idea of a smart debating move. Yeah, it always seems to be exactly that - the position being argued is nearly always the most fucknuttian nonsense like some health quackery, or extreme version of a fad diet, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/6 "2021-06-23T22:00:44Z")
Which aligns with the whole sales technique used to sell CTs. Which is: > The sheeple can’t see the Truth; they’re too blindered. But us deeply insightful smarty-pants can! So it stands to reason that smart people will ~~buy into~~ fall for the same BS I did. So there’s some genuine cognitive disconnect for the CT (or woo) believer: It’s sold as appealing to smart or at least uniquely insightful people. I believe it and _I_ think I’m smart/insightful. You disbelieve it but you seem smart. Danger: contradiction. Does not Compute!! Does Not Compute!! ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/7 "2021-06-23T23:09:22Z")
> Does this rhetoric have a documented name Compliment sandwich (without the bottom bun and used for malicious purposes) ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/8 "2021-06-23T23:19:49Z")
I’ve always thought of it as a form of _ad hominem_. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/9 "2021-06-24T02:10:21Z")
[Negging](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negging), a version of a negative compliment. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/10 "2021-06-24T07:51:29Z")
Good point, yeah, it’s negging. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-rhetoric-have-a-documented-name-you-seem-like-a-smart-person-im-surprised/944896/11 "2021-06-24T09:00:25Z")
“Damning with faint praise”? (Or is that more like a mother’s dismissive “That’s nice, dear”?)