# Is there a name for people who just get paid to be geniuses

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-people-who-just-get-paid-to-be-geniuses/1021795>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 7, 2025, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-people-who-just-get-paid-to-be-geniuses/1021795 "2025-08-07T03:17:00Z")\
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**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2025, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-people-who-just-get-paid-to-be-geniuses/1021795/8 "2025-08-07T10:44:20Z")

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This reminds me of a previous thread, which I can’t find just now, about the possibly mythical consultant to an earlier US President who was the ‘misunderstander-in-chief’ tasked with being as dense and oblivious as possible while reviewing speeches and policies before they were finally polished for public release. Never an easy job, it would seem incomprehensibly incomprehensible now…..

ETA: I’m getting dim myself - it was my own thread! [Misunderstanding on purpose](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misunderstanding-on-purpose/1014416)

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