.random[oid]archive

There’s really nothing significant that has happened today that is worth writing about, unless you want me to tell you how much my wife rocks when it comes to cleaning and how cool openTTD is. What I will tell you about is a thought that has been circling in my mind the last week, and that is kind of a recurring conundrum.

As I am who I am (introvert, geek, etc) I can sometimes feel like an alien on this planet, placed here to observe and study the odd behaviour of the humans. I like puzzles, acquire new information, being creative and so on; anything that keeps my mind busy. As I observe how people act around me (not with me) socially, what I read in the “news” and see on TV; I’m fascinated by how it’s accepted and even expected to brag about how strong you are, how much alcohol you can drink, how many people you have had coitus with and what not. While if you are intelligent, you are expected to not make it too noticeable; and being proud about it is a not allowed. You should also expect to have your intelligence put to the test. Of course, it’s mostly measured with pseudoscience and by using straw man arguments to “disprove” your knowledge. You are also considered annoying if you correct wrong facts, disprove statements and such; which sometimes is referred to as pontificating.

Observations like these can only have me come to the conclusion that it’s all right to be dumb and ignorant, while being intelligent is mostly wrong and not socially acceptable.

What is kind of amusing with that conclusion is that people tend to forget that it’s because of these annoying socially awkward geeks we have education, science, technology, medicine and so.

It’s also the reason why so many geeks sometimes prefer being social on the internet rather than in real life. Because online they will easier meet like minded people who will not judge them and demand that they should change.

I guess that if you are different you make some people insecure. Instead of trying to understand you and respect you for who you are, they try to change you to who they want you to be. They might also be a bit jealous I think. Not just because you are smarter than them, but also that you have more self-esteem. You don’t have the need to fit in as you accept who you are.

Still, it can be tyring to hear all the time that you are the one who needs to change. Something introverts are too familiar with.

This is of course my opinion based on my observations. I do not have the time to really research this, but if I did I would. I do have the time to discuss it of course.

Peace and respect.