Does technical knowledge breed arrogance?

[Athenian200]

I've noticed something interesting since I got back into computers. I seem to feel very confident when I work with them, and have to fight very hard to avoid sounding condescending or or full of myself when I talk about them to other people. With any other subject, I'm rather humble, polite, tentative, or unsure of what I say.

It seems as though something about mastering the kind of technical knowledge associated with computers has the potential to breed arrogance in people who wouldn't normally be all that arrogant. I have noticed that that kind of arrogance seems to increase in people who get into computing, as well, though I could be imagining it.

It seems reminiscent of what I've heard about Mages and arcane magic users in fantasy universes.

What do you think?

 

[Alwar]

Here is a tip for anyone who wants to build a client-base for independent IT consulting: treat people with respect. If you do that, you will steal so many clients from greasy nerds with narcissistic personality disorder.

Oh and,

[YOUTUBE="5TzHbcXYwI4"]Nick Burns: Your Company's Computer Guy[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE="-U0OKO3-IM4"]Part 2 Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy[/YOUTUBE]

 

[nightning]

Hmmm well I do notice myself switch over to "task mode" when I'm troubleshooting things, which means I tend to be "in control" and saying/explain stuff that could be taken as condescending... but really I'm mostly talking to myself.

I guess knowledge of any sort above the level of the other person breeds arrogance regardless of the subject matter. Something to actively avoid as said by Alwar

 

[Stanton Moore]

All technical language is exclusive by nature, and that can be off-putting, and many people like that effect. It separates them (and their knowledge) from others.
If you want to talk about to people who don't speak the language, then use analogies with common items or concepts to get the point across. Anti-jargon!

 

[thisGuy]

go help some hot girl...be just the right amount of condescending and youll get her number

 

[Oom]

go help some hot girl...be just the right amount of condescending and youll get her number

+1

Girls seem to be attracted to the dickhead wearing a dickhead disguise. It works really well.

On topic though. I had a networking class a year ago and at the beginning I was a little intimidated by all of the jargon. By then end of the class, I realized how much people take to pride the exclusive knowledge of the jargon. It turns good people into giant douche-a-saurus-rexes.

 

[entropie]

Ouh yes baby

 

[Sacrator]

I think knowing about computers up and down is simple. I can build one from the ground up and build large networks if i want to. But I'm not proud about it in anyway i more feel ashamed i know that much about computers really. I think the real pride should be the people who build the actual technology like motherboards, processors and video cards. Those people have real talent you start seeming like a know it all with computers some people will just think your narcissistic.

 

[Ozz]

All technical language is exclusive by nature, and that can be off-putting, and many people like that effect. It separates them (and their knowledge) from others.
If you want to talk about to people who don't speak the language, then use analogies with common items or concepts to get the point across. Anti-jargon!

Up until recently, I used to think analogies are stupid because they break down after a certain point, but now I realize that non-technical people just need enough knowledge to get by and do not need or want to know the edge cases. I am working on avoiding discussion about them with non-technical people.

Of course analogies could be taken too far: see Ted Stevens "series of tube" remark..

 

[BerberElla]

No, I think with certain types of people, any kind of knowledge breeds arrogance because they are arrogant people to start off with. The superior knowledge is just one of the many ways they display that arrogance. If they didn't have it, they would be arrogant with other things.

You can get people who are very knowledgable who don't feel arrogant nor condescending to people who don't know as much.

 

[matmos]

All technical language is exclusive by nature, and that can be off-putting, and many people like that effect. It separates them (and their knowledge) from others.
If you want to talk about to people who don't speak the language, then use analogies with common items or concepts to get the point across. Anti-jargon!

Quite correct. This is a variant of the tragedy of the commons. A wishes to make the point, in writing, that he is technically proficient. He writes a discourse peppered with technical terms, some pertinant, some not. His colleague, B, sets about demonstrating his proficiency by writing a paper peppered with more technical terms, this time most of them only decipherable to those in the know. C sets about competing on similar lines, as does D - and so on.

It only takes one smart arse to start this trend and any papers involving the humanities become gobbledegook.

The tragedy is that knowledge becomes exclusive. Exclusivity is the greatest arrogance; hurdles are set primarily to affirm an existential position not promulgate ideas.

This site has many tips for making your papers more accessable: Free guides

 

[Athenian200]

No, I think with certain types of people, any kind of knowledge breeds arrogance because they are arrogant people to start off with. The superior knowledge is just one of the many ways they display that arrogance. If they didn't have it, they would be arrogant with other things.

You can get people who are very knowledgable who don't feel arrogant nor condescending to people who don't know as much.

Yes, but I'm not arrogant in general. I just find it hard not to feel arrogant when I have technical knowledge. I even avoid showing it, but it's definitely there in a big way that increases with the amount of technical knowledge.

How do you know that they're just not displaying their arrogance?

Quite correct. This is a variant of the tragedy of the commons. A wishes to make the point, in writing, that he is technically proficient. He writes a discourse peppered with technical terms, some pertinant, some not. His colleague, B, sets about demonstrating his proficiency by writing a paper peppered with more technical terms, this time most of them only decipherable to those in the know. C sets about competing on similar lines, as does D - and so on.

It only takes one smart arse to start this trend and any papers involving the humanities become gobbledegook.

The tragedy is that knowledge becomes exclusive. Exclusivity is the greatest arrogance; hurdles are set primarily to affirm an existential position not promulgate ideas.

This site has many tips for making your papers more accessable: Free guides

What's wrong with exclusivity? No offense, but of what use could such knowledge possibly be to crude, common people? They would simply tear it down and dismiss it as impractical and irrelevant to their lives, because they can't see beyond their own experiences and the immediate applications.

It would only be detrimental to the development of such ideas if these people were allowed to access them and so easily form and share their uninformed opinions about things. They would drown out the good ideas with their mass support of simpler ones that seemed right to them. It helps filter the people who aren't serious about understanding the subject out of the discussion.

People are always talking about the problems of exclusivity, but they never consider the problems the alternative approach would create.

 

[BerberElla]

Yes, but I'm not arrogant in general. I just find it hard not to feel arrogant when I have technical knowledge. I even avoid showing it, but it's definitely there in a big way that increases with the amount of technical knowledge.

How do you know that they're just not displaying their arrogance?

True, I don't know, I guess it's the feel I get off of them. People who are arrogant seem to have this vibe pouring out of every word they say, the way they stand, the look in their eyes when they are looking at people, it's just in your face.

IRL it's easier to tell, online is the only time I think I would mistake that feeling, but rarely since even their posts are steeped in arrogance.

I wouldn't say that about you, you seem to be tempered with a better ability to try and understand everyones POV, something alot of INFJ's are really good at. Very very smart people, lots of knowledge, but minus the arrogance that can often go with that. (I know you are saying you feel that way on the technical aspect of things, but it's not leaking out of your words in the way it does with them)

 

[Xander]

Perhaps your usual lack of certainty leads you to over correct when you are capable of being confident?

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Once you have studied something long enough, even if the material seemed difficult at first it will eventually seem elementary or even common sense. It is easy to forget that other people have not had this training, and then you lose patience with them.

 

[Fluffywolf]

I think lack of technical knowledge in respective areas where the knowledge should exist, are more susceptable to arrogant behaviour. The need to try and seem 'well knowing' by being blunt and arrogant to cover for knowledge shortcomings.

 

[Athenian200]

Once you have studied something long enough, even if the material seemed difficult at first it will eventually seem elementary or even common sense. It is easy to forget that other people have not had this training, and then you lose patience with them.

Yeah! I think that has something to do with it. I generally take a while to lose patience, but when someone continually misunderstands how to select their address bar and type something into it, well... that can be frustrating.

 

[Xander]

Yeah! I think that has something to do with it. I generally take a while to lose patience, but when someone continually misunderstands how to select their address bar and type something into it, well... that can be frustrating.

Welcome to the NT side of life.

 

[Athenian200]

Welcome to the NT side of life.

I think everyone relates to NTs a little when they encounter someone who constantly struggles to figure out something incredibly simple. Almost everyone I know has at least ONE story about having to work with an incompetent person stumbling around and doing everything wrong, making their lives miserable.

NTs are just naturally good at so many things that most other people aren't, that it's magnified in them.

 

[Fluffywolf]

Hmm, in my experience people that don't know what they talk about are usually the loudest. Funny. Completely opposite experience from just about everyone else here. xD