Are you arrogant?

[Snow Turtle]

So I was looking through my psychology textbooks and I stumbled across this idea that more than 70% usually believe they are above the average in intelligence and all that. And it got me curious about whether this could be linked with arrogancy...

Now I'm not talking about the openly-arrogant individual that goes around shouting about how much better they are in comparison to other people, but the more subtle forms which is reflected in statements like "mass society is XYZ - I would not make that choice." or perhaps even choosing to hang out with certain individuals. One example: The idea of selecting friends, occasionally questioning friendships with people might be seen as being picky, and some could argue that this behaviour is being arrogant.

What do people think?
Does it really matter to be arrogant in that sense?

 

[Fluffywolf]

Yup, I am.

I know I am, and I'm not about to plunge into the depths of every single soul I meet, just to try and prove my judgements wrong. Being arrogant is therefor unavoidable for me.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I don't think I'm arrogant. Actually I'm not even sure that the 70% who think they are above average are all arrogant either. Instead people have different ways of judging intelligence. Two people can look at each other and think the other person is dumb simply because the other person is incompetent in a way that they care a lot about.

For example an extravert might appear dumb to an introvert, because he says whatever he is thinking. Likewise the extravert might think the introvert is dumb, because he can't communicate as clearly. I'm not sure if this is arrogance, but if it is, the arrogance comes from a lack of understanding other people.

 

[Antimony]

Hm. I do tend to think I am smarter than the rest of society, and in some ways, I generally am, even when contending with adults.

However, complete arrogance would in fact limit me and my room for growth, thus handicapping me and making me not as amazing as I thought I was. So I try to not let it handicap me.



Even though I am a little bit stuck up sometimes without meaning to be.

 

[entropie]

No, never

 

[LostInNerSpace]

If I'm defending myself, you better believe it. Otherwise I'm quite humble. Ego is a defense mechanism. You trying to make me look arrogant is only going to hurt you. I can't help if you can't see that.

 

[Oaky]

There is a difference between arrogance, paranoia and choosing friends wisely. The wise do not befriend fools and one who looks at a fool without knowing is a fool himself.

 

[LostInNerSpace]

Is ego bad? Is fat bad? Is salt bad? No, but too or too little and you die.

 

[LostInNerSpace]

If people choose to make me an enemy of me I won't reward them, but my choice would be to have friends, not enemies. I know the difference.

 

[EcK]

nah, im a realist at heart


(the common use of the word, though i'm also a realist in the philosophical sense as I 'believe' the observer cannot be distinguished from the observed/environnement)

 

[JustHer]

I am glorious and fantastic until proven otherwise.

 

[EcK]

I am glorious and fantastic until proven otherwise.

I'll have my intjs start working on a mathematical proof right away.
your days of rule are counted!

Jokes appart, that's the way to go, to an extent, but then again u can never be everything at once so a man gotta choose and so on.

 

[JustHer]

I'll have my intjs start working on a mathematical proof right away.
your days of rule are counted!

Yeah? Well I've already got my INTJs working on disproving your proof.

 

[EcK]

Yeah? Well I've already got my INTJs working on disproving your proof.

But you never thought of double agents, did you.

 

[teslashock]

I walk into a room and assume I'm one of the smartest (if not the smartest) person in there until proven wrong (but I'm open to the idea of and happy by being proven wrong ). Does that count?

I've actually always thought of arrogance as failure and unwillingness to yield to another position. Failure to admit that you can be wrong and failure to accept the fact that you are, even when it's indisputably blatant. If I operate by that definition, then no, I'm not arrogant. Do I think I'm the shit though? Hell yes...

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Are you arrogant?

Pride goeth before the fall...

 

[EcK]

Pride goeth before the fall...

So, you finally watched Brave Heart?!!

 

[EcK]

There's generally pride in being humble. And attachement and action leads to pride as a normal effect of drives and wants based psyches.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

So, you finally watched Brave Heart?!!

I was talking about my personal fall.

 

[EcK]

I was talking about my personal fall.

Ow, key. Us entps and our tendency to go directly for the big picture impersonal model you know