Advancements in Pseudointellectualism

If they build a better mousetrap, you build a better mouse. This idiom describes the competitive world that we live in and the constant struggle to keep up with advancements in technology, education, fashion, and culture. We need to keep working on ourselves and our personal development, or else we will fall behind and see our quality of life diminish.

But there is another field of human activity where large strides are being made; that of spreading lies, misinformation and propaganda. Pseudointellectualism means fake intellectualism; it means that someone is not only spreading lies, but that the lies appear more "intelligent" than the truth.

Pseudointellectuals appeal to our ego. They satiate our desire to "feel" smart and allow us to enjoy this feeling without facing the challenge of real intellectual thought. They use big words, selective facts and strawman arguments to sound smart, or make their ideological opponents sound ignorant.

Are the pseudointellectuals of today more numerous or more persuasive? Who are the fake intellectuals? Who are the real ones? And how do we know?

Excerpt

Pseudointellectualism means fake intellectualism; it means that someone is not only spreading lies, but that the lies appear more "intelligent" than the truth. Pseudointellectuals appeal to our ego. They satiate our desire to "feel" smart and allow us to enjoy this feeling without facing the challenge of real intellectual thought. Who are the fake intellectuals? Who are the real ones? And how do we know?

License

This text is shared under a Creative Commons 0 "no rights reserved" license. Feel free to copy it, modify it and use however you wish.

Tags