January 23, 2011
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Do People Think You are Smart?
My wife was saying the other day that her boss treats her like she is stupid. She said in general at work she feels like she is treated like she doesn’t know what is going on.
I told her I feel the opposite. I feel like everyone at work tends to overestimate my intelligence. We were having a problem with our Quickbooks program and they expected that I could just fix it.
Do your family/friends/coworkers treat you like you are smart?
Comments (126)
smart ass maybe
Depends on what I’m doing.
Mine do. It’s frustrating. Just because I have a large vocabulary and an Encyclopedic knowledge of certain subjects doesn’t mean I’m a subject matter expert on everything. I can’t even do basic algebra without a calculator.
People who actually know me treat me as though I’m smart. People who are meeting for the first time tend to underestimate me. It’s probably b/c I’m young. -shrugs-
yeah, cause I’m in high school. I take AP/honors classes and do pretty well in them, especially this year. so people say “OMG YOU’RE SO SMART” and what not. I hope that in the future people think I’m smart in the real world, though..
For some inexplicable reason, yes.
people treat me like i’m smart most of the time, like strangers, teachers, anyone in a high position of power. i make a good impression on adults. but people my age treat me like i’m an idiot, unless they know me really well.
Depends on the person. When I was in middle/high school, people used to expect me to be brilliant at everything, and were astonished if I performed less than outstanding, even though I had never had a demonstrable skill in anything math-related. They assumed because I liked to read that I was thus amazingly smart because reading (even if I wasn’t reading anything academic) equaled smart.
I get the impression that most people don’t believe I am terribly smart when they first meet me, but I’ve never asked anyone straight out so I don’t know. One of my coworkers, who is kind of a manager-type above me, always seemed to be surprised whenever I grasped a concept or asked a relevant question, answering with, “Yes!” in kind of a surprised voice, as though he didn’t expect me to get it. But I think I prove them mostly wrong after a while.
Yeah, kinda, depending on circumstances or conversation. LOL at the Paris Hilton pic! She got paid to open up and pretend to be reading the Art of War right? I’m surprised the book is not upside down!
Friends, sometimes. Family, sometimes. Coworkers, prob. I’m not very smart, though.
yes and no
yes and they take it a little higher than my skill level .-.
Yep. I think it’s just because I can solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute.
Nope cuz I try my best to show them I’m not LOL
People say it’s a waste that I’m not in college (not my fault, I’m trying dammit) mainly because I’m well-read, read aloud with average conversation speed, I have an extensive vocabulary, handy with computers even though I have no experience with them what-so-ever work-wise and try to engage others in talks of biology and philosophy, but with little success.
I think most people are gifted in certain subjects, but can have little knowledge of others. For instance, I suck with math and chemistry, so I wouldn’t necessarily call myself smart. I know he’s a fictional character, but Sherlock Holmes was gifted in chemistry and anything else relating to his science of deduction, but he had no idea that the earth revolved around the sun until Watson told him. That’s a good example for a point I’m trying to make. You may think of someone as dumb, but it could be that they’re just gifted in another subject. Whether it’s actually useful or not, it doesn’t matter.
I think it’s because the bar for ‘average intelligence’ is just getting lower and lower so those of us still there are starting too look pretty darn intelligent.
unfortunately.
I am frequently told by friends and colleagues that I am a smart fellow. I sure do know how to front.
It happens sometimes that people treat me as an equal. I had to hide my intelligence as a child to please a jealous mother. Somehow it clung on me. However I try to correct this condition with new oppotunities; one of them is Xanga!
no, only because I don’t like to act smart because then people would expect more out of me and then they’d think I was out to get them
awesome picture!
Yes, everyone except the people in my math class think I’m smart at least to some extent, haha.
People at my work think I’m smart, but I do work as a calculus and physics tutor.
Not since I lost on Jeopardy, baby.
Generally people think I’m a genius.
Some people tell me I’m stupid sometimes, but often I’m suspicious those are the one’s most intimidated by me.
Some do. Some act like they don’t. Most don’t indicate so much.
@godfatherofgreenbay - i’ll have you know the smart ones are onto your little ruse.
I’m not treated like I’m stupid, necessarily. I’m not relied on to fix anything because I’m not smart enough to do so. I’m happy with where I am in life.. haha.
@complicatedlight - If they’re so smart, then they’d know where I hid the antidote.
@godfatherofgreenbay - but of course they wouldn’t; they only want you to *think* they would. come on…you gotta think like a smart person here, matt.
Yes, for sure.
@complicatedlight - oh damn, I really am stupid, guess it’s time to shove the crayons back into my brain.
yes and no, I’m quiet, so everyone feels like I’m hiding something.
I simply can’t quick-respond. I’m more of a follower.
@godfatherofgreenbay - just think of them as control rods…
Most people tryo conquer me to prove themselves. It gets old.
Anyone else notice Paris Hilton is reading Sun Tzu’s Art of War? Kinda odd…I have a hard time thinking she could understand any of it.
I have a feeling my boss realizes he is an idiot and thinks everyone else is a dumb as he is so he tends to repeat himself multiple times about frivolous things while failing to mention the important ones. It’s very annoying and funny how everyone feels the same way.
Actually I get mixed with my family they talk to me like I am the dumbest person in the world because I usually don’t say much, unless I’m being goofy or talking about girly things, they all just never shut up and are a bunch of smart ass know-it-all’s.about hereing others opinions.
With my friends I am more open about who I am and can carry pretty good conversations about anything, not to mention they are more open minded about hearing others opinions so i feel like showing them my brain sparks. lol
I’m not the type of person to waist my real thoughts on some one who wont here it so that may be the reason… Is your wife more reserved at work with certain traits you see her showing at home?
~ Roxie
@chaosandtranquility - He might just not realize how to explain things. I know people often repeat them selves if they can’t spit it out the way they here it in their own head… Doesn’t mean they arent smart… They just have a hard time expressing their own thought. A lot of introverted people are like that. Alot of extroverts are smart enough and can communicate well but often don’t think on the same lines as an introvert… From what I have noticed…
Not saying any is smarter or more complex just very different.
@chaosandtranquility - Also lol @ the Paris comment… Don’t underestimate the mind of a super girly girly. They may just be, kinda smart.
I perceive that I am perpetually underestimated. Then again I don’t usually think or reason like most people so I can’t entirely blame them.
people tend to overestimate me and think im a super geek
Sometimes
everyone is intellegent in there chossen feild, i know copious amounts of things that you wouldnt otherwise even want to know, and i read at a level higher than that of most middle aged people, but that doesnt mean i can do long devision or calculus without a calculator on hand
and yet people still think me a genious, i suppose most people are just blind to my obvious lack of knowledge on anything not pointless
but thats life
My friends and family all think I’m smarter than I really am. My co-workers, I think, have a more realistic estimation of my knowledge acquisitions.
I can relate with your wife…..one of my friends who is a business major once told me, it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver, rather than the opposite. it made me feel better … until I noticed that I don’t over-deliver very well.
Everyone always thinks of me as more smart then I actually am. It’s sort of irritating and causes a lot of pressure where there doesn’t need to be. It’s been like this since I was kid, I can remember my babysitter telling other parents I was “high up there” and that’s why I got put in a certain class with a certain teacher. Some people have nothing better to discuss with me, but “smart stuff”. Sometimes I just want to talk about life, because smart stuff makes my head hurt.
Nope, but they don’t treat me like I’m stupid either.
I guess I work hard at not following my feelings because I tend to feel negatively. People can’t make me feel any certain way unless I allow it.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the irony of so many people on here saying that people underestimate their intelligence when they’re commenting with terrible spelling and grammar.
Pretty much everyone at work knows I submitted my Master’s Thesis, so they have a good handle on my level of intelligence and treat me accordingly. I don’t feel as if they think I’m dumber or smarter than I am.
It was at my undergraduate summer job that people severely underestimated me. I was a housekeeper and most guests from Chicago assumed I was an uneducated white trash hillbilly. I always enjoyed startling them when I would look them square in the eye and respond to their condescending tones eloquently, intelligently, and with my solid middle-class Midwestern non-accent. During my last summer there I enjoyed casually tossing in that I was about to leave for grad school. *wicked grin* They usually treated me with far more respect after that…or just avoided me. I was perfectly happy with either response.
My family treats me like I’m smart, or a smart-ass. I rarely see any of my friends, but when I do we treat each other equally. My last job, the first two bosses treated me as an intellectual equal. The third and last boss I had was condescending to me; probably mostly because I’m a woman.
@PervyPenguin - Oh, hey. Welcome back.
Probably not. That’s okay, for right now, at least.
Depends. At work my boss treats everyone as if they are stupid. However, in my personal life with my family, friends, and boyfriend, they all exaggerate my intelligence. Both are very irritating.
Yeah, they think i’m smart at school. They don’t realize how hard i work for the grades i get, though.
No. For some reason, people always seem to take my shyness for stupidity.
depending on the problem they do. when its something to do with Excel they expect me to be able to fix anything and everything. when its something about the stock market they think i am an idiot even though i am liscenced to sell stocks and bonds. haha!
Yeah, someone did…once. It was about 7 years ago. It lasted for about 3 seconds. So yes, I would definitely have to say yes.
I’m in the same boat as you. They think I’m smarter than I actually am.
I think my family and friends know that I’m smart, but at work I sometimes feel the way your wife does.
Yes. People overestimate me just because of my short stature. It’s bizarre. They think I’m like super super genius or something but I actually failed my accounting class and I got a 2.0 in my basic statistics class in college lol.
i’m not sure. wish i knew.. i think people underestimate me though.
when i was younger, people thought i was super smart. it was a little strange.. and awkward.
I’m seen as somewhat gifted academically. It’s unfortunate my job doesn’t require that sort of thing.
depends on the circumstance and the conversation
but mostly yeah..hahaha
They don’t “think” I’m smart… they KNOW I’m smart!
bahahha
people always underestimate me, probably because of my looks. I’m 5’2″, blonde, really small and decently attractive. apparently this means I can’t play sports or be smart…
Is that Paris Hilton???
People take one look at me and automatically assume lettuce has a higher IQ. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
Yep, I’m known as one of the smart ones. I suppose I am, but it sucks because people think that’s all there is to me and I spend my entire life studying and doing homework (which is far from the truth!)…
Yes. Those who know me best know that I am smart. And everyone in my family is also pretty smart.
People in a position of authority can sometimes be intimidated by an underling with greater intelligence than themselves. Instead of finding ways to utilize the persons abilities (which would be beneficial to both), their jealousy causes them to lash out in a very childlike manner. And yes, people generally think I’m intelligent, but I try not to flaunt it.
Yes, most people think I’m smarter than the average person.
I’d like to think that I’m smart, but um… wait, what was the question again?
What did you ask? I’m looking at the top of her cleavage…
People always treat me as if I’m dumb. During finals week at law school, people constantly snubbed my opinion. THey told me I look “bubbly”. This month, I got my first year grades and got ALL A’s. That really brought them down a notch. But yes, I’m always being underestimated. I need a way to start “looking” smarter.
some do, some don’t.
shes reading art of war? shes probably smarter than people make her out to be, and this dumb valley girl thing is just an act.
I know no one thinks im a dimwit, and most of my friends think im bright
@raspberryjade - it means you can’t be good at sports, not play them.
Generally yes. Why? Because I have read a lot and been in counseling a lot therefore associating with knowledgeable people. I know a little about a lot of things and can generally ask semi-intelligent questions. And it is then I become perceived as smart…I know enough to keep my mouth shut and listen to the answers.
People at work treat me like I’m “stupid” but I usually go along with it because I am rather socially awkward and need to watch how people interact with each other to get things done to learn how to get things done correctly.
I’m trivia smart and I like to think common sense smart, but socially, I just don’t get it. So I think I pretty much get treated the way I expect to.
I’ve experienced both.
at first i get looked at as if something is different from other people. then within a few days people start talking to me about all sorts of topics then i become the general counseling person for them to come to. so i think how we come off to other people determines what role they place us in.
People think I’m book smart. When it comes to actual tasks or projects they think I’m incapable of breathing but if anything ever malfunctions I’m suddenly a technical manual capable of repairing everything.
People in school think I am smart. People at home don’t, haha. I am more book smart than street smart.
yes, people treat me like I’m smart.
No one’s every made me feel stupid at work, I feel I’m in the overestimated category. Luckily, I’m in a place where despite my age, I’ve been given many opportunities to prove myself and and now at 27 have a 5 year track record behind me. It’s a catch 22 because as I said, it’s usually “elfkid will figure it out!” “she’s our go-to person!” Which I’m all for, but it’s a lot of pressure sometimes
I think I have found that if you are smart in some ways, people expect you to be smart in other ways… and same thing if you replace “smart” with “not smart”.
Back when we were using school computers in elementary school, people would ask me whenever they ever had a computer question… which was kinda funny as we didn’t even have a computer at home back then… I probably had less experience than most of them.
An example of the other end… recently, I was getting the impression from somebody that because I don’t follow football that she thinks I don’t understand it.
i like the pic; i’m gonna borrow it from you; thanks! (:
I have no idea. But I’ve always thought it was amusing when Xangans blog about how smart they are.
It seems to me that if you’re having to point it out, it isn’t readily apparent.
1. I hope that your wife knows you posted this and 2. that her boss doesn’t read your blog.. LOL
Cuz posting something online about your boss isn’t exactly the most intelligent thing to do..whether it is true or not..
Just sayin’
My coworkers probably think I’m an airhead because I don’t look like a science nerd. But, an uncle of mine always ask me pharmaceutical questions because I almost became one.
Like a smart ass maybe
But depends on the person, sometimes they make me feel smart, sometimes stupid. However, usually it’s myself that did something stupid and I deserve them laughing at me XD
I worry less about being recognized and worry more about my ability to recognize others.
Thank God for common sense.
I had a roommate in college. She finished three majors in three years. I was jealous of her intelligence until we went shopping. She picked up a picture frame in the store and said, “Why would anyone buy this? I don’t even know these people in this picture?”
Smart and wise. It comes with glasses and white hair.
@joyouswind - Grammar doesn’t always constitute intelligence.
There is a difference in the level of education a person received and their actual
level of intelligence. Then their is wisdom which is defined by how you apply both your education and intellect.
My husband is a Mechanic and can carry conversations about math and technical that I can follow but takes me longer to see it as he does because it’s stuff that I can care less about.
I myself can carry on about art, literature, dance, music, psychology and it takes him longer to grasp it then me…. Doesn’t mean one is necessarily smarter… Just that we have different
views on what is important to us and where our talents lie.
I my self will admit I am lacking in Education but that doesn’t make me less smarter then my husband who graduated with honors.
(BTW I am Starting school soon… Been out so long just serviving, I’ve forgotten a lot of educational crap which in my opinion is based on memory.)
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i dunno, a lot of my friends act dumb so they can get away with a lot more. my roommate forgot to pay our electricity bill and everyone was like, aw, you forgot! that’s so cute!… i don’t think that’d be the reaction if someone else forgot..
like John Gotti once said ” even if your boss is an idiot, remember, you wouldn’t have a job it he was any smarter”
Yes and should tell your wife that a lot of bosses are nothing but arrogant dumb-assholes who are full of themselves and like to look down their not so perfect noses at everybody….I have had to work for my share of those assholes!
@AznGuppy88 - I over draw my checking account all the time.
No, more like a slave, i don’t know what it is, but for some reason i can’t voice my opinion without being cut off or shunned.
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@leaflesstree - That sounds like me…
People don’t quite know what to think of me. They know I’m smarter than I am capable of demonstrating on a consistent basis though. I write more intelligently than I speak. Which makes for an interesting disconnect between my online and real life personalities.
People think I’m smart because I’m ugly. Is your wife hott?
More like intelligent..
yes they virtually always change the rules for me. because they know im right.
hahaha. my parents treat me like i am, but my friends…oh i don’t quite know what they think, really.
People who know me tell me I’m intelligent. It’s simultaneously flattering and awkward.
Those who are just meeting me for the first time have assumed that I’m slow, by virtue of how quiet I am. However, upon taking the time to get to know me, their opinion usually changes.
It depends.
My mom thinks I’m smart because I can answer most of the questions on Jeopardy. hahaha
I lack common sense, reasoning, and creativeness which to me is what makes a person smart.
My family overestimates my abilities so much so they don’t even try to do what they can do for them, because apparently, I am SO much better at it then them… but how would they even know when they never try it themselves?
I wish someone thought I couldn’t do something… it would be less of a headache for me. lol
Smart-ass, my Daddy hates it.
i think so
some do, some don’t. The ones that do think I’m smarter than I am, the ones that don’t think they are smarter than they are.
I’m usually treated as other.
Paris Hilton reading Sun Tzu? Made me LOL. Some people say I am but I don’t think so
@RoxyRuez - you used the wrong their…
That’s what happens when you don’t sleep…
There*
go to bed… oh n stop chatting with your self on some other persons blog…
I was the youngest person on my crew this year but I was treated as though I was as intelligent as the rest of them (although I didn’t get trained to drive the ride, but again, my age!).
At school it depends on who I’m talking to. :
My grandparents think I’m smart.
@leaflesstree - notwithstanding your school experience, I think the way you are treated is all-too-typical of how women, especially petite, pretty or short women, are reacted to at work — unless they’ve picked up that male-superiority-attitude (which some women are exceedingly good at). I think I overcame that over a period of time by developing an assertive way of speaking that made it very clear I knew what I was talking about and knew my ’shit,’ so to speak.
At work people assume I’m just a typical “ditzy hostess”. *rolls eyes*
People tend to think I’m stupid. I let them. That way, I can work on my own things and come up and prove myself without anyone expecting it or trying to hinder it. I can also work minimum wage jobs through college with minimal effort. They don’t expect much from me so they don’t try to promote me, and I can focus more on school than my job. I don’t really do anything to make myself look stupid, I just don’t try to prove them wrong.
In school, I do though, and I tend to surprise people. I’m sure that after college when I am actually working toward my career I will as well.
It’s a mixed bag with me… I’m intelligent in an academic sense but I don’t have much in the way of common sense. So most people think I’m an idiot, but people who take time to talk to me think I’m pretty damn smart.
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