I’m talking about derogatory terms like “nerd,” “geek,” “wise-ass,” and so on, as well as sayings like “nobody likes a smart aleck.”

It seems to me that these terms and expressions are used much more frequently in the business world than derogatory terms like “show-off,” “charlatan,” “fraud,” and so on.

I can’t even think of a commonly used saying for the latter. Only: “Fake it till you make it,” which is really more of a reinforcement of the idea that knowledge isn’t very valuable.

Is it just my impression?

    • DandomRude@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      No. It’s just a question.

      You seem to see a pseudo-intellectual motive in this, but I don’t quite understand why.

      • SpikesOtherDog@ani.socialEnglish
        2·
        5 months ago

        Oh, I read it wrong. My apologies.

        I thought you were looking for disparaging sayings about know-it-alls who weren’t actually as smart as they made themselves out to be, not just disparaging statements about actual intellectuals.

        In that case, I only hear people grumble about people thinking they know everything.

  • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
    2·
    5 months ago

    I’d have to guess a majority of people know what they are talking about, or they don’t.

    Pretending to know something just makes you a liar.

    • DandomRude@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      Yeah, sure, but I get the impression that these people are rarely referred to as such. Then again, maybe that’s just my impression.

      Just today I had a meeting with a whole delegation of management consultants: three highly paid people, and they all kept throwing out one buzzword after another. When I asked for clarification or rather for detail, however, it quickly became clear that not a single one of them had even a basic understanding of what they were talking about.