Post a random truth (about yourself)

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Sometimes I do or say something and it's as if people are shocked that I've done something even half intelligent

And it just makes me wonder what it is that I do for people to think that I'm stupid for the rest of the time

I mean it's gets to the stage sometimes where I half expect a round of applause for just crossing the road

When I was in one of my many children's homes one of the staff members used to raise a finger in the air every time she heard me be sarcastic

I never understood why she did this at the time but as I've become an adult I'm kind of glad that she did

Must confess I used to suspect you might not have much upstairs, but I always liked your style, so I persevered and gradually realised you're a lot smarter than you present yourself to be. I think it's your turn of phrase, very vernacular, which might give some folks the illusion that you're not bright, but others won't be so easily fooled. A lot of people judge folks on their English, and they think if somebody uses a load of big words then they must be very bright, and they underestimate people who don't. But there are also a lot of people like me out there who know better.

That's a long shot at explaining what happens with you in "real life" where there's more going on than plain text. What do you think?

Don't give bb ideas about people who use big words!

It doesn't really bother me to be fair but I just wondered what it was that I do because it is obviously something that I do

I mean all that bull poo with big words and what ever; it's just not my scene mate

Why's that then

When you think about it, big words where little ones will do is just pretentious, like wearing a suit. You need big words for specialist stuff but not for everyday stuff.

The rednecks round here don't like "twenty-dollar words." And I had a hat that made me look all dashing, like Humphrey Bogart, until the cat sat in it and squashed it and made me look like the village idiot. I had to keep wearing it to protect me from the sun, but to my surprise the natives seemed to like me better for it. So I won't be getting a suit any time soon.

I kind of like the fact that I can see some people's true nature from my position in life

Like you say: pretentious

I've had people trying using Latin words on me knowing full well I won't understand it

I think that says more about them than it does me to be honest because I've been in the company of actual brain boxes and they don't talk down to and belittle people in that way because they're smart enough to know it's patronising, condescending, rude and just a really rubbish way to conduct themselves

Like there's a lot of smart people who use this website and irl who speak to me like I'm an equal and then there's others who imo just enjoy trying to make themselves appear "better" than me or other people

I think I'll stay as I am

See, I disagree with this, but I guess I'd be considered an offender.

I really love words and I use big words for a couple of connected reasons. First and foremost is that big words are often more specific than little ones. They carry more information and sometimes you want to be understood exactly.

Since I was young I seemed to have a deep fear of people not understanding what I mean. I think that's why I developed a broad vocabulary, so I knew I was describing what I meant properly. The more specific I could be the less room there was for misunderstanding.

You can consider it pretentious if you want, I don't really care, but the point is never to make anyone feel like they are stupid. I personally love it when someone introduces me to a new word, I don't see it as a power play, but each to their own.

I would consider it condescending to dumb down my vocabulary for anyone. I believe that even if you don't know a word I use, chances are the context will give you a pretty big clue.

Maybe I'm wrong then
Maybe it is all on me

Its fine I've got broad shoulders

I'll wait and see the next time it happens and I'll pull each word and sentence apart and match it with the context of the situation and see if the use of language from both parties is equal and hence therefore I shall draw my own very single minded and arrogant conclusion from my own very bias and unevenly weighted experiment

And if you can make head or tail of that lot then you're smarter than you look

It's not a matter of blame. All I'm saying is, maybe don't assume people are using big words because they want to make you feel less clever than them. There are other reasons that might have nothing to do with you. Perhaps it never occurred to them that you wouldn't understand the words.

That's all.

I think language usage is highly personal. Most people don’t agonize over every word they use. They just use words that come most naturally to them for whatever reason in a given moment. Sometimes that’ll involve big words.

Last edited by TwilightPrincess on 04 May 2025, 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

But I mean like in real life I might say or do something (that I think is just normal) and I get like a "stand back in amazement" kind of reaction from people

Its like when a dog learns a new trick..im not even joking but I know it's funny because I'm laughing while I write this

This is literally part of my reality

I actually think part of me must like it though because I am sort of guilty of playing up to it sometimes

Yeah but sometimes they do know

That's all

How do you know that?