“Karl Popper once advised a student that if he wanted to reap intellectual fame, he should write endless pages of obscure, high-flown prose that would leave the reader puzzled and cowed. He should then here and there smuggle in a few sensible, straightforward sentences all could understand. The reader would feel that since he has grasped this part, he must have also grasped the rest. He would then congratulate himself and praise the author.” — Anthony de Jasay
CAUTION: All the views and opinions are of the author alone. Any resemblance to any person, place or thing is completely intentional and deliberate. You can continue reading now.
How does one define being an “intellectual”? Ummm… does saying things with long words in a language not understandable said to be intellectual? Does finding out elaborately designed excuses to prove one’s own idea to be right as compared to others define being an intellectual? Does boring the group with your take on the ever non-performing and useless government a sign of being an intellectual?
I don’t know why but I seem to be a magnet for every boring self-proclaimed-intellectual guy. Most of my romantic evenings have been utter disasters (at least for me) because all we had to talk about was how Mr. Modi was going to save the nation from a falling into a pitfall and something else which I did not understand at all. Somebody provide me with a dictionary, please! Our conversation went something like this:
“You look good today”
“Thank you baby”
“I just hope our nation would one day look as good, under Modi’s rule”
How utterly romantic is that!
(And why the hell am I rambling about my date night!)
Sorry! So what I was talking about was that I do have friends who are thinkers, who have the knowledge and the capacity to discuss and give some useful insight into tough subjects. They have an intellect- the intelligence and good judgment of things happening around. They have the wisdom to give voice to their opinions about those happenings. But the people who proclaim themselves as being “intellectually insightful into deep philosophies and functioning of the whole damn world” are nothing but those who try to be Karl Marx on the day when they should be behaving like Romeo! Why am I again rambling about the date! Well, getting back to the topic of pseudo intellectuals, in my opinion they are nothing but those who knew every answer in the class during school and thus got into their heads a feeling of know-it-all. They never took a look at the back benchers who did not care if they could recite a Plato or Socrates and then tell you what each word meant and the history behind the invention of every word as well!
The question arising now is really important- Aakhir tum kehn akya chahte ho? What I am saying here is acting intellectual does not make you look cool. For such “intellectually empowered morons” I have just one small little request- please stop pretending! The world has had enough of you. At least I have!
