There is one type of personality trait that bothers me beyond comprehension, annoys the crap out of me, and frustrates every fiber in my body. (did I mention annoy)
You probably know people like this. They stick out like a house fly in a bowl of whip creme. Perhaps they annoy you as they do me. Perhaps you are one of these people - and I am very sorry if this is you.
I can handle megalomaniacs. I can handle uber-nerds. I can handle those whose elevator does not reach the top floor. I can handle religious fanatics and die hard atheists. Skaters, pot-heads, jocks, fashion focused, promiscuous, socially awkward, ambitious, etc. Bring it. I love the diversity of the personalities that I work with.
But there is still that one personality that tests my patience and sanity. The I-know-more-about-everything-than-anybody-else personality. This personality is even more aggravating when coupled with the intense need to prove their superior knowledge of everything. It is especially annoying when said know-it-all does not know it all and is obviously making stuff up.
Call it a character flaw, but when I meet people like this, I have a compulsive urge to humiliate people like this. Does that make me a bad person?
I agree. I have a friend who has an answer for everything. He knows everybody and has done it all. He's the expert of all experts.
ReplyDeleteI want to catch him in lies, and I have... Pointing out certain things that he has said as so obviously not true. But I stop to the point of hammering the humiliation in. What I really just want him to do is to stop thinking he has to impress me with his all-encompassing knowledge and to just engage in honest conversation with me.
So, I guess if it's someone you care about, you won't want to humiliate them but merely try to make them see that they are ripe for it. If it's someone you don't care about, then I think it's a natural reaction to want to call their bluff and make them look like a fool.
By the way, Merry Christmas!
Of course, I don't really know anything about anything, so this is all my opinion and shouldn't be taken as expert advice. :)
nic, great way to stir up blog traffic;)
ReplyDeleteMy paranoid sides wants to think this is a test, to see how many people come here and claim to have the answer (know-it-all), but my better side knows that we all come across people like this in life and can be stymied by their behavior. I avoid people like this at often as possible and when forced to be around them, I respond with a "That's nice" or "Really?" It helps keep me sane. As I was told by a very wise person, "I can be right, or I can be happy" the choice is mine.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
ThomgG has me suspicious about this post now! :P But that said, purposefully humiliating people is a bit harsh and uncalled for, but there's nothing wrong in wanting to do it. We all have our pet peeves. What I would do is try to stifle the anger urges, but find a way to show THEM who they are if at all possible Otherwise, just say "Sounds like a personal problem to me!" and do your best to move on. (My dad's phrase.)
ReplyDeleteBut you're right, it can be damn aggravating. In a similar vein are the folks who want to top every story you've got with one of their one.
Merry Christmas!
I had a friend who was a "know it all" and would often contradict his own facts with other facts in the same conversation. I used to point out the flaws and humiliate him, until I realized it wasn't doing any good. These people you speak of will always be that way and will never learn different. You just have to let them live it out and wait for them to realize why people don't want to hang around with them anymore.
ReplyDeleteI find that the know-it-all trait goes hand in hand with the I'm-with-you-but-still-looking trait. My know-it-all buddy will field phone calls while we're together, and I'll hear him reply that he's with "nobody" doing "nothing." Which makes me fell, um, rather lame.
ReplyDeleteHang in there.
I suggest you nail the bugger to the wall but be prepared for the repercussions. Know it alls often are willing to die by their word and will bury you with BS. You know what really sucks is the know it all who is always right.
ReplyDelete