Why do you think so many people try to tear people down?

completedit

I'm going to name 4 things and an objection; Malcom Gladwell, Jordan Peterson, Elon Musk and the book Sapiens. I've just chosen these as examples. What I find is that people are always very quick to disparage people and take them down as not being 'serious' enough.

Take Malcom Gladwell, immediately if I am going to describe one of his books to someone I feel a need to explain that it is pop psychology, as if that somehow negates the usefulness and the interest of his work. Why would someone casually be reading exhaustive literature on psychology anyway if it wasn't their profession or course material.

Similarly, JBP, 'the idiots intellectual' is a term I've herd to describe him, even though, whether he's right or wrong, his ideas are nuanced and complex for most normal people.

Elon Musk, again, I don't love the guy but he's another guy people just love to bring down. I know there's a reality to him and sometimes the Tesla enthusiasts make it seem like he invented the electric car, but he is definitely a visionary. Are his fanboys annoying and is the cult of the CEO a bit tiresome? Maybe, but he is definitely doing good things.

Similarly, the book Sapiens, if you read online, you'll read reviews about how it isn't intellectual or academic enough.

It just seems that this applies to so many areas in life; podcasts, music, politics.

What do you think is the reason for a sort of intellectual arrogance?

I think jbp riles up people who disagree with him politically because he makes sh1t of a few of their positions.. their only recourse is to attack him personally and try to dissuade people from listening to him..
Malcolm Gladwell..are people that quick to tear him down?.. don't think I've come across it..but he is probably seen as kind of pop-science.. probably due to marketing maybe..
Musk, I actually think he's just autistic..the whole cult of personality that has developed around him is bound to bring with it detractors..
Probably the nature of being famous for being super smart..
Sapiens..I haven't read it actually..I've a copy somewhere I think though..

Yeah, putting yourself in the spotlight probably just has a dark side I think..

jam_mac_jam

Elon Musk accused a diver of being a peado because he lived in Thailand and joked about a coup on twitter. That's enough for me before I even start to get into his anti lockdown and anti worker attitude. He is a complete tool.

He is full of **** and is no way an intellectual. I am not sure I would put him in the same bracket. And Gladwell or even Peterson would have way more credibility as intellectuals.

Jordan Peterson I may not agree with on a lot but he helps a lot of people with his books to improve their lives. He makes mistakes though so other academics criticize him for this. However if you are not an academic what's the harm.

It may be easier to read pop psychology rather than an academic textbook and if you get something out of it then all the better.

garyskeepers

Most probably because they are desperately unhappy with their lives and don't have the guts to do anything about it, so they compensate by tearing others down.

nofools

completedit wrote: »

I'm going to name 4 things and an objection; Malcom Gladwell, Jordan Peterson, Elon Musk and the book Sapiens. I've just chosen these as examples. What I find is that people are always very quick to disparage people and take them down as not being 'serious' enough.

Take Malcom Gladwell, immediately if I am going to describe one of his books to someone I feel a need to explain that it is pop psychology, as if that somehow negates the usefulness and the interest of his work. Why would someone casually be reading exhaustive literature on psychology anyway if it wasn't their profession or course material.

Similarly, JBP, 'the idiots intellectual' is a term I've herd to describe him, even though, whether he's right or wrong, his ideas are nuanced and complex for most normal people.

Elon Musk, again, I don't love the guy but he's another guy people just love to bring down. I know there's a reality to him and sometimes the Tesla enthusiasts make it seem like he invented the electric car, but he is definitely a visionary. Are his fanboys annoying and is the cult of the CEO a bit tiresome? Maybe, but he is definitely doing good things.

Similarly, the book Sapiens, if you read online, you'll read reviews about how it isn't intellectual or academic enough.

It just seems that this applies to so many areas in life; podcasts, music, politics.

What do you think is the reason for a sort of intellectual arrogance?

I find it strange and a little worrying that everybody reads the same stuff at the same time. Never touched sapiens for that reason.

Gladwell probably ok if a bit annoying.

Peterson some good points but too mixed up with god and pandering to the fans that don't understand what he says plus his message didn't age well as he is or was an addict himself.

Musk is a cult of personality thing I really don't like.

I have trouble finding things to read in that kind of realm because they all sound the same after a while.

Any book that name drops Steve Jobs as the most innovative man alive or dead gets flung against the wall in anger.

El_Duderino 09

There’s great enthusiasm for giving out about feminism and all it achieves, accompanied by lots of “but what about x, y, and z men’s issues?” But the very same men will be first to knock a man who actually advocates for those issues as not being the right kind of man.

Look at the men who talk about men’s mental health and encourage men who need help, to seek help. They get almost uniformly pilloried on boards.

JasonStatham

Cos they're w@nkers, what else.

nj27

Jordan Peterson has been sissy hypnotised

Ekerot

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

There’s great enthusiasm for giving out about feminism and all it achieves, accompanied by lots of “but what about x, y, and z men’s issues?” But the very same men will be first to knock a man who actually advocates for those issues as not being the right kind of man.

Look at the men who talk about men’s mental health and encourage men who need help, to seek help. They get almost uniformly pilloried on boards.

Really? I haven't been on boards long, but I can't ever recall seeing men get crapped on by other men ( it's hard to determine a user's gender on an anonymous forum) over mental health.
There's even a dedicated thread for it over in the gentleman's forum.

garyskeepers

garyskeepers wrote: »

Most probably because they are desperately unhappy with their lives and don't have the guts to do anything about it, so they compensate by tearing others down.

Dad? Is that you?