Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttidcc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!cmcl2!philabs!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe
From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: Re: XSO IQ
Message-ID: <521@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 2-Jul-85 16:40:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.521
Posted: Tue Jul  2 16:40:38 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 16-Jul-85 00:21:29 EDT
References: <1476@utah-gr.UUCP> <1560108@acf4.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 36

In article <1560108@acf4.UUCP> mms1646@acf4.UUCP (Michael M. Sykora) writes:
>I suspect that people watch what a performer does for its entertainment
>value and don't mind a little showing off  -  I suppose it comes with
>the territory.  Personally, I find it distasteful in substantial quantities
>but with performers it is much more tolerable than in personal relations.
>After all, the performer is there to perform.  I'd like to think this
>isn't the case with personal relations.

What about quiz show contestants and Trivial  Persuit  players?  Apparently
showing off is acceptable in a context where it's expected.

In personal relations whether one is showing off or  not  is  a  matter  of
perception   and  interpretation.   One  person's  show  off  is  another's
knowledgeable authority.  When asked a question, how  is  one  supposed  to
know where to draw the line between answering and showing off?  Some people
may be insulted by a simple words-of-one syllable explanation ("...  thinks
I'm  stupid")  while  others  will  have  a  similar  reaction to a longer,
detailed answer ("... thinks I don't know anything").

The question I raised was "Why be insulted at all?".  If someone offers  me
too  simple  or  too complex an explanation I can always interrupt them and
say so.  I see no reason to be hostile towards someone who is trying to  be
helpful  or,  at worst, offering more information than I want to know.  Yet
this is the common reaction in our society.

Part of the problem may be the need to  feel  good  about  ourselves.  When
someone  demonstrates  superior  knowledge it creates a need to demonstrate
superiority in some  other  area.  A  School  yard  example:  "You  may  be
smarter, but I'm stronger and I'll prove it by beating you up.".  As we get
older beating people up becomes a less viable alternative (though  some  of
us never do get out of the school yard stage), so we resort to name-calling
and turning what a person is into an insult ("Wise guy!").

I think I'll stop here before I ramble  off  into  the  socio-psychological
ramifications  of  turning a positive attribute into an insult, etc., etc..
This should help keep the discussion going for a while.