Intellectual Yet Idiot

See?!?!? I KNEW it was the other nooby mcnoob...... !!



(I crack me, and I hope you, up....!)

 

I wanted to apologize immediately because I was so obviously wrong, and then reply once I had a minute to re-read.

So, let's refresh the concept of a IYI. The fundamental concept is one who is intellectual as defined by others like them, divorced from the impact of their decisions, and believes that their circularly defined intelligence (if you are one of us, you are intelligent) empowers them to have opinions on what Other People Should Do.

I don't think this is specific to economics, or any field in particular. I liked this podcast's treatment of elitism: .

If you re-read Taleb's chapter, which was written before the 2016 election, he predicted Trump's win, as did Michael Moore. And I think anti-Trump rhetoric has surfaced at least once on this thread which exactly proves his point. Take from that what you will, but these things go together and unless you understand them, you're just going to continue to talk at cross purposes with anyone who has a different viewpoint from you.

 

And look, I want to be clear, I was an outsider in the hedge fund. Even though I went to an elite school, I am the butcher-surgeon, I am not the soap opera surgeon.

But my heart fluttered a bit when I got this text recently from someone who is/was decently high up at the fund but a thoroughbred, unlike me:

 

No offense, but you could actually be talking about @nooby_mcnoob.

 

Nah, I don't think I'm intelligent, hence the nickname "nooby_mcnoob". I am forever stupid, so I can learn better.

 

What you said in that post had nothing to do with intelligent sir.

 

Madam, I'll try to be more clear. How can I change this bit to make clear that I am talking about self-congratulatory intelligence being a major component of the IYI?

 

Interesting post: https://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/how-to-beat-the-intellectual-yet-idiot/

I suppose I have such an aversion to IYIs as they are very prevalent in finance. Perhaps someone else in the field who does not fall under the IYI umbrella can confirm or deny.

 

I thought it was me being thick- I've ground to a halt with Antirfragile but have read the others -good though

 

I can agree that he writes volumes on ideas that can be written in one page (like some others in this thread), but I don't think anyone would listen or buy it if he wasn't a great marketer as he is, and had not been successful using his philosophies.

Edit: sorry I thought that was a reply to me, but will leave up the response anyway.