Schopenhauer: Why Society Hates Intelligence | Counsels & Maxims 34

Why the stupid are sociable & the wise are acerbic.

Section 34 of Counsels and Maxims (1851)

0:00 Introduction
0:53 Intelligence is Unpopular
3:27 Gracian Quote
4:16 From Intellect to Will
6:52 No Social Respect for Intellect
9:10 The Social Advantages of Being Stupid
10:40 Women and Beauty
11:52 The Most Schopenhauerian Footnote Ever
14:42 Why Pretty Girls Have No Girl Friends

#Philosophy #Schopenhauer #lifeadvice

Music: Among the Clouds, by Darren Curtis

[polymathable]

Hello professor, thank you for your recitation of Section24 of Schopenhauer's councils and maxims. Plesant to the ears! I literally can't get enough of schopenhauer's perspectives and attitudes! 😂😂👌

[wachtraum]

"Deep-thinking people feel like comedians in their dealings with others, because they always have to feign a surface in order to be understood."
-Friedrich Nietzsche

[Jack.Strait]

Reminds me of when I was in architecture school. One guy in class was 2x beyond the skill level of everyone else, and super friendly. Yet people loathed him

[alejandrocurado]

In today's society, being intelligent is just being observant and realize that 99 percent of people must be kept far away from one's life

[RedMenace-fpdw]

My own brother was very successful in sales. We hung out a lot and on his sales calls. He was a very smart guy, but when he was dealing with his customers he had to play dumb. He could never correct them, or try to steer the conversation to the logical end. He had to patiently wait until they realized what they themselves wanted/wanted to do. His listening skills were also highly developed.

[sunshinecloudy]

That's a huge shock that jolts the child when he becomes an adult. Kids strive to impress parents and teachers. As an adult, striving to impress people will get themselves scorned. 180 degrees difference.

[aikane]

In America the resentment of marked intelligence runs deep. A very complex topic

[nankerphelgetv]

"If you are going to tell people the truth, make it funny or they will kill you"- O.W.

[patricksportal]

What I've learned is being around very intelligent people might make you feel dumb, but on the other hand, you might learn something from them. You don't really have to say anything, just listen to their conversations. This world is a fascinating place, you can learn a great deal just by listening.

[PeterGregoryKelly]

Certainly Socrates was very much despised philosopher by the citizenry of Athens. He interrogated random people on the street making them feel stupid.

[glicmathan]

Great analysis. I’ll only add that some highly intelligent people develop strong social skills so that they can gain knowledge and insights from other people, rather than books. Highly intelligent people can hide their intelligence in order to get others to open up to them. Detectives, spies and investigative journalists are great examples of these types. The wise teacher knows he always has something to learn from his students.

[isatousarr]

The notion that society harbors a certain aversion to intelligence may sound surprising at first, but it’s rooted in complex social dynamics and historical patterns. Intelligence, especially when it challenges the status quo or highlights uncomfortable truths, can be met with resistance, fear, or even hostility. In many cases, society values conformity and collective beliefs, as they help maintain cohesion and social order. Individuals or ideas that disrupt these norms or present new ways of thinking can be perceived as threatening. Those who push against conventional wisdom may face isolation, criticism, or disdain, even when their insights are valuable or transformative.

One reason for this aversion is that intelligence, particularly when it is paired with the ability to think critically or independently, often exposes flaws in widely accepted beliefs or practices. This can lead to discomfort or defensiveness among those who are invested in maintaining the status quo. For example, the challenge of confronting societal issues like inequality, climate change, or economic structures can provoke backlash against those who bring these topics to the forefront, as addressing them requires significant change and effort.

Additionally, intelligence can be seen as a challenge to power structures. Leaders or influential groups may feel threatened by intelligent individuals who question their authority or decisions, as this could erode their control. Historically, thinkers and innovators who have radically changed the course of society like Socrates, Galileo, or more recently, whistleblowers and dissenting scientists have often faced severe consequences for their ideas. This suggests that society's response to intelligence is not just about individual resentment but is tied to how power operates and seeks to preserve itself.

The way intelligence is perceived can also depend on cultural and social values. In some societies, intellectual achievement is celebrated, while in others, practical skills and conformity are prized over academic or analytical prowess. This can affect how intelligence is regarded in everyday life, where intellectuals may be labeled as out of touch or elitist, especially if their ideas do not translate easily into solutions for common problems. Furthermore, intelligence often comes with an element of introspection or self-questioning that can make others feel uncomfortable or inadequate, leading to pushback.

Another factor is that intelligence can be seen as a source of division. When one person or group displays a high level of intelligence, it can create a sense of insecurity or inferiority in others, particularly in environments that do not value diversity in intellectual strengths or where there is little emphasis on critical thinking as a shared value. This can foster jealousy or resentment, turning intelligent individuals into scapegoats or targets for ridicule.

Ultimately, while society benefits greatly from intelligent thought, it also has a tendency to resist it when it disrupts existing power dynamics, challenges popular beliefs, or creates discomfort among the majority. Encouraging an environment that values and respects intellectual diversity and critical thinking is crucial for societal growth. Recognizing that intelligence should be a tool for positive change, rather than division or control, can help shift societal attitudes and promote a more inclusive approach to progress.

[michaelg]

I did a presentation for a project in my college intro to horticulture class where I went above and beyond what was required because I really loved the topic. I thought I had done something great and the professor raved about how wonderfully I had done… One of the best final projects he had received in all his years teaching the class supposedly. With everyone else’s projects the classmates applauded at the end of the presentation… however, when I concluded mine, I wasnt met with applause but actual groans and scoffing, and one person even said “jeeze” out loud which caused the entire class to erupt in laughter. It was kind of devastating. I didn’t realize what I had done but, speaking to a classmate afterwards, I was informed I had apparently “raised the bar” and made everyone else’s projects look bad… can you guess which student doesn’t have a college degree today?

[JosephLuppens]

I saw endless examples of this when working in corporate IT. We had one guy who was brutally smart and he never took a trouble ticket and was basically sleep walking most of the time. The manager never fired him though, he simply decided to give him all of the high-level infrastructure projects, and was able to do all this remote. During a meeting, the manager said "he almost thanked me". I loved that he never felt the need to kiss ass and always shared his technical wizardry with me. One day I asked him, hey how come you never helped us with all those damn trouble tickets, and he simply replied: "Yeah, I made sure I was no good at that." 🤣

[JamesHawkeYouTube]

The crudity of the common is affronted by the elegance of truth.

[robolink]

Exactly. From experience, I will only add that the way I see the emotional response is 3 steps that cavalcade within a fraction of a second. Admiration becomes Envy becomes Hatred. Boom! I've seen it over and over. Smart, pretty, and/or thoughtful intuitive people often become scapegoats in a "competitive" family. I grew up in a large one where Maxim 34 was the rule. Too pretty, too smart, and (gasp) both generous and kind. Most of life, I didn't understand the constant abuse, shunning, and shaming. I learned to "fit in" by joining the group in making fun of how weird or "stupid" I was. But I never fit in, of course, and the abuse only grew with age. Happily recovering what is left of my shredded psyche, I will say the only thing we can change is ourselves! Solitude, books, and videos like yours, Christopher, are company enough! Thank you.

[mondo_stunts]

I’ve struggled with this in my later 20s and so far into my 30s, I’m already living isolated (since 27) and spending my time gathering information, learning new skills I put off and always wanted to learn. I’m hoping this new job will mean I’ll be financially stable again soon, so I can do more but hopefully find a wife as well. I’m also extremely passionate about the outdoors/outdoors sports, and do 90% of my trips alone without thinking about it.

[TheScreamingFrog]

This was quite an eye opener for me.
I have been experiencing this from the time I started school.
Got bullied a lot. Some of the other students (and teachers) mocked my expanded vocabulary, and made fun of me.
I learned to dumb myself down, to get along. And gravitate toward people equally, or more intelligent than myself, that didn’t despise me as much.
Though I may have guessed at the cause, I have never heard it explained this way before.
Really makes a lot of sense, and brings into focus things I hadn’t considered before.
Thanks very much for sharing this, it means a lot to me😊

[dragonskinavi]

Being an intelligent extrovert (not an intellectual) must really be a drag....completely agree with Schopenhauer! An intelligent person would never stoop to the level of these social 'animals, ' while the less-intelligent would never rise to the level of the intelligent, due to their subconscious envy and inferiority complex.

[Inbaroush]

I feel like this assertion that the "genius" will always be regarded as acerbic, is perhaps more subject to perspective than not. It's easy to accept that true genius is rare, but what seems to be missing from this assertion, is that genius is not a monolith, and that there are other aspects that shape desire for social interaction.
Marcel Proust's genius as a novelist was undeniable, yet, he was known to be fascinated by people of all sorts, learning from them at every possible chance; what's more, he seemed to understand that in order to be accepted into others' confidences, it was important to make them comfortable.
I think that true genius is usually self- aware enough to understand that genius itself is an organic phenomenon, which needs frequent enrichment, subsists on curiosity, and understands that it's the process of constantly gaining new insight and understanding, that's so much more important than the entity that is "Genius", for its own sake.
I hope that made some kind of sense; I've not yet had my coffee today!