About half way through my life I realized I had spent most of it trying to figure out who to believe. In fact, I still spend an inordinate amount of time on this. I have never required someone to agree with me to find them believable, trustworthy and interesting. Actually, I find relief in surrounding myself with people who challenge my thinking. If they are willing to do that, then they are willing to tell me the truth.
But I have come to some red flags, so to speak, which have saved me from a number of those who I call Elitists. These are the people who most often don’t tell you the truth because they don’t know what it is. However, they know whats best for you. And you can’t trust them because they will do whatever they think they have to for your own good. “The best of intentions” crowd. They should all have tattoo’s on their foreheads reading “You need us.”
I don’t subscribe to the idea that there are a ton of truly sinister people out there purposefully lying directly to your face… why risk that when they can get the intellectually lazy Elitists to do it for them? The genuine Leftists search out those people fitting certain criteria and then fill their heads with crap which they promptly go and spew on you with righteous entitlement. We all know these people… they are the ones who are full of opinions they can’t defend and most importantly don’t think they should have to. When asked, they resort to a myriad of rhetorical devices to make you feel ignorant, mean-spirited or both.
After decades of in-depth clinical research I have found these individuals can be grouped roughly as follows:
The genius by virtue of Geography. When I grew up/lived in/traveled to (fill in the blank) it makes me smarter than you. – We all know this guy. (By the way, I type in gender neutral.) Simply due to the fact that he was born, lived or traveled through a specific place he is the most informed person on every issue regardless of topic. The coastal areas of the U.S. supply us with a large number of these types.
The genius by virtue of Profession. – You can’t possibly teach me anything. Many of us know these guys as well… often they are professional in their field. Stock Brokers, Doctors, Lawyers, Scientists, Cowboys whatever. Since they have genuinely mastered a very specific area of complexity, they are geniuses in all things. Often these types will view you as ridiculously uninformed while they themselves establish barricades to challenging information. They interpret your respect of their accomplishments in their area of expertise as validation of their genius in all things. I must disclose that a great many of my best friends are professionals but they do not suffer from this elitist mentality else they would not be my friends. So don’t take offense you guys… you know who you are.
The genius by virtue of Caring. – There is nothing for me to learn that my heart doesn’t tell me and you are mean… and just dumb you dummy dumb-dumb… These are the people we typically see at demonstrations of various types holding the peace signs… with flowers… and rainbows. We can usually find nine or ten of these people occupying a park we don’t use or walking down a road with a sign which makes no sense. You know them. They are out there saving people from themselves or saving those who have not asked to be saved. They chant slogans in the hopes of being acknowledged. Simply put, they care more about everything than you do so they do not need to educate themselves on issues, particularly the ones they are currently championing. The only knowledge they need is the deep pain they feel in their hearts over everything humans do. This “feeling” is how they know that they are doing something meaningful… and you are stupid and mean. And, because you work, bathe and cut your hair it’s clear you don’t care.
The genius by virtue of Inheritance. – I have money therefore I am. I actually find these types entertaining and will engage them every once in a while. These are the guys that inherited a ton of money and have no idea how it was made. Sure, they were around when their parents created the wealth (unless of course their parents fit into this definition as well) but were not involved in the business even though they FEEL like they were. As an aside, if their parents fit into this category it is astonishing to me these guys have anything left over as it usually gets spent before the kids see any of it. Anyway, these are the fun drunks. They buy all the drinks and agree with any idea ever put in front of them… like “it would be a good idea to open up a sequin mine… or become professional cat waxers”. All they have had to do is be semi-tolerable and act like they’re brilliant… the money is already there whenever they want it, they just need “friends”.
The genius by virtue of being Alive. – I’m fabulous and you’re stupid for not agreeing with me. These folks are everywhere! They are prolific! There is no required age, or income, or for that matter intelligence. They recognize their own brilliance because they are ALIVE! They have the latest cell phone, but they can’t tell you how it’s made. They saw the latest movies but cannot tell you who is running for President and why. They have the latest laptop but have no idea what makes it run… hell, they don’t need too! They’re cool just because! They can give you a 20 minute dissertation on Kim Kardashian’s rear end and its societal significance but can’t tell you how a policeman gets paid. They have never read a book but update their Facebook page five times a day. They consider the ability to download music a “skill”. They think texting while driving should be outlawed… for other people. (Same with guns, and “mean” dogs, and food that makes you fat, etc.)
So… Why do we need to identify these folks?
Because they VOTE, which directly effects us… and we run the risk of them having influence over others who vote as well. It’s our job as individuals to recognize and clean up the intellectual mess they leave behind.
It also goes a long way in QUICKLY determining who you can trust.
makeaneffort 
October 18th, 2016 at 10:14 am
Quite, and very well said!
Also, not so off topic, I hope you’re having fun with my resident elitist. I tend to let him spout, and merely treat him as a troll anymore, but he does get irritating.
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October 18th, 2016 at 11:19 am
It’s always fun. Always. My very first comment I received, and still my favorite, is “You’re a Moron!”. While I’m reasonably sure it was meant as an insult… it’s true is so very many ways. It still makes me laugh. Without these folks, the world would be dull.
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October 18th, 2016 at 11:41 am
Yep, they are fun, you’ll note that I find him a bit irritating but part of that is that he occasionally makes me think, which is no bad thing!
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October 18th, 2016 at 11:44 am
Indeed. However there is an interesting aspect to Elitists. They have grown accustomed to asking questions… not answering them. I like to turn the tables and ask them to think, which they seem to find very irritating.
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October 21st, 2016 at 11:40 am
What you are trying to do is list logical fallacies, but you either don’t know what logical fallacies are, or you’re trying to re-purpose them to support your thesis. Maybe it is an attempt to be witty…but failing? Given the failure, and absurdity, in re-purposing logical theory that has existed for a LONG time, I suspect you don’t know what fallacies are or their application. Again, like the fact that you do not know what a Socialist or Socialism is, it is a failure in research. The problem is that you do not know what you’re talking about, and this is not elitist.
Ultimately, what the accusation of being an “Elitist” really is, is a claim that someone is part of a club that you cannot join.
“Those elitists think they know so much”
There is a difference between those who have studied and those who have not. There is a difference between those who have achieved and those who have not. There is a difference between those who try and those who do not. Ask the Market, the distinction is pretty severe. Thats why some people get paid a lot and some a little, because achievement, study, exceptionalism matter. We live in a meritocracy, a flawed meritocracy, but a meritocracy nonetheless.
This is one reason I find NEO so fascinating, he desperately wants to be something more than he is, and I do not necessarily see why. There is nothing wrong with being a blur collar electrician in rural Nebraska. It is noble work. It is interesting work. And it is something he can be proud of. But he is not an intellectual, he is not an accomplished scholar, a renowned military historian, or a political analyst. He has no military background or education, but talks about it constantly, and makes a lot of mistakes. He never completed a college education, but tries to pass himself off as a thinker. And his thoughts are frequently disjointed and fragmented. He contradicts himself and ignores relevant material, likely because he does not know it exists in the first place.
Like NEO, your writings above reflect a failure to interact with the relevant material. There is such a thing as an Appeal to Authority, but you have to understand that before discussing it. This is not Elitism, this is life.
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October 21st, 2016 at 8:34 pm
Oh, thank you Jobar, I forgot to add that Elitists will never be succinct.
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October 17th, 2016 at 11:09 pm
I love it when I run into one of these types who just assume I was born and raised in the neighborhood I live in now, therefore, I couldn’t possibly know anything about real life – Then there are the ones who want to tell you what an awful person you are simply because YOU ARE – when you ask for an explanation – the only thing they can say is that it isn’t their job to educate YOU on your faults, flaws or general awfulness. And in my state of utter frustration last night at trying to find the cloud where my downloaded music is supposed to be, I have to say… that is a special kind of skill I wouldn’t mind having.
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January 18th, 2012 at 8:17 am
you forgot “i’m a genius so i’ll choose a religion that only accepts geniuses”
the religion of geniuses will tell you right out loud and tell you repeatedly that this is the only religion who’s members get into heaven.
those poor idiots in other religions won’t get into heaven, only we will!
those poor dummy dum dumbs
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January 18th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
You are right! I forgot the single issue Elitists!
These are some basics;
I beleive in God and you don’t, so everything you say is stupid.
I don’t believe in God and you do, so everything you say is stupid.
I believe in a womans right to choose and you don’t, so everything you say is stupid.
I believe in the sanctity of life beginning at conception and you don’t, so everything you sya is evil.
I believe humans are destroying the planet and you don’t, so you’re evil.
I believe in F***ness… so I’m stupid.
There are many, many examples of the single issue Elitist. They are intellectually lazy and will employ the single issue in order to not consider any arguement posed to them by someone they might disagree with. I have even seen this employed with people that they agree with on almost every other issue. Being a single issue Elitist requires no effort and allows you to dismiss entire segments of the society as stupid, mean, bigoted etc. It comes down to being intellectually lazy yet remaining elightened in their own mind.
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