Overcoming Haughtiness for Scientists

[Math Is Hard]

This might be common amongst natural scientists but I cannot refrain my haughtiness. I think this is my inherent personality. I know it is wrong and I better change my personality but how to?

I read your other posts and noticed that you are a high school student. My own observation is that high school students rarely do things to be haughty about, but when they do, they are usually very humble. They say things like, "I just saw this problem and I had this idea for solving it."

 

[Chi Meson]

Hrmm. What's it called when you get irritated at people who don't know what they are talking about for no good reason? And then argue with you when you try to explain it to them. Which then irritates you more.

It's called politics.

 

[l-1j-cho]

I don't tell people that I am smart, but I think my behaviour implies that I am smart. For instance, I never take notes in physics or mathematics class and I never do homework, but still I get satisfactory accomplishment (above 90%). Actually, if others ask me if I am smart, I usually smile or try to change the subject, or simply say 'thank you'. But I think, from my behaviour, I think I want to be recoginzed by others as a genius, where I hardly don;t think I am

 

[cobalt124]

It's called politics.

When you can't get a politician to admit they were wrong, and the best you can extract from them is "they got the presentation wrong".

 

[nismaratwork]

I don't tell people that I am smart, but I think my behaviour implies that I am smart. For instance, I never take notes in physics or mathematics class and I never do homework, but still I get satisfactory accomplishment (above 90%). Actually, if others ask me if I am smart, I usually smile or try to change the subject, or simply say 'thank you'. But I think, from my behaviour, I think I want to be recoginzed by others as a genius, where I hardly don;t think I am

Well, we agree then! I believe what you need is to find genuine confidence so that you avoid Illusory Superiority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_superiority

 

[l-1j-cho]

Thank you guys for the advices. Haughtiness is worse than ignorance.

 

[nismaratwork]

Thank you guys for the advices. Haughtiness is worse than ignorance.

No, it isn't; ignorance is next only to cruelty.

 

[nucleargirl]

haughtiness is ignorance. ignorance of others.

 

[nismaratwork]

haughtiness is ignorance. ignorance of others.

Good point; I'd add that it's ignorance of the self. People who know their worth, good, bad, or ugly, don't need to display like a peacock, and have mastery over their behaviour for the most part.

 

[Loren Booda]

I believe that haughtiness involves judgment of others.

 

[Lacy33]

I don't tell people that I am smart, but I think my behaviour implies that I am smart. For instance, I never take notes in physics or mathematics class and I never do homework, but still I get satisfactory accomplishment (above 90%). Actually, if others ask me if I am smart, I usually smile or try to change the subject, or simply say 'thank you'. But I think, from my behaviour, I think I want to be recoginzed by others as a genius, where I hardly don;t think I am

Sounds like you are more smart like a machine. I think a "genius" is something else that invloves creativity.
A lot of people have minds like machines. But they have very little personality.

I'm thinking a lot of people here on PF who have minds like a machine but they are funny, poke fun at themselves and others and play a lot.
One of my teachers told me long ago that "the romantic days of the single genius are over." Now people are working together. Try and think of yourself as a team member.
This professor told me this when research papers were still coming out with one or two authors. He didn't live to see 50-100 authors on a paper.
Sure your special. You are given a change to play/work in math and physics. But don't get high off it.
Arrogant people are such a turn off. People won't like you. You will be over looked and replaced...

 

[nismaratwork]

Sounds like you are more smart like a machine. I think a "genius" is something else that invloves creativity.
A lot of people have minds like machines. But they have very little personality.

I'm thinking a lot of people here on PF who have minds like a machine but they are funny, poke fun at themselves and others and play a lot.
One of my teachers told me long ago that "the romantic days of the single genius are over." Now people are working together. Try and think of yourself as a team member.
This professor told me this when research papers were still coming out with one or two authors. He didn't live to see 50-100 authors on a paper.
Sure your special. You are given a change to play/work in math and physics. But don't get high off it.
Arrogant people are such a turn off. People won't like you. You will be over looked and replaced...

Amen!

 

[elfboy]

Sounds like you are more smart like a machine. I think a "genius" is something else that invloves creativity.
A lot of people have minds like machines. But they have very little personality.

I'm thinking a lot of people here on PF who have minds like a machine but they are funny, poke fun at themselves and others and play a lot.
One of my teachers told me long ago that "the romantic days of the single genius are over." Now people are working together. Try and think of yourself as a team member.
This professor told me this when research papers were still coming out with one or two authors. He didn't live to see 50-100 authors on a paper.
Sure your special. You are given a change to play/work in math and physics. But don't get high off it.
Arrogant people are such a turn off. People won't like you. You will be over looked and replaced...

there no substitution for intelligence & skill though. if you want likable personalities go watch the morning news. Research is supposed to be objective and results orientated. You earn the right to be arrogant by being exceptional.

 

[disregardthat]

there no substitution for intelligence & skill though. if you want likable personalities go watch the morning news. Research is supposed to be objective and results orientated. You earn the right to be arrogant by being exceptional.

I don't think so at all. People naturally tends to socialize and interact (especially in academia) with people similar in thought and intelligence. It seems to be an automatic inclination in most people, conscious or not. Most often you have nothing at all to be arrogant about.

What will serve your best however in many ways is to be on the lookout for brilliance in others. You'll learn to appreciate other views, thoughts and suggestions, and it will earn you more than one long-lasting relationship. And not least this is how you actually will learn that arrogance really is ignorance.

 

[cobalt124]

there no substitution for intelligence & skill though. if you want likable personalities go watch the morning news. Research is supposed to be objective and results orientated. You earn the right to be arrogant by being exceptional.

I would never give anyone the right to be arrogant for any reason. IMO any organisation that does so a) has their priorities wrong, b) will cause more harm than good ultimately. Intelligence and skill are not everything and not always the most important thing to bring to bear on a situation, so there is a substiution for it in some circumstances. I'm assuming you are not implying that to be "objective and results orientated" you have to be arrogant, but it reads like that to me, and it is not the case. Too many times I have justified arrogance by calling it something virtuous, and have rightly suffered the consequences.

 

[Dembadon]

there no substitution for intelligence & skill though. if you want likable personalities go watch the morning news. Research is supposed to be objective and results orientated. You earn the right to be arrogant by being exceptional.

The two aren't mutually exclusive, which is what I believe Lacy is saying. It is quite possible to be highly intelligent and have a likable personality.

 

[DanP]

there no substitution for intelligence & skill though. if you want likable personalities go watch the morning news. Research is supposed to be objective and results orientated. You earn the right to be arrogant by being exceptional.

I hope you won't complain if someone will come one day and beat you and bully you into submission. After all, he earned this right just by being stronger than you.

 

[nismaratwork]

there no substitution for intelligence & skill though. if you want likable personalities go watch the morning news. Research is supposed to be objective and results orientated. You earn the right to be arrogant by being exceptional.

You never have a right to be arrogant; it is a fundamental character flaw usually born of insecurity or genuine inadequacy. Confidence and pride, sure, but arrogance no.

@DanP: Awww... you beat me to it.

 

[PhDorBust]

Modest men are not competent men. This is not to say that you triumph your successes at every turn, making unnatural jumps in conversation to present them, but rather to mention them casually at the appropriate moment and not suppress them.

 

[nismaratwork]

Modest men are not competent men. This is not to say that you triumph your successes at every turn, making unnatural jumps in conversation to present them, but rather to mention them casually at the appropriate moment and not suppress them.

Modesty has been shown to correlate with incompetance? I think that one needs more than your own very... unique... opinion to support it. You seem to be confusing modesty with being shy or retreating.

 

[Lacy33]

Modest men are not competent men. This is not to say that you triumph your successes at every turn, making unnatural jumps in conversation to present them, but rather to mention them casually at the appropriate moment and not suppress them.

Quick! Duct tape my mouth! Pour sugar all over me. Lock my lips!
Enough said.

 

[cobalt124]

Modest men are not competent men. This is not to say that you triumph your successes at every turn, making unnatural jumps in conversation to present them, but rather to mention them casually at the appropriate moment and not suppress them.

That is surely untrue. Any achievement is not measured by whether, when or how it is spoken about, it is measured by whether it is achieved. Saying that though, I've been in workplace situations where what you say holds true, but I tend not to take any notice of it.

 

[nismaratwork]

That is surely untrue. Any achievement is not measured by whether, when or how it is spoken about, it is measured by whether it is achieved. Saying that though, I've been in workplace situations where what you say holds true, but I tend not to take any notice of it.

True... obvious confidence is a good thing, but that's a far cry from being haughty.

I'd add, is anyone else laughing nearly constantly at the title of this thread? "how to refrain haughtiness"... no... "How to refrain from haughtiness."

Beyond that, the basic principles of "tough guy" life applies: The loud guy telling everyone how tough he is... is terrified. The guy who's quietly trimming his nails with a knife... is dangerous.

False modesty is one thing... true modesty is an awareness that you're not the greatest person on earth... far from it.

 

[nismaratwork]

Quick! Duct tape my mouth! Pour sugar all over me. Lock my lips!
Enough said.

I think you should speak your mind on this one... I'm finding everything from the OP to present quite obnoxious, and horribly unjustified.

 

[Lacy33]

I think you should speak your mind on this one... I'm finding everything from the OP to present quite obnoxious, and horribly unjustified.

Well Thanks! If I had a mind I would use it. I lost it in battle years ago..
But you all are doing just fine.
The op is finding company and that may be of more value than addressing the op only. Bring everyone to the table on this one and talk it out.

I am just too wild, violent and rude to be at the actual table. I am however watching this on close circut TV. ...
from a padded room. ...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Modest men are not competent men. This is not to say that you triumph your successes at every turn, making unnatural jumps in conversation to present them, but rather to mention them casually at the appropriate moment and not suppress them.

I am both modest and competent. In fact I am the most competent person here. And the most modest person in the world.

 

[l-1j-cho]

Sounds like you are more smart like a machine. I think a "genius" is something else that invloves creativity.
A lot of people have minds like machines. But they have very little personality.
...

I can't agree more that a genius involves creativity.
Also, I personally don't enjoy mechanical problem solving as much as expanding the field (I don;t know it is appropriate to say, but I enjoy generalization, suggesting limitation, or application to other theories(I am a mere high school student, so it might be inappropriate to say 'theory')).

 

[DanP]

Modest men are not competent men. This is not to say that you triumph your successes at every turn, making unnatural jumps in conversation to present them, but rather to mention them casually at the appropriate moment and not suppress them.

It is not your qualities which define competence, but results.

You have results ? You are competent by definition.

You don't have them ? You are just a sorry rag.

 

[Lacy33]

It is not your qualities which define competence, but results.

You have results ? You are competent by definition.

You don't have them ? You are just a sorry rag.

And what kind of work do you think there be for 'sorry rag' in this many minded genius community?

 

[DanP]

I can't agree more that a genius involves creativity.
Also, I personally don't enjoy mechanical problem solving as much as expanding the field (I don;t know it is appropriate to say, but I enjoy generalization, suggesting limitation, or application to other theories(I am a mere high school student, so it might be inappropriate to say 'theory')).

You are not expanding anything, but your personal knowledge at your level. So you can't possibly know what it feels to expand the "field"