Is being called a genius a complement or an insult.

Post Reply New Topic

After a brief visit from my brother who lives far away he writes in Facebook "Just visited my genius brother". However, it almost sound sarcastic. It is like, he is a genius because he has a Ph. D in physics but God forbid can that translate in the ability to solve everyday situations even the social kind. BTW, I have met many people more intelligent than I. It felt like he was really calling me a freakoid.

It was a tease, sort of like a puppy-bite. It likely wasn't meant as hurtful. Flip him the bird goodnaturedly, and start thinking of lewd gag gifts to get for his next birthday.

Nah, he probably thinks you're really smart. I've been called "Little Eisenstein".

Eisenstein was a famous Russian filmmaker who, I believe, was considered a genius.

I'm wondering if they meant to call you a "Little Einstein"

Then again...you did say you were into photography.

As for whether "genius" is a compliment, I would say, in this context, that the OP's brother respects the OP's "genius" in somewhat of a grudging way. Along the lines of Persimmonpudding's impressions.

Now...as for me...I long to be a genius!

Depends on the context, sounds like they probably did not mean anything negative and feel you are very smart in some way. But sometimes people do say it sarcastically, when they think you did something stupid, but does not sound like they meant it that way.

On facebook, that sounds like a slick way to compliment you and himself at the same time since "my" & "brother" are included.
I love physics as a special interest, and even if I didn't I would be able to appreciate it, and would be very proud to have a brother with a PHD in the field. Or, even a friend. Would you like to be friends?

I guess you guys don't know the context. He has never respected my intelligence for everyday life as shown by his constantly giving unsolicited advice and never asking for it. He even advised me on how to talk to the university chancellor about hiring me back as a professor. Not only has he never been a university professor he has never even been a university student. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

Maybe instead of treating this like schrodinger's cat you could directly "observe" what it is by asking him (your brother) what he meant by it. Just seems better than trying to guess at the meaning, in my opinion. I would do it when I was completely calm and could express that I'm worried that it means something sarcastic.

Ah, maybe a Schrodinger's Cat-In-A-Box or a Schrödinger's Cat Executive Decision-Maker. That ought to give him food for thought!

I'm sure EzraS himself meant that they call him "Einstein", and just made a typo.

About the question:

Its hard to tell. If someone on Facebook declares to the world (including the person's brother) that I just "visited my genius brother" they probably did NOT mean it sarcastically. Might have been a grudging compliment. But it was probably a compliment. If he had said "my genius brother who couldnt open the twist top beer bottle I handed him" -then from the context you would know it was a sarcastic put down.

Deep down there could be a bit of inferiority complex affecting things subconsciously.
Also, his advice may be a mostly sincere intent to offer whatever help he thought that he could.
I know this is a simple approach to things, but that might be best until a some incident occurs where the intent is more clearly defined by logic.
I don't think most of us here at WP are very good at figuring out complex emotional interactions. I'm sure that I'm not.

People will combine "genius" or "Einstein" with a perceived failure to imply a lack of intelligence.

HEY GENIUS, you're doing it wrong.
HEY EINSTEIN, you're doing it wrong.

Your're going the wrong way, GENIUS.
Wrong again, EINSTEIN

In your case there is no apparent failure.

Last edited by LoveNotHate on 30 Dec 2014, 4:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.

The epitome of sarcasm.

On the actual topic itself, I've been called "smart" by various SpEd teachers and on. Not that they treated me that way.

Admittedly being called "smart", "genius", etc can be slightly degrading. I think of it in either these ways:
1. It's some kind of weird "you can do it" platitude that in reality shows that you've been casted doubts upon.
2. People only see you because of your smarts. Nothing more, nothing else. How many of you were the awkward smart kid in class?

I agree.
I would much prefer to be shown the respect rather than hear others throw the words about,
but that would reduce uncertainty and is thus difficult for NTs to do.

I say let them enjoy their fake social validations while they can get them from each other.
At the same time they suffer a gross lack of understanding for non-social reality.

I can see lots of possible explanations

1. He is proud to be related to a genius (compliment)
2. He knows you are smarter than he is and is tired of it, so it is a weary kind of sarcasm (insult)
3. You unwittingly did something during the visit that he finds humorous in light of your intelligence and he was thinking of it when he said it (benign)
4. He thinks he is smarter than you, but is annoyed because you have a college degree and he doesn't. Again, a lame, weary kind of sarcasm (insult)
5. He has more than one brother, and you are the "genius" one in terms of clarification (benign)
6. He feels inferior to you and this is the only "put down" that he feels will not attract negative feedback from others because he can claim it wasn't a put down (insult)
7. It is simply what he calls you (benign)
8. He is recognizing that you are smart (compliment)
9. It has no meaning at all (benign)

This is one reason I do not do Facebook. Who really cares about such things? And now you are stressing out over something that, sans Facebook, you would never even be aware of. If it was any of the insult things, the one thing I can say is I think that this kind of posturing is common on social networking, and I don't think it is always indicative of how a person really feels, but more a representation of some kind of "brand" they are trying to portray. Acerbically witty, or casually sarcastic. Or whatever.

I think it is all stupid. And I rarely call anything stupid. But really, I don't think you should spend another moment thinking about this.