Are people intimidated by intelligence?

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I am a regular on a message board.

A lot of times people ask dumb questions.

I ask intelligent questions.

People seem more friendly in their response to the people that ask dumb questions.

Why is this?

They don't want to hurt anyone's feeling or bring them down. It's hard to tell over the internet. Some people may just be trolling because they're bored, but you never know who's really serious to the point of hurting themselves.

They may think you are challenging them by asking intelligent questions--hence the unfriendly response. If there is no good answer to your question that can't be found without a great deal of work on someone's part, it may be best to ask via private email.

Intimidation and not being comfortable in their own environment.

Yes. If the people around you are afraid of intelligence, it's time for you to pick better company. You don't want to associate with those types. They're a poison to society.

I find it sometimes at uni- if I ask questions that I really want to know the answer to, people say I'm trying to be too clever, or if I answer to many questions they say I'm 'super-intelligent' but I don't think they mean it in a nice way. I'm doing two uni courses at the same time atm so I usually end up pretending I'm not, or not mentioning a lot of the work I'm doing. I don't know why people find it weird/intimidating, they're a lot better than me at almost everything else!

I think on the Internet it's hard to gauge someone's tone, and it's easy to come across as rude or unfriendly when you don't mean to.

But I would say yes, people are intimidated by intelligence. I definitely am. I have these moments when I'm at uni and I'm surrounded by smart people who ask smart questions and do all the reading and homework on time, and it's easy for me to feel like "what am I doing here, in this place filled with smart people!"

The annoying thing is that I think that too! I find it hard to keep up with all the reading and essays (am currently behind on three), but people seem to think that because I'm good at remembering facts I'm somehow more intelligent, which I'm not- I can't turn the facts into a coherent argument for an essay, and I find it really hard to write opinions. Facts don't really help much with creative writing and philosophy, although I find them really interesting and want to learn to think that way which is why I'm doing them!

It can definitely be all the more intimidating when people expect you to be intelligent as well. I find it adds extra pressure and expectations I'm always worrying about not living up to. There's actually a name for this feeling-it's called "impostor syndrome", where you feel like you're only putting on an act and pretending to be smart and capable, and at any moment this veneer could be lifted and you will be revealed as utterly incompetent.

I don't think people are afraid of intelligence. People usually have an agenda when they talk, so they believe that you might when you talk. If you appear to be trying to sound extra intelligent, they will judge you as pretentious, when in reality you will be just being yourself, which is intelligent. They get it wrong because they ascribe a motive to a situation where there is actually no motive, only earnest. This brings to mind a quote from Louis Lamour from the book "The Walking Drum", it says: "Lie to a liar, for lies are his coin; steal from a thief, for that is easy; lay a trap for the trickster and catch him at the first attempt, but beware of an honest man."

A fair few people dislike displays of intelligence, especially intelligence for intelligence's sake. Recently, my intelligence was recognised and utilised. Then, I was appreciated. Previously, when I have shown brainsmarts about a variety of topics, some people become stando-offish, as they see my show of intelligence as a slight on theirs, as if I'm saying I'm better than them. I have felt this irrational dislike of a smarter person maybe twice, because although I am quite intelligent (in all honesty) I never achieved super-highly in academics (a 2-2 science degree). In practical situations other people can see my smarts, but I'm nice about it and occasionally pretend I'm less able at something, so the less intelligent don't burn me as a witch. And apparently it's poor form if someone tells you you're smart, to answer back "yes, I know" (which is why people didn't get on with Sherlock Holmes).

It's the inferiority complex, or the alpha response, because most people think they're pretty okay at everything. If you can't do something difficult, then someone comes along does it quickly and with no hassle, how do you maintain your ego?

I feel like that at uni all the time! I even have dreams where they say I'm not good enough and have to leave, and I really wouldn't be surprised it that happened.