How to be smart without being an ass

Nobody likes a smart ass. Actually, I suppose that’s not quite true. Most know-it-alls are in love with themselves. So that makes at least one, but you get the point.

Not that we don’t like any smart people. We generally admire and respect wisdom and intelligence. The question is, how does a person go from being smart to being a smart ass? And why does it bother us?

The Google definition helps. A smart ass is “a person who is irritating because they behave as if they know everything.”

The word “everything” does the heavy lifting. Thinking you know “everything” goes hand in hand with always thinking you are right. We can handle a high IQ but we struggle with people who lack humility. So the key to being smart AND likable is humility.

There’s no need for false humility. The truth is you don’t know everything and you’re not always right. All you need is a healthy dose of reality and self awareness.

Even sharing what you know can become a bit of a show. I’ve been reflecting on this quote myself lately:

“Sheep don’t bring their owners grass to prove to them how much they’ve eaten, they digest it inwardly and outwardly bring forth milk and wool. So don’t make a show of your philosophical learning to the uninitiated, show them by your actions what you have absorbed.” - Epictetus