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Know-It-Alls Reveal When They Realized When They Weren't As Smart As They Thought

Know-It-Alls Reveal When They Realized When They Weren't As Smart As They Thought

Know-It-Alls Reveal When They Realized When They Weren't As Smart As They Thought

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We all have stubborn 'know-it-all' moments, but occasionally, it goes too far. We see it in our politics, at work, and at school. Most of us are willing to accept when we are wrong, but it's usually not the greatest feeling.

bakait_bhosdu asked, When did you realise that you are not as smart as you thought you were?

Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.

Getting thrust into competitive academia can be a serious blow to one's ego. But don't feel too bad, everyone feels the same way.

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Starting college. Helped me realize that I'm quite average.

Starting graduate school really threw it in my face. Helped me realize that I'm actually below average and didn't belong there.

I thought it was both tbh...

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When I realized that The Count on Sesame Street isn't called that just because he's a vampire, but because he's literally counting.

I shouldn't be trusted to vote.

If you want to be the best, learn from the best.

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When I first started my job as a software developer. My boss and my pseudo-boss are absolute geniuses. I've never been more in awe of someone's expertise before. It was really humbling. Still is, I suppose.

Kids are very astute. And Adventure Time is amazing.

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When you're around children they can point out stuff you don't see real fast. I started watching Adventure Time with my 6-year-old daughter. I have seen a lot of it previously. So to try and interact and discuss it. I said "that silly Ice King is always chasing after the girls and trying to get people to be his friends," She said that's because he can't be a king without people.

It's hard to go from the top to being just one of the masses. Don't be afraid to ask for help, there's a reason college isn't a solo venture.

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By failing the first year of uni. Despite getting lukewarm at best results from my final exams at high school, I still carried with me a raging ego and a belief that I was a modern day genius and everyone didn't know it. I walked in there confident that I was going to become a shining beacon of knowledge and wisdom.

Boy did I not

Not only were my study habits completely wack, but I didn't even try to take advantage of the resources and support there because I was foolishly under the delusion that I could easily just work things out by myself and everything would be ok.

Well, it doesn't work like the movies and reality caught up with me. I yanked out that year and really had to have a good hard look at myself and what I was doing. It's really hard to come to grips with the fact you're not as smart or charismatic or competent as you thought you were because admitting that to yourself means admitting that you were fundamentally wrong about who you are as a person. And that's just so painful to have to come to terms with.

But you're better off for it because now you know that there's room for improvement and that what needs improving on. That's why it's so bad to tell people how smart they are: because then they think "pfft I don't need to learn new things because I'm so smart and good". There's ALWAYS room for improvement and there are ALWAYS new things to discover.

One more thing I ought to mention is the importance of having good friends. Not only to support you but to challenge you too. I had the great privilege of making amazing friends at uni who not only were brilliant people for being there for each other but ones who didn't put up with any sh_t. If one of us was getting too cocky or rude, we'd make damn well sure that they knew they were being c_ck gobblers.

Silly habits, no matter how ridiculous, are really hard to break.

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I do a lot of painting. Every time I paint, without fail, I will lean on a wall I either have just painted or am in the middle of painting either to rest or to take a call or whatever. Every time.

Traveling the world is a wonderful way to not only learn new things, but to adopt new ways of thinking.

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When I traveled outside Canada. I realized that I was book smart but that I didn't have the ingenuity, wisdom, resilience, and fortitude of many people in "third-world" countries. Being smart comes in many forms.

It's important to be open to new ideas and perspectives, and to form opinions based on evidence and data.

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When I realized that my views of others were more arrogant (rooted in my own vanity) versus just being different and nuanced.

Sort of the opposite of college - conformity can be as big a challenge as finding your place.

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When I joined the military. Turns out I'm not even a person.

We all have our buttons. Recognizing them and being open to others is part of how we grow.

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I'm not sure if this is as much smart or a stability thing, but the first time I had an argument with my wife that turned into a full out fight I was really humbled afterward. I really considered myself a calm, collected person but when my buttons were pushed it was like I was a teenager losing my head over some dumb sh_t.

Not being the smartest person in the room is tough, but those smarter than ourselves can be a great influence.

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My second job in IT did it for me though the fact that I was an IT grunt should've been a clue. /s

I met a co-worker who truly was intelligent and it was eye-opening, humbling, and depressing.

Getting a "real-world job" is one of the best ways to learn how to think on your feet, so to speak.

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Yea, getting a real-world job outside of college will humble most people. I knew I didn't know much when I went in, but then when I really got into the work, I was sh_tting my pants at how much I didn't know. Like, how did they hire me if I don't know what I'm doing??

But you learn quickly if you pay attention. Most knowledge in the workplace comes from experience. I can solve problems much quicker now because I've dealt with a similar issue before.

Be careful telling your kids they are the best - honestly is key, and growth and enrichment should always be encouraged.

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I'm gonna go on a bit of a tangent, it wasn't that I realized I wasn't smart, but I wasn't as talented as I thought.

I was very much into reading and writing as a kid and I wrote so many stories. Everyone kept telling me how great my writing was, how I was gonna be a famous author etc. I always asked for constructive criticism but never got anything back; apparently, my writing was perfection. At a certain point, I realized this couldn't be true. So I wrote a short story, put it into an email and told my mom was a chainmail story I found that I thought was really good and asked her what she thought.

She read it and told me it wasn't a good story at all. I was floored. Barely holding back tears I asked her why it wasn't good. She went on to say how the characters were flat, there was no reason behind the plot, and the dialogue was awfully written. It hurt, it hurt a lot. I didn't expect that harsh of a criticism but I couldn't blame her because that's exactly what I wanted. I finally had someone telling me the truth about my writing instead of buttering me up. That day I realized that I was no prodigy writer, I wasn't as talented as everyone kept telling me, and that the world's opinions are harsh when it doesn't care. I realized I would need to work a lot harder than I thought I would to get better.

I don't think my mom ever figured it out and I'm sure she'd deny the story if I ever told her but I'm thankful that I learned the truth.

We can all relate to this. The challenge is, how do we fight back?

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I thought I understood how politics and the world worked, then the 2016 election happened. Learned a lot since then. I had no idea how naive I had been.

Take a look around you and appreciate the work and knowledge required to build and construct our world. It's very humbling.

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When I stopped to think about how hard sh_t is to make. I know playing with toys and objects at a young age or even as an adolescent I didn't appreciate this.

Like just driving around and watching things be constructed, like an overpass. You have to know where to begin the overpass on one side, then you have to start the overpass on the other side, then you have to build all the pillars, lay down whatever base of rebar or whatever to fill with cement, and then I guess pray to whatever you find holy and hope that it all lines up on the other side when you're done. Then you gotta make sure the thing is strong in case it is loaded with cars or even eighteen wheelers. Of course, I know there are calculations done and redone, and probably triple done, but it is remarkable how much engineering goes into something that might seem so simple.

It was only when I sat back and thought I honestly wouldn't even know where, to begin with building something like that.

"I'll never do that again." Simple and effective.

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Two times actually.

When I grabbed an electric fence with two hands because I thought it was off.

When I was staring at the eclipse with glasses then took off the glasses without looking away.

Cramming is a big gamble. It's usually best to sleep before an exam.

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Pulling an all-nighter and expecting to still ace the assignment.???????

Life lesson: pay attention to your surroundings.

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I put away a tractor implement and stepped on one end while trying to put the locking key away and the bar cam back an hit me in the head like when Sideshow Bob stepped on the rakes.

True wisdom is accepting that you know nothing.

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My dad was the smartest person I've ever known. He was a CPA, but could rebuild an engine, install the "internet" at his company in the 90s, and fought the IRS and won.

When I was maybe 10, I saw a piece of paper on the table with a note written on it saying "this piece of paper represents how much knowledge is available to you. How much do you know?" He made a pinpoint on the paper and wrote: "this is me".

I'm 39 now and a Chief in the Air Force. Nothing has made me feel less smart in my entire life. Nothing has made me more humble or contributed to who I am today than seeing that piece of paper.

People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

Reddit user Isitjustmedownhere asked: 'Give an example; how weird are you really?'

Let's get one thing straight: no one is normal. We're all weird in our own ways, and that is actually normal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't all have that one strange trait or quirk that outweighs all the other weirdness we possess.

For me, it's the fact that I'm almost 30 years old, and I still have an imaginary friend. Her name is Sarah, she has red hair and green eyes, and I strongly believe that, since I lived in India when I created her and there were no actual people with red hair around, she was based on Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo.

I also didn't know the name Sarah when I created her, so that came later. I know she's not really there, hence the term 'imaginary friend,' but she's kind of always been around. We all have conversations in our heads; mine are with Sarah. She keeps me on task and efficient.

My mom thinks I'm crazy that I still have an imaginary friend, and writing about her like this makes me think I may actually be crazy, but I don't mind. As I said, we're all weird, and we all have that one trait that outweighs all the other weirdness.

Redditors know this all too well and are eager to share their weird traits.

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

"Give an example; how weird are you really?"

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

"Edit: I guess i should clarify im not rich."

– Practical_Eye_3600

"Gosh the monsters can get you from any angle then."

– bikergirlr7

"At first I thought this was a flex on how big your bedroom is, but then I realized you're just a psycho 😁"

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

"I bought one of those super-powerful fans to dry a basement carpet. Afterwards, I realized that it can point straight up and that it would be amazing to use on myself post-shower. Now I squeegee my body with my hands, step out of the shower and get blasted by a wide jet of room-temp air. I barely use my towel at all. Wife thinks I'm weird."

– KingBooRadley

Remember

"In 1990 when I was 8 years old and bored on a field trip, I saw a black Oldsmobile Cutlass driving down the street on a hot day to where you could see that mirage like distortion from the heat on the road. I took a “snapshot” by blinking my eyes and told myself “I wonder how long I can remember this image” ….well."

– AquamarineCheetah

"Even before smartphones, I always take "snapshots" by blinking my eyes hoping I'll remember every detail so I can draw it when I get home. Unfortunately, I may have taken so much snapshots that I can no longer remember every detail I want to draw."

"Makes me think my "memory is full.""

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

"I have eaten the same lunch every day for the past 4 years and I'm not bored yet."

– OhhGoood

"How f**king big was this lunch when you started?"

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

"Had a line cook that worked for us for 6 months never said much. My sous chef once told him with no context, "Baw wit da baw daw bang daw bang diggy diggy." The guy smiled, left, and never came back."

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

"I pace around my house for hours listening to music imagining that I have done all the things I simply lack the brain capacity to do, or in some really bizarre scenarios, I can really get immersed in these imaginations sometimes I don't know if this is some form of schizophrenia or what."

– RandomSharinganUser

"I do the same exact thing, sometimes for hours. When I was young it would be a ridiculous amount of time and many years later it’s sort of trickled off into almost nothing (almost). It’s weird but I just thought it’s how my brain processes sh*t."

– Kolkeia

If Only

"Even as an adult I still think that if you are in a car that goes over a cliff; and right as you are about to hit the ground if you jump up you can avoid the damage and will land safely. I know I'm wrong. You shut up. I'm not crying."

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

"As a kid I would snack on my dog's Milkbones."

– drummerskillit

"Haha, I have a clear memory of myself doing this as well. I was around 3 y/o. Needless to say no one was supervising me."

– Isitjustmedownhere

"When I was younger, one of my responsibilities was to feed the pet fish every day. Instead, I would hide under the futon in the spare bedroom and eat the fish food."

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

"I'm autistic and have always had a thing for insects. My neurotypical best friend and I used to hang out at this local bar to talk to girls, back in the late 90s. One time he claimed that my tendency to circle conversations back to insects was hurting my game. The next time we went to that bar (with a few other friends), he turned and said sternly "No talking about bugs. Or space, or statistics or other bullsh*t but mainly no bugs." I felt like he was losing his mind over nothing."

"It was summer, the bar had its windows open. Our group hit it off with a group of young ladies, We were all chatting and having a good time. I was talking to one of these girls, my buddy was behind her facing away from me talking to a few other people."

"A cloudless sulphur flies in and lands on little thing that holds coasters."

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

"The girl notices my tension, and asks if I am looking at the leaf. "Actually, that's a lepidoptera called..." I looked at the back of my friend's head, he wasn't looking, "I mean a butterfly..." I poked it and it spread its wings the girl says "oh that's a BUG?!" and I still remember my friend turning around slowly to look at me with chastisement. The ONE thing he told me not to do."

"I was 21, and was completely not aware that I already had a rep for being an oddball. It got worse from there."

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

"That's how I am with popsicles. My wife shudders every single time."

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

"You should keep that kind of thing to yourself. Even when asked."

– We-R-Doomed

"There's some disturbing sh*t in this thread, but this one takes the cake."

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

"I can hear the television while it's on mute."

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

"Whenever I say a word and feel like I used a half of my mouth more than the other half, I have to even it out by saying the word again using the other half of my mouth more. If I don't do it correctly, that can go on forever until I feel it's ok."

"I do it silently so I don't creep people out."

– LesPaltaX

"That sounds like a symptom of OCD (I have it myself). Some people with OCD feel like certain actions have to be balanced (like counting or making sure physical movements are even). You should find a therapist who specializes in OCD, because they can help you."

– MoonlightKayla

I totally have the same need for things to be balanced! Guess I'm weird and a little OCD!

Close up face of a woman in bed, staring into the camera
Photo by Jen Theodore

Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.

Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?

But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.

It would be so great to be sure there is something else.

But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.

Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:

"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"

Sensations

Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy

"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."

PeachesnPain

Recovery

"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."

"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."

"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."

good_golly99

Take Me Back

"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."

"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."

rayrayrayray

Free

The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy

"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."

TooReDTooHigh

This is why I hate surgery.

You just never know.

Shocked

Giphy

"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."

Admirable_Buyer6528

The SOB

"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."

"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”

1-cupcake-at-a-time

Colors

"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"

Hannah_LL7

"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"

huntokarrr

The Fog

"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."

"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."

Fluffy-Hotel-5184

Through the Walls

"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."

"She's quite alive and well today."

Hot-Refrigerator6583

Well let's all be happy to be alive.

It seems to be all we have.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.

The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.

Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.

Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:

"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"

Redditors didn't see these coming.

Shiver Me Timbers

"I’m always cold now!"

– Telrom_1

"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."

– r7ndom

"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."

– mr_remy

Drawing Concern

"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."

– dee-fondy

"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"

"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."

– LizardofDeath

Unleashing Insults

"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”

"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."

– alanamablamaspama

Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight

"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."

– KeltarCentauri

"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."

– KatMagic1977

"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."

– Jaew96

These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.

Shopping

"I can buy clothes in any store I want."

– WaySavvyD

"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."

– ganache98012

No More Symptoms

"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."

– colleennicole93

Expanding Capabilities

"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."

– Ramblonius

People Change Their Tune

"How much nicer people are to you."

"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"

– LiZZygsu

"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"

"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"

– awholedamngarden

It's gonna take some getting used to.

Bones Everywhere

"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."

– Princess-Pancake-97

"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."

– bekastrange

Knee Pillow

"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."

– snic2030

"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."

– Strongbad23

More Mobility

"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."

"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."

– dma1965

People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.

But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.

That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.