A man goes to the doctor complaining of a virus. He asks him what symptoms he is experiencing, and the man hands him his laptop. The doctor hesitates for a second, yet persists with injecting the laptop with a human vaccine. The absurdity of attempting to have an opinion on everything outside of our expertise is exemplified by this scenario. The information tsunami of our times has morphed us into unsolicited and performative scholars. The digital world expects us to keep note of every small shift happening, form an opinion on it and pick a side. We have a collective fear of sitting on the fence. But the fence may prove to be a far more comfortable place than existing and defending a side you know nothing about.
The problem is not having an opinion; it’s having a baseless one. It is simply impossible to attain knowledge on every single topic known to man, so why are we so eager to spew remarks when we do not know? The answer is attention seeking. The addiction to validation fuels the performativity of intelligence. But we don’t realise the very real dangers of playing along with this. If an opinion is not based on facts and research, you become a part of the cycle of misinformation. This is an unfortunate part of our culture. Whether it’s your body, career or whatever life decision, every other person always has something to say. Suddenly everyone is an expert on anything and everything. Yet, giving unsupported medical or any other form of advice may unintentionally harm someone. Why put someone at risk just to indulge in your ego?
Not only is this extremely irritating, it’s actually counterintuitive. You want to appear intelligent? The formula is simple: if you don’t know, mind your own business. It is in fact a truer sign of intelligence. Intellectual humility is nurtured by sitting in conversations where you just listen and absorb what is being said. It allows you to be present and removes the pressure of constantly proving you are smart.
Performative intelligence is also self-sabotaging. If you pass a strong comment to make an impression, it becomes tied to your identity. Yet, if it’s later proved incorrect, you appear utterly foolish. Social media has amplified this danger. Our digital footprints may come to haunt us years later. An immature or misinformed tweet that you no longer believe in may resurface, and all the questioning fingers will point at you. How do you defend yourself then? You can’t.
If we are not performing intelligence, we are performing interest. We’ve all been in a group conversation where we do not have a single clue about what is being discussed, but when the heads turn to you seeking your opinion, you say anything that comes to mind just to remain ‘relevant’. But have you ever considered staying silent is also an option and far more dignified one? You do not have to worry about being embarrassed if you’ve said the wrong thing. And admitting you are not informed on said topic may give you far more respect than saying something for the sake of saying something. Yes, maybe you may seem a little uninteresting to them, but perhaps you’re in the wrong setting entirely.
What we need in society is to learn three words. They are the cure to an inflated ego and a pathway to authenticity. Repeat after me: “I don’t know.”