>> Typically, more foolish (or naive) people are ego-stricken and have
>> a "need" to go about blabbing how smart and knowledgeable they are,
>> while a true wise one is more likely to keep quiet allowing the
>> observer to ask, bear and learn... really learn... with dignity.
>
> Your statement is heartwarming, but false.
If taken too literally, sure--as any generalization taken too literally
would be. But as generalizations go, it actually has some value. A
recent study showed, for example, that the less competent one is at a
task (including purely intellectual ones), the more likely one is to
over-estimate one's own competence. Likewise, the very competent are
more likely evaluate themselves as average, and to over-estimate what
the average is.
It is a handy heuristic sometimes for judging the value of an opinion
from someone unknown: how vocally does the speaker spout eir credentials
or experience in the field, and impugn those of others? Those most
competent in a field are generally content to give their opinions as if
they are "obvious" rather than giving them value because of their source.
"The more he spoke of his honor, the faster we counted the spoons..."
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lee/> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC
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