The Intellectual Yet Idiot

By Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The IYI pathologizes others for doing things he doesn’t understand without ever realizing it is his understanding that may be limited. He thinks people should act according to their best interests and he knows their interests, particularly if they are “red necks” or English non-crisp-vowel class who voted for Brexit. When plebeians do something that makes sense to them, but not to him, the IYI uses the term “uneducated”. What we generally call participation in the political process, he calls by two distinct designations: “democracy” when it fits the IYI, and “populism” when the plebeians dare voting in a way that contradicts his preferences.

The IYI is:

• Highly educated (often with advanced degrees),
• Often holds influential positions (think think tanks, university panels, editorial boards),
• Speaks in complex jargon,
• But lacks real-world wisdom or practical sense.

According to Taleb, the IYI:

• Believes in top-down solutions and central planning,
• Is detached from the consequences of their advice (they don’t “have skin in the game”),
• Can’t survive outside a protected environment,
• Dismisses traditional knowledge or the instincts of less-credentialed people.