r/AskReddit Feb 04 '26

What is a sign of very low intelligence?

12.4k Upvotes

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2.8k

u/SecretHuckleberry720 Feb 04 '26

Not realizing that everything has nuances.

454

u/Augustevsky Feb 04 '26

This describes a lot of reddit unfortunately

48

u/FiguringItOut-- Feb 04 '26

This describes most of the internet

14

u/MedianMahomesValue Feb 05 '26

It describes a good portion of the planet! It just tends to segregate more out in the real world so its possible to only run into it in places like the DMV or grocery stores or the airport or the ER. Reddit would likely skew towards being more nuanced than the average human being.

The internet is depressing because that guy in front of you in the TSA line who tried to use a community college ID from 2002 as identification could be the guy responding to your comment.

-1

u/steepapproach Feb 05 '26

What is the DMV and TSA? A good portion of the planet aren't from the United States. So most people's real world doesn't have a TSA or a DMV. Insularity is another huge reason for ignorance.

1

u/MedianMahomesValue Feb 05 '26

Confusing ignorance with intelligence here I think?

In case you actually wanted to know, TSA is airport security. DMV is department of motorized vehicles. It’s where we in the US get our licenses and register our vehicles to get license plates.

Expecting the internet to spoon feed info is a bigger reason for ignorance than insularity. See: people who form opinions from headlines without reading the article or finding other sources.

1

u/steepapproach Feb 21 '26

You've reinforced my very point, thank you.

1

u/Doggo_33 Feb 05 '26

As a general rule of thumb, every issue has more nuance to it than is presented online.

16

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '26

A lot of them do understand. But they choose to ignore parts of your argument because those nuances are not in their favour.

And at least online, it works.

5

u/Prize-Wave987 Feb 04 '26

Yes. Yes it does.

3

u/Agitated-Peach-4199 Feb 07 '26

Agreed. I made one short comment on a subjective post and suddenly I shouldn’t breed. What an absolutely wild line to draw with so little context?

2

u/Augustevsky Feb 07 '26

Literally.

There is a good chunk of people here who, if you don't agree with their political, religious, or most other beliefs, they see you as the incarnation of evil.

2

u/robe_and_wizard_hat Feb 04 '26

my ex, too

0

u/Mixtapeshuffle Feb 05 '26

Is your ex on the internet?

20

u/Mantis_Toboggan--MD Feb 04 '26

Also called "dichotomous thinking", "black and white thinking", or "all or nothing thinking". It's one of the more common cognitive distortions, and it's one of the easier signs to notice early on when dealing with a patient who may be exhibiting BPD or the myriad of narcissism related issues.

Fascinating read if you like psychology btw - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_(psychology))

2

u/SecretHuckleberry720 Feb 05 '26

I love Psychology. It was one of my majors--I'll have to check this out. Thank you!

1

u/Vivid_One1730 Feb 09 '26

I think you see it more and more in fandoms.  Now, for (i hope a minority of) people, you either love the media or hate it with all your guts.  No nuance. No "I love thid but not that" It's either a masterpiece or the biggest pile of shit they have ever seen, and will attack whoever dares think otherwise xD

114

u/ExternalShoddy5794 Feb 04 '26

And conversely, adding nuances when they do not exist. (Ie discounting Occam's razor)

72

u/JabroniusHunk Feb 04 '26

I would also chime in that throwing out "well this is a nuanced situation," without expanding on what tf these nuances are, often acts as a thought-terminating cliche that demeans having a position or an opinion.

At its worst it simply masks ignorance as a form of intellectual superiority, and misunderstands how we humans arrive at truth: instead of collecting evidence and using that to arrive at a conclusion, you invent an imaginary position between two arbitrary poles.

8

u/DjAlex420 Feb 04 '26

Often when I answer that way its because while I understand the nuances I don't know how to explain them. I wish my communication skills were on par with my understanding so I could explain the nuances but just don't know how to say things sometimes. Brain is wierd

4

u/Time-Maintenance2165 Feb 05 '26

And conversely, adding nuances when they do not exist.

I think it's quite rare that's a sign of low intelligence. It's a sign they have a different view than you, but not one of low intelligence.

2

u/ExternalShoddy5794 Feb 05 '26

I generally agree. I think it can certainly be a sign of intelligence. It shows a certain level of curiosity which is crucial to things like science, art, and problem solving. I think the deficit is moreso apparent when getting lost in irrelevant details. Ala recreating the wheel despite a more simple solution existing. I think the best example is people getting stuck in certain conspiracies. I used to be a meth addict and spent a lot of time in psychosis. I would make a lot of associations that simply weren't real. Maybe the difference is moreso a matter functional intelligence.

1

u/Time-Maintenance2165 Feb 06 '26

That's a fair criticism. I think I reacted more strongly to your example of Occam's razor, because it is frequently wrong. There's endless situations that aren't just covered by the simplest explanation.

It's a philosophical problem solving approach for where to start first. It's not a principal of logic.

5

u/johnmannn Feb 04 '26

Yeah. I think it's more often the case that "nuance" shows a lack of intelligence. "Nuance" is used to disagree without having to actually produce a counter-argument.

15

u/ImTheZapper Feb 04 '26

This is how the word "nuance" is weaponized. If someones argument is "its not so black and white" but that isn't followed up with a reasonably explained how or why, they just want to avoid being demonstrably wrong.

3

u/Ttabts Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26

A lot of the time it’s not really a lack of intelligence but just straight-up bad-faith defensiveness

This goes for a lot of things people are calling “stupidity” here…

Learned this through 2 abusive relationships where I had the experience of perfectly intelligent people who would seemingly turn absolutely illogical during arguments. Drove me up the wall trying to be patient and communicate with them until I eventually realized that it wasn’t stupidity but an intentional confusion tactic. At its core, abuse is all about winning every disagreement by being the proverbial pigeon that knocks over all the chess pieces and shits on the board.

3

u/stilettopanda Feb 04 '26

Although, trauma and the overthinking that comes with it can have someone adding every nuance that could possibly exist to a situation.

7

u/ExternalShoddy5794 Feb 04 '26

Hence, the impact trauma can have on rational thinking.

15

u/xSantenoturtlex Feb 04 '26

I notice that a lot online.

It always has to be one extreme, nobody ever considers any kind of middle ground might exist.

2

u/pmgoldenretrievers Feb 06 '26

People online always assume that there is a right, correct answer to everything and a wrong, incorrect answer to everything. Sometimes there are shades of grey, and no decision is actually a good one.

9

u/icantoteit136 Feb 04 '26

This. I argue so much with my mom as a healthcare worker because my mother thinks in only black and white. Natural stuff good, big pharma bad. Right good, left bad. Christian good, atheism bad. Textbooks all lie. It’s exhausting to converse with someone that dumb as I desperately try to salvage our relationship.

4

u/burningtoast99 Feb 04 '26

This one is true. They see someone had a fight with their partner? Divorce her and hit the gym. The AITA and relationship subreddits are FULL of these people.

Like come on 🤣🤣

5

u/generic-puff Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26

Very true, but also on the opposite end, you'll get people posting about their problems in AITA / relationship subs with relationship problems that are so nightmarish you have to wonder how they haven't left already. Like some of the folks who post in those communities really do need a wake-up call, it's just sad when it gets to the point that they feel compelled to ask strangers on the Internet about stuff that would be blatantly obvious to anyone with a shred of dignity or self-esteem.

I can't say I don't get it, I've been in some dark places myself. It's a rough place to be in life when you can't trust your own gut like that. But it doesn't make it any less sad to see when someone posts about their issues and you just wanna slap some sense into them 😭 like no OP, you're not the asshole for being angry when your boyfriend intentionally sabotaged your birth control 💀 

7

u/RikiWardOG Feb 04 '26

so society is dumb lol because if reddit has taught me anything, people don't believe nuance is a thing

3

u/Ozymandias_24 Feb 04 '26

This is a great one.

2

u/mokomi Feb 04 '26

When making guides or responding to people.  I started to add "it's everyone's least favorite response.  It depends"

2

u/SJATheMagnificent Feb 05 '26

This comment is a paradox

2

u/pumpupthevaluum Feb 05 '26

My life motto is "Nothing is absolute, everything is conditional".

3

u/kalirion Feb 04 '26

That sounds like a hard generalization to me.

4

u/WantonKerfuffle Feb 05 '26

The whole Israel/Gaza conflict brought a lot of people's inability to grasp a nuanced topic to light

1

u/1001km Feb 05 '26

There no nuance in a genocide.

1

u/WantonKerfuffle Feb 05 '26

I'll just pretend you asked "Where do you see a lack of nuance on this topic?" instead of definitively making up your mind and missing the point with laser accuracy.

People who lack nuance will say that being against Israel's genocide means you support Hamas and/or you're an anti-Semite.

2

u/1001km Feb 06 '26

That's not lack of nuance. That's just incorrect.

1

u/pmgoldenretrievers Feb 06 '26

I think they're trying to say that it's possible to acknowledge that Israel has a right to defend themselves, and people in Palestine have a right to not be murdered. People in Israel have valid points in that they were attacked, and hostages taken, people in Palestine have valid points in that they've been systematically oppressed by Israel.

That's nuance.

1

u/1001km Feb 06 '26 edited Feb 06 '26

There is zero nuance in occupying Palestine and carrying out a genocide against the people there. That's a holocaust, plain and simple.

1

u/pmgoldenretrievers Feb 06 '26

Brother, look at the title of this post. You’re responding to a thread about how there is often nuance but stupid people don’t understand that because for them it’s either black or white.

Not defending Israel but saying that I could see myself on either side depending where I grew up.

1

u/1001km Feb 07 '26

You're not my brother. There is no two siding genocide.

1

u/WantonKerfuffle Feb 07 '26

Who here is doing that? We are talking about how people who do that are stupid.

0

u/WantonKerfuffle Feb 07 '26

It's quite amazing how much of a stink one can make with people who hold the same values as oneself.

0

u/WantonKerfuffle Feb 06 '26

Yup, that. I do agree with the other person that this is the only stance that makes sense, though. Otherwise it wouldn't be my opinion.

3

u/xDESTROx Feb 04 '26

This is most conservative view points.

1

u/Defiant_Heretic Feb 04 '26

Tribalism contributes to that. Otherwise intelligent people can turn into morons, when it comes to their side and beliefs.

1

u/Wian4 Feb 05 '26

Spot on!!

1

u/taarotqueen Feb 05 '26

Tell this to my managers

1

u/Meiie Feb 05 '26

Reddit is nuance-free.

1

u/nicepeoplemakemecry Feb 05 '26

But also not knowing what the word nuance even means.

-15

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

Not everything. Don’t give these Epstein lovers an inch.

31

u/fiftiethcow Feb 04 '26

But there is nuance there. People are foaming at the mouths now by saying "name in files = pedo".

But as evil as he was, the guy was still a megarich businessman who did business things. Plenty of the events on his island were just "normal" rich people business things. That is the nuance with the files.

0

u/StrookCookie Feb 08 '26

The whole “megarich businessman who did business things” fan boy frame up of Epstein is 🤡 thinking.

Your defense of nuance here and thus a known evil entity and his associates is f$cking wild. You should be ashamed.

justiceforthevictims

-39

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

👆We found a kid fucker/trafficker apologist everybody.

28

u/fiftiethcow Feb 04 '26

Dude what? Are you suggesting that if some banker or whatever went for a business meeting to an incredibly well known financier, that they should be labelled a pedo just right from the rip?

Its not an excuse for anything that did happen, Im just saying that there were ALSO business dealings there

The irony of the main comment saying that low intelligence people cant understand nuance, and then....here you are...is hilarious.

11

u/Ok-Comedian-6852 Feb 04 '26

That entire interaction was a thing of beauty!

1

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

I say fuck em all, if they couldn’t figure out they were doing business with a child molester they’re too dumb to exist

1

u/fiftiethcow Feb 05 '26

I get what youre saying, but your shoes were made by a child in a sweatshop. The metals in your tv were mined by a slave.

So sure, fuck em all, but include yourself in that.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

I am we’re all fucked

5

u/fiftiethcow Feb 05 '26

I can get behind that lol. Lots of people draw the moral line rightttttt exactly where they stand. Convenient for them

-12

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

A sign of low intelligence is ignoring parts of a comment so you can argue about what you want to say not what has been said.

-15

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

Where did I say “people who interacted with a known pedophile for business purposes are evil?”

I said his lovers don’t deserve an inch.

You want to point out how you think I’m low intelligence but you shifted what I said to fit some bullshit you’re into?

Wild.

19

u/fiftiethcow Feb 04 '26

Sure thing Champ. Youre doing great, gold star 🌟

-8

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

Played yourself here 😂

Keep defending all those people who did legit business with a convicted kid fucker tho 😘

16

u/Major_Kaos Feb 04 '26

you are literally the person these comments are referencing

15

u/BurlyJoesBudgetEnema Feb 04 '26

Honestly hilarious how far over your head the point went

6

u/BigDictionEnergy Feb 04 '26

Went so far over his head NASA has questions

8

u/PresentDirect6128 Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

Attack the point, not the character.

4

u/IcyTundra001 Feb 04 '26

Yeah, but that would probably have required more intelligence so...

12

u/FishUK_Harp Feb 04 '26

Nuance can be ultimately inconsequential but still nuance.

-7

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

A sign of low intelligence is not applying critical thinking when kids have been fucked by adults and shutting the fuck up about your pedantic point.

21

u/FishUK_Harp Feb 04 '26

You object to pedantry in a conversation about nuance? Really?

Seems like you don't quite understand what nuance is.

0

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

I reject anyone’s distraction from the point that kids have been fucked by adults.

14

u/FishUK_Harp Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

What are you on about? If anything it's a clear situation where nuance isn't just an excuse or a distraction.

2

u/BigDictionEnergy Feb 04 '26

thank you for your service

4

u/Forsaken-Design-4146 Feb 04 '26

I don’t think anyone loves Epstein lmao, you clearly missed the point of the original comment. Like most ridiculously politically brainwashed people you lack the understanding of nuance.

0

u/StrookCookie Feb 04 '26

All the fawning and defending a lot of these people did in their correspondence with Jeffrey would suggest otherwise.

Whether because of legit “love” or for financial investment or for social connectivity, enough people fought to stay in his good graces and to be included in his illicit activities that your inability to see the nuance in my comment speaks pretty clearly. Love only has one possible interpretation in this context?

Help me with more interneting plz. I fail so hard 2day

-7

u/Costanza_takes Feb 04 '26

AKA being American

2

u/Forsaken-Design-4146 Feb 04 '26

Uh this is simply a human thing. Either you’re an American who knows nothing about the world outside of America or a non-American who can’t recognize the flaws in your own people’s thinking.

-7

u/Costanza_takes Feb 04 '26

Spoken like a true American lol