We’ve all met that person—the one who sprinkles big words into every conversation, not to add depth, but to sound impressive.
They throw around complex phrases like confetti, convinced they’re showcasing their brilliance.
The problem? Half the time, they don’t even realize how pretentious they sound.
Instead of making them seem smart, these overused expressions often come off as forced, insincere, or downright cringeworthy.
Real intelligence isn’t about using fancy jargon—it’s about communicating ideas clearly and effectively.
But fake intellectuals? They rely on certain phrases to mask insecurity or seem more knowledgeable than they really are.
Here are eight phrases that scream “I’m trying way too hard” without the speaker even realizing it. If you catch yourself using them, it might be time for a rethink.
1) “Well, actually…”
There’s nothing wrong with correcting misinformation—when it’s necessary. But fake intellectuals?
They love to jump in with a condescending “Well, actually…” even when the correction is trivial or completely unnecessary.
It’s not about adding value to the conversation. It’s about proving they’re the smartest person in the room.
The problem is, constantly nitpicking over minor details doesn’t make someone look intelligent—it makes them look obnoxious.
Real experts know when to step in and when to let things slide. Fake intellectuals, on the other hand, can’t resist the urge to flex their so-called superior knowledge at every opportunity.
If you catch yourself starting a sentence with “Well, actually…”, ask yourself—are you really helping, or just trying to sound impressive?
2) “As someone who has read extensively on this topic…”
I once had a colleague who always started his arguments this way.
No matter the discussion—business strategy, psychology, even the best way to make coffee—he’d preface his opinion with, “As someone who has read extensively on this topic…” as if that automatically made his take the ultimate truth.
The funny thing? Half the time, he wasn’t actually saying anything groundbreaking. He just wanted to make sure everyone knew he had read about it.
There’s nothing wrong with being well-read. But real experts don’t need to announce it—they let their knowledge speak for itself.
Fake intellectuals, on the other hand, feel the need to remind you of their extensive reading every chance they get.
If you really know your stuff, you don’t have to tell people—you just show it through thoughtful, insightful contributions.
3) “It’s a rather nuanced issue…”
Some people use the word nuanced to acknowledge complexity. Fake intellectuals use it to sound sophisticated while dodging the need to explain anything.
Ironically, the word itself has become a buzzword among those who want to appear deep without actually saying much.
Analyzing corporate and academic language, nuance was frequently overused in contexts where it added no real meaning—just an air of intellectual superiority.
Real experts break down complex ideas in a way that makes them clearer.
Fake intellectuals, on the other hand, rely on vague phrasing like “it’s a rather nuanced issue” to make things sound more complicated than they need to be.
4) “To play devil’s advocate…”
There’s nothing wrong with exploring different perspectives.
But when someone constantly prefaces their argument with “To play devil’s advocate…”, it’s usually not about fostering meaningful discussion—it’s about sounding intellectually superior.
The phrase originally came from the Catholic Church, where an official would argue against a candidate’s sainthood to ensure a thorough examination.
But today, it’s often used by people who just want to debate for the sake of debating—without actually believing in the stance they’re taking.
Real intellectuals engage in discussion to seek truth or deeper understanding. Fake intellectuals? They just enjoy the performance of arguing, even when it adds no real value to the conversation.
5) “You probably haven’t heard of it…”
I once had a conversation with someone who seemed more interested in proving how obscure his knowledge was than actually sharing anything useful.
Every other sentence started with, “You probably haven’t heard of it, but…” followed by some book, theory, or concept he clearly wanted to explain—but only if it meant reminding me that he was ahead of the curve.
The thing is, real experts want people to understand what they’re talking about. They don’t use knowledge as a status symbol.
But fake intellectuals? They love the exclusivity of knowing something others don’t—because for them, it’s not about the idea itself, but about looking smarter than everyone else.
If you catch yourself saying “You probably haven’t heard of it…”, ask yourself—are you trying to share something valuable, or just flex your niche knowledge?
6) “Let me simplify it for you…”
At first glance, this sounds helpful. Breaking down complex ideas into simpler terms is a sign of true understanding, right?
The problem is, when fake intellectuals say “Let me simplify it for you…”, they’re not actually trying to clarify anything—they’re trying to signal that they’re on a higher intellectual level than you.
Genuinely knowledgeable people explain things in a way that feels natural and engaging. They don’t need to announce that they’re simplifying something because their explanation speaks for itself.
But when someone makes a point of saying it? More often than not, they’re just using it as a subtle way to talk down to others.
Real intelligence isn’t about making people feel small—it’s about making ideas accessible.
7) “It’s a false dichotomy…”
Some people love pointing out logical fallacies—not to improve the conversation, but to score intellectual points. One of their favorites? That’s a false dichotomy.
Of course, false dichotomies—where a situation is presented as having only two options when more exist—do happen.
But fake intellectuals throw this phrase around even when the distinction being made is reasonable.
Instead of engaging with the actual argument, they use it as a quick way to dismiss someone else’s point and sound like the smartest person in the room.
Genuinely insightful people focus on the substance of a discussion. Fake intellectuals? They’d rather play logic referee, even if it means derailing the conversation completely.
8) “The average person wouldn’t understand…”
Nothing reveals a fake intellectual faster than the belief that only a select few are capable of grasping certain ideas.
When someone says, “The average person wouldn’t understand…”, what they really mean is, “I enjoy feeling smarter than others.”
True intelligence isn’t about exclusivity—it’s about clarity. The most brilliant minds in history didn’t hide behind elitist language; they made complex ideas accessible to as many people as possible.
If someone insists that an idea is beyond most people’s understanding, chances are, they don’t understand it as well as they think.
Why real intelligence speaks for itself
Hopefully, if you’ve read this far, you’ve noticed that the smartest people don’t need to prove how smart they are.
Because real intelligence isn’t about sounding impressive—it’s about curiosity, clarity, and a willingness to learn.
The people who truly understand something don’t rely on jargon or condescending phrases; they explain things in a way that makes others feel included, not excluded.
Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
And that’s the real difference—fake intellectuals want to sound smart. Real intellectuals want to make ideas understood.
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