People who talk as if they know

[cjsmith]

I have a coworker who talks as if he is an authority -- full of confidence, very firm statements -- when he doesn't have any information or experience to back it up.

Random person: "Hey, where's a good dosa restaurant?"
Him: "Restaurant A is the best."
Me: "I like Restaurant B, too."
Him: "A is way better."
Me: "Have you ever been to Restaurant B?"

No, of course; he hadn't. I had to ask him twice before he admitted it, too. So he knows when he's doing this, and he doesn't like getting caught at it.

In another hallway conversation, just now, he spouted off about flying airplanes, a subject I have some minor experience with. Now that I know he doesn't like being confronted, I stopped myself short of asking outright if he had a pilot's license. (Obviously, I'm convinced he doesn't.) I did go ahead and mention what "my flight instructor" had "taught me" about the topic "when I was getting my license". He had the grace to stop making shit up for a few minutes.

How the heck do people deal with somebody like this? Dude, you're POLLUTING THE DATA STREAM. Shut UP. But maybe I'm oversensitive about people making things up and presenting them as truth. Maybe people are smarter than I think, and there isn't any increased tendency to believe a person just because he's confident and loud. (And maybe the Easter Bunny really is ten feet tall.)

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I see a big difference between extrapolating and discussing possibilities on the one hand, and on the other hand, making stuff up and then arguing for it against alternative ideas presented. I think it's fun to brainstorm in conversation, and at least in spoken conversation, tone can convey what's going on. It's usually a cooperative feeling.

This guy is an arguer. Why did he have to insist immediately that Restaurant A was better than B? Couldn't they both be delicious? Why did he try to put me down about the airplane engine failure stuff ("But YOU don't fly THAT kind of plane"), up until he learned that I really had had some training in the subject? He's just... I hate to be as dismissive as this, but I think he's kinda messed up. It's annoying and exhausting to be around him. I say anything factual and I'm suddenly the target of put-downs.

[thorswitch.livejournal.com]

Ok, yeah, I see what you mean. That is whacked!