in which I talk about 'self proclaimed intellectuals'

Dear reader, I am soo excited! Yesterday I had writer’s block and today my muse decided to come back from her little holiday! Any way I am just glad that I can write again without being a dreadful bore. J

I feel really inspired ….no really…totally…Inspired. I suppose that I should also mention that I am bursting to share this epiphany that I got at 3 am in the morning. I often get these brilliant ideas in the middle of the night. Unfortunately I never remember them when I wake up in the morning.

Any way back to the topic that I wanted to discuss…I have often wondered about a certain set of individuals. You may also be familiar with them “the self proclaimed intellectual” *waggles eyebrows*. This is actually not a unique species(the reason I call them that is because according to me they are not really human!), in fact one might find denizens belonging to this group in every classroom (they start young!) every café, every office (in the cubicle right next to you if you are terribly unlucky).

The way to properly identify a specimen from this species is their own proclamation; they aren’t very modest, the way they dress; they dress to stand apart usually in outlandish clothes that are most probably horribly wrinkled and mismatched. They have a curiously eccentric appearance and behavior; they are usually found in the most expensive and exclusive café that are generally patronized by snobs who consider themselves a cut above the rest because of their ideologies.

The reason for my writing about this obnoxious species is to help the unwitting innocent identify a member of this group and protect themselves. I have had the misfortune to fall prey to many belonging to many a pseudo intellectual. I am a normal(ok kind of neurotic but still normal) girl who likes to read good books and watch good films and plays. I am aware of the world around me and as a writer have acquired a sense of the ridiculous. I am however NOT an intellectual nor do I aspire to be one.

 It is true that I read a lot (ok! so I am a bookworm) and have a healthy appetite for fiction as well as non-fiction; yet , I am not at all found of Rushdie or Kafka( I got bored to tears whilst reading Metamorphosis and Midnight’s Children), although I have nothing against them. I love watching films especially film noir and indie movies but I dislike discussing them to death (like allegorical references, camera angles, influences etc etc…Ugh!), I read the newspaper everyday and do not agree with the government on most issues but I am not the adherent to any particular ideology. I like talking and have my own beliefs but understand that every person has a right to live his life according to his belief.

However there is an alarming growth in the number of pseudo intellectuals so much so that I have nightmares of them taking over the world! I refuse to be magnanimous and say that I am ok with them. I am NOT! The truth is that I am disgusted by their insistence on being the sole perpetrators of wisdom, intellect and morality in society.

There is a general refusal among the members of the species to hear any voice other than their own and their biggest defect dear reader is that they think that they have the sole copyright on wisdom and knowledge Aarrrgh!!! They are generally contrary just to be contrary and not because they have an actual opinion. Even the way they dress elucidates my point. Most of them dress in a careless manner but their sloppy dress sense has a studied and careful pattern.

I just dislike being told what to think by a group of individuals who don’t have a mind of their own. I my opinion, the pseudo intellectuals as a group are as harmful to society as neo Nazi skinheads, religious zealots and ultra right wing idiots. Plus they are excessively irritating, mind numbingly boring and also terribly out of touch with reality. The harsh reality is that a common hardworking man can scarcely afford public transport, much less a recreational cup of tea.

So, forgive me dear reader if I don’t feel admiration for the pretentious bore who making grandiose pronouncements about the problems that effect the common man or the ways to solve them whilst sipping an expensive cup of coffee in an air-conditioned coffee shop! * rolls eyes* In my opinion they are full of theories that have no solid background and their opinions have no ground as they have no facts to base them upon.

Truthfully, I pity such people, these slovenly dressed, chain smoking (mostly expensive foreign brands), Kafka quoting, so called liberal ( I have a theory that they are all closeted right wingers) reactive pseudo intellectuals. If that makes me a counter- reactive (is that even a word??? ) snob.. so be it!