How do you like that title? I figured I’d get your attention.  Now, I have to say, I don’t generally feel this way. But let’s face it, we all have this feeling some days. Don’t we?

Have you met the person yet who thinks everyone is an idiot? I know a few folks like this.  It’s easy to be accepting of this person’s mentality until you find out you’re lumped in there too. 

“He thinks I’m an idiot, too?” Suddenly, this person’s behavior offends you.

This type of person not only thinks everyone is an idiot, he/she usually feels that he/she is always right and knows the best way to do everything.  He/she is smarter than the average bear.  He/she has very little patience for anyone or anything and always seems on edge. After a while, this person seems cranky all the time with little tolerance for anyone. It’s sad. But remember, this person thinks you’re an idiot too and it’s hard to feel sorry for them.

I wrote about bitterness last week, and I’m afraid this mentality goes hand-in-hand with bitterness. It’s helpful to look at the person’s background before becoming too judgmental or fed up, which I have to tell myself.  As you know, I take things personally from the get-go. And boy-howdy am I a judgmental mess.

This type of person makes everyone nervous. You can’t have normal conversations with the “idiot” person. I’ve been in conversations and asked a question or failed to understand a point. The “idiot” person will sigh and either repeat himself or move on. Uncomfortable, I tell you.

If you have ever been around the “idiot” people, you have probably been questioned as to why you are doing something a certain way. You see, the “idiot” know-it-all wants to tell you how to do it better. If you are doing something the “idiot” guy thinks is unnecessary or, well, idiotic, he may even have a little fun with you and make a sneering comment or subtle jab to get his point across. You end up feeling stupid and you wish you could speak up and say something, but such behavior is often so surprising that you can’t think of anything to say until later.

I also have to wonder how much stress this person is under. I mean, if you indeed are smarter than all of us mere mortals, it must be incredibly stressful to feel that you must educate the masses on their idiocy. If everyone is indeed beneath you, you feel that you are the only person you can count on. 

This is the same reason kids are out of control when their parents are afraid to discipline them. Being the only one you can count on is stressful and a little sad.

As I said, I have to work very hard to have pity on this type of person. It’s hard to be around them. He/she can make a great occasion a bit of a “downer.” Often times, you are close enough to this person that you feel you can’t do anything about it. If you speak up, you will offend or sadden them. You find yourself avoiding these type of people. Social gatherings become few and far between and you definitely don’t want to ride in a car with them, especially if you are driving.  

After all, you are an idiot driver.

What I do know is this: oftentimes, the person who thinks everyone is an idiot is in great need of something. He/she usually feels inadequate or unstable in some way. He/she may have a physical problem. The need to let everyone know how smart they are or their general lack of patience with all of us “idiots” in the world is not their core feeling.  

It’s not who they really are down deep. They want, I believe, to fit in and be accepted.  They also want to know they are forgiven and loved.

Even by all these idiots.