SoulPancake / Conversations / Why do people use words like: elite, academic, and intellectual as pejoratives?

jonwh

- 4 months ago

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Why do people use words like: elite, academic, and intellectual as pejoratives?

I don't understand why these words, that sound like aspirations, are used to attack people. As far as i'm concerned these three words are the greatest compliments in the english language.

What are your thoughts?

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It seems like whenever certain people notice a difference between their beliefs and another person's beliefs, the difference is turned into the pejorative. In this case, less-minded people will call the different ones academic, intellectual. They may even say the word elite which may or may not apply because in their view only someone who paid for an education could possibly be that smart. Republicans like to also say that college only educates people to be socialists. So being college-educated is another insult along these same lines.

Do you understand what is meant by using these complimentary words as insults? Taken in context these words are reasonable communication. They are understood and used frequently. I refuse to judge some
one's education and place in life by their choice of words. Nitpicking and labeling are tiresome and objectionable.

I've found this particularly common on the Internet. The best I can explain it is that people are looking to divide their 'opposition' into groups. For some reason, they think that the label of what someone is, is actually an insult. We're probably all familiar with the right wing throwing socialist around like it was a beach ball, but I've also heard people actually try to use a nation as pejorative too. "You are probably scottish!"

While they aren't actually insults, I think they can be rather humorous. It is definitely hard to debate people who use tactics like this, and always think they are somehow 'winning'. I think it is probably a good measure of a person, and you can safely stop discussing things with people of such low capacity for debate. (However, I do still recommend sending them information to help them in educating themselves on different ideologies, rather than just their own misconception of some label.)

We even had a small diner called The Elite in my town that had been there for decades. Then right wing radicals burned it down. At least that's the story I'm spreading.

From the responses it seems that "elite" is the word that people don't like, because it brings to mind snobbery. That is the chasm that there is between the two sides, the immediate "gut reaction" we have to hearing a word and internally defining it.

I, personally, don't hear "elite" and conjure images of people looking down there noses at me, I hear "elite" and see people who've worked hard to become the best in their field. I think that the image of pretentiousness come from a bastardization of the word. Elite means someone is the best, and believing that no one is the best is naive, so someone must be elite. I also think that Burnabymike's point "an elite athlete is good, an elite scientist is apparently not." was also brilliant.

I think they bring class to mind even though they have nothing to do with each other. I think of upper class snobs that scoff and look down to people that aren't as educated as them. Elite especially pulls out this reaction in me.

It feeds into the us-vs-them meme that the extreme right uses, as all too often their biggest critics are educated, experts in their fields, and intelligent. Because the extreme right can't win an intellectual argument, they instead back up their positions by dismissing these academics as "out of touch" and "more madison avenue than main street" and so on.

An elite athlete is good, an elite scientist is apparently not. How do they square that circle I wonder?

You are right though - those are complimentary words. They have simply been hijacked by the ignorant and malcontent.

Smart people scare others. Knowledge is power, it's true. Other times, calling someone intellectual if they're intellectual is just in good jest. The other day I heard someone call someone a "bowtie pocket protector type" and that made me laugh...

Elite, I dunno about. It's just a word that means higher in society. That's fascist and I don't really like that so much.

Because a lot of people have an innate negative reaction to those who claim to know what's best for you.

Those terms do not apply to any who honestly believe they are pejoratives, so maybe it is a defense mechanism? Personally, I have nothing but contempt for Heisman Trophy and Nobel Prize winners.

Because they are idiots who value ignorance over knowledge.

I think the terms get thrown around as a way to end any argument with a sort of "he/she doesn't understand what it's like to live in the REAL world". Any descriptor will do in that situation. "Oh, he's a democrat, republican, Christian, atheist, money-grubber, redneck, man, woman, etc.." You hear this all the time when someone has run out of arguments and is looking for a lazy way toward self-justification.

'cause they are jealous. 'cause they're stupid ;-)

Well, when I call someone an elitist, I am NOT being complimentary and I don't even find the word elite very complimentary either.

Academic can go either way for me as well as intellectual.

Literary device to give weight to a position.

As Chantarella says below, check the context. Look for signs of sarcasm, anger, baggage etc . . . and then accept the usage of such words as something the speaker hopes will fortify a point.

depends on the context

Only idiots, most usually conservative ones, use those words as pejoratives.

SoulPancake

jonwh

Why do people use words like: elite, academic, and intellectual as pejoratives?

WeirdSock

watching

riwillbe

Michael7843853

We even had a small diner called The Elite in my town that had been there for decades. Then right wing radicals burned it down. At least that's the story I'm spreading.

jonwh

Spraynardtatum

I think they bring class to mind even though they have nothing to do with each other. I think of upper class snobs that scoff and look down to people that aren't as educated as them. Elite especially pulls out this reaction in me.

burnabymike

NotNuerotypical

BasilNova

Because a lot of people have an innate negative reaction to those who claim to know what's best for you.

Michael7843853

Those terms do not apply to any who honestly believe they are pejoratives, so maybe it is a defense mechanism? Personally, I have nothing but contempt for Heisman Trophy and Nobel Prize winners.

theknowledgeninja

Because they are idiots who value ignorance over knowledge.

BasilNova

melb2

'cause they are jealous. 'cause they're stupid ;-)

RosieFullyRiveted

Well, when I call someone an elitist, I am NOT being complimentary and I don't even find the word elite very complimentary either.

Academic can go either way for me as well as intellectual.

Griz

Literary device to give weight to a position.

As Chantarella says below, check the context. Look for signs of sarcasm, anger, baggage etc . . . and then accept the usage of such words as something the speaker hopes will fortify a point.

chantarella

depends on the context

Kirbonicus

Only idiots, most usually conservative ones, use those words as pejoratives.

Why do people use words like: elite, academic, and intellectual as pejoratives?

We even had a small diner called The Elite in my town that had been there for decades. Then right wing radicals burned it down. At least that's the story I'm spreading.

I think they bring class to mind even though they have nothing to do with each other. I think of upper class snobs that scoff and look down to people that aren't as educated as them. Elite especially pulls out this reaction in me.

Because a lot of people have an innate negative reaction to those who claim to know what's best for you.

Those terms do not apply to any who honestly believe they are pejoratives, so maybe it is a defense mechanism? Personally, I have nothing but contempt for Heisman Trophy and Nobel Prize winners.

Because they are idiots who value ignorance over knowledge.

'cause they are jealous. 'cause they're stupid ;-)

Well, when I call someone an elitist, I am NOT being complimentary and I don't even find the word elite very complimentary either.Academic can go either way for me as well as intellectual.

Literary device to give weight to a position.As Chantarella says below, check the context. Look for signs of sarcasm, anger, baggage etc . . . and then accept the usage of such words as something the speaker hopes will fortify a point.

depends on the context

Only idiots, most usually conservative ones, use those words as pejoratives.

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Well, when I call someone an elitist, I am NOT being complimentary and I don't even find the word elite very complimentary either.

Academic can go either way for me as well as intellectual.

Literary device to give weight to a position.

As Chantarella says below, check the context. Look for signs of sarcasm, anger, baggage etc . . . and then accept the usage of such words as something the speaker hopes will fortify a point.