I’m not always the sharpest tool in the shed, but there’s a few things I know a lot about. Last Saturday I was at a party and some guy started talking to me saying he was a bodybuilder and noticed I worked out and was wondering why I was eating pork if I wanted to be healthy. I asked him why he wouldn’t eat an animal humans had been eating for over 7,000 years and he answered with the typical, ‘pigs are dirty’. Anyways, turns out the only animals he eats are chickens. Talk about calling the kettle black.
I didn’t go into how chickens are grown in an 8.5 by 11 inch cage, pumped up with drugs and killed after 6 seeks to 3 months, etc and basically just smiled at his smug better than me look as I devoured some lovely ribs.
So, my question is how how do you lot handle situations where you know tons more than the moron you’re talking to? I know most of us won’t offer advice in the gym, but what about normal everyday events?
The only time one should offer advice in the Gym is if some newbie is in danger
of hurting himself with an improper form that can make you wince.
As for someone at a Party or other gathering, if it’s pretty much the only time you’re
gonna see the guy, just play a bit ignorant and don’t confront him much on ANY matter.
it’s a Party and you may never see him again anyway, if he thinks he wins or is right on a matter,
So fuckin’ what…You’re not gonna see him again, but if you do and he tries to get smarter in a bad way
next time, you begin dealing those proverbial knowledge cards you held so close to your vest the first time,
One By One… but never all your cards, which at that point he will either like you more because you know
some shit, or you will repel him because you know some shit, which in the latter case he may
never bother you again, good riddance.
I have a buddy like this that I call a Speed Bump.
We’ll be having a conversation, I say something, he disagrees with the fact I’ve stated. I reiterate and even give him possible outs so he doesn’t embarrass himself, he continues to say I’m wrong, we get out Google, I’m fucking right, he says “Well anyway…” then continues the conversation.
[quote]Chushin wrote:
I just back off and leave them to their stupidity.
Last week I had a 23 y.o. woman, in Japan for 6 months and unable to do the most basic Japanese, dispute what I told her about learning to read the language. She knew that I’ve had translations published and taught about US society and culture in Japanese.
I ended the discussion by saying, “Hey, if you’re happy with what you’re doing, then I’m happy, too.” [/quote]
Yeah,I’ve seen it here dozens of times too.
There should be a consulting firm of upper-middle class white American female college graduates that you can hire to basically come to wherever you work and help you find the holes in your system by having them go around and question/disagree with EVERYTHING!
this last weekend my wife and I had this woman going on-and-on about what life was like in Japan, Japanese laws, etc. The only thing was almost everything she was saying was completely wrong. When we suggested that perhaps one or two of the completely absurd things she was saying might be a little off, she simply replied with the utmost certainty, “No, you are wrong!”
this last weekend my wife and I had this woman going on-and-on about what life was like in Japan, Japanese laws, etc. The only thing was almost everything she was saying was completely wrong. When we suggested that perhaps one or two of the completely absurd things she was saying might be a little off, she simply replied with the utmost certainty, “No, you are wrong!”
My approach is to help the person realize they don’t know shit…or at least make it obvious to others that they don’t know shit…
" you seem to know a lot about nutrition, I assume you know a lot about training as well"?
“Well maybe you could help me out, I’ve been teetering on hitting 405 on bench, but I’ve missed the times I’ve tried. I dig my heels in, use plenty of leg drive, and keep my elbows tucked on the way down, and of course my shoulder blades are retracted and on the bench firmly”
“Now I assume you bench way more than me so that’s why I’m asking for advice, what tips would have for me to hit 405? And also, WHAT DO YOU BENCH”?
I actually ran I to something similar witha guy who was smaller/younger/newer to lifting but claimed 325 bench. He said he couldn’t ohp 135 and he didn’t squat or DL. I basically threw the same lies at him. He said “you’re lieing” so I said “you’re lieing”, not so eloquent of me. But the point is to ask questions that are over their heads to make it obvious that you are the expert and they are just talking out of their ass.
“Well, you know best…” has the benefit of ending the conversation while also intimating that you don’t believe for a second that they actually do know best.
[quote]sen say wrote:
I’m not always the sharpest tool in the shed, but there’s a few things I know a lot about. Last Saturday I was at a party and some guy started talking to me saying he was a bodybuilder and noticed I worked out and was wondering why I was eating pork if I wanted to be healthy. I asked him why he wouldn’t eat an animal humans had been eating for over 7,000 years and he answered with the typical, ‘pigs are dirty’. Anyways, turns out the only animals he eats are chickens. Talk about calling the kettle black.
I didn’t go into how chickens are grown in an 8.5 by 11 inch cage, pumped up with drugs and killed after 6 seeks to 3 months, etc and basically just smiled at his smug better than me look as I devoured some lovely ribs.
So, my question is how how do you lot handle situations where you know tons more than the moron you’re talking to? I know most of us won’t offer advice in the gym, but what about normal everyday events?
[/quote]
Your existence triggers his insecurity. His statement was a passive aggressive dig. My thoughts are don’t ever go on the defensive. Always offensive. Of course, it depends on the social situation.
If it’s a one on one conversation, politely excuse yourself and go talk to someone else. If there are other people listening to the conversation, debate and defeat them. Once you’ve proven your point, try and find a way to give them an “out” that is socially acceptable. If they fail to take the “out”, agree to disagree. If they are a persistent cockroach, then step on them and squash them.
I like a “You may be right!” with a big, happy grin. If I’m comfortable enough that there’s some rapport, I’ll add a cheery “but I don’t think so!” I think my face is expressive enough that my confidence in my own point and amusement at theirs comes through subtly.
It’s hard for me to get invested in what someone eats or how they work out. I’ll argue that “organic” or “homeopathic” simply means “no oversight” or “no proof whatsoever of efficacy” for a minute or two but at the end of the day, hey, knock yourself out! Don’t want pig? More for me.
I think that aside from on here (where people obviously come to learn from each other on a specific topic - training and nutrition), over the years I’ve pulled back quite a bit from engaging people. Many times I’ve found myself amid a group of people discussing how they’re going to approach losing weight. The amount of misinformation brandied about goes from common gym myths to just ridiculous crap.
Usually, there’s an individual who seems so confident that he/she is knowledgeable on the subject matter, that any attempt to offer assistance will be met with a certain degree of not just resistence, but desire to butt heads. I’ve seen this countless times, and it’s never pretty. In my case, I like to believe that there are two areas that I’ve excelled in to the point of being quite knowledgable. Unfortunately, it’s a slippery slope to offer my credentials without coming across as an arrogant ass.
So these days, unless someone specifically asks me, I will usually avoid offering advice. In cases where I’m put on the spot, such as the OP’s original situation, I’m quick to answer questions with short responses, and make my exit. Often when I get to hear about any eating or training approach that someone has been engaging in en route to their goal, my reply is a standard “So how’s that working out for you?”
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I think that aside from on here (where people obviously come to learn from each other on a specific topic - training and nutrition), over the years I’ve pulled back quite a bit from engaging people. Many times I’ve found myself amid a group of people discussing how they’re going to approach losing weight. The amount of misinformation brandied about goes from common gym myths to just ridiculous crap.
Usually, there’s an individual who seems so confident that he/she is knowledgeable on the subject matter, that any attempt to offer assistance will be met with a certain degree of not just resistence, but desire to butt heads. I’ve seen this countless times, and it’s never pretty. In my case, I like to believe that there are two areas that I’ve excelled in to the point of being quite knowledgable. Unfortunately, it’s a slippery slope to offer my credentials without coming across as an arrogant ass.
So these days, unless someone specifically asks me, I will usually avoid offering advice. In cases where I’m put on the spot, such as the OP’s original situation, I’m quick to answer questions with short responses, and make my exit. Often when I get to hear about any eating or training approach that someone has been engaging in en route to their goal, my reply is a standard “So how’s that working out for you?”
S[/quote]
From your experience, do you think your presence in those situations is a catalyst for the direction of the conversation?
I’d like to say shove it in their face and set em straight, but in my experience these situations have only arisen with friends and family or at least people who are like, really, really nice to me. I have no desire to trample on them. All I can do is just sort of smile and go “Hmm”.
[quote]csulli wrote:
I’d like to say shove it in their face and set em straight, but in my experience these situations have only arisen with friends and family or at least people who are like, really, really nice to me. I have no desire to trample on them. All I can do is just sort of smile and go “Hmm”.[/quote]
Ya, depends on the relationship and personality. Sometimes the coversation can be quite rewarding. Other times a complete and utter waste of time.
