I have a pet theory (obviously, just a pet theory) that the alt-right "50 tweets about nothing"-style comes from a deep insecurity.
It's the fear of being caught with your pants down intellectually, a la Rand, Hayek and all the others. Rather make unfalsifiable non-statements.
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It's funny how they marry a deep anti-intellectualism with a desperate need to have an intellectual veneer.
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It's almost like that's exactly the expected outcome of an unacknowledged lack of covert self-esteem.
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I sometimes have to stop and wonder how many forms of social compensation being insufferably arrogant in some areas has actually saved me from.
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If anything, I've started developing issues with a superiority complex after realizing how much of my old ideas were just cocky young bluster.
It's *now* I have to stop myself from trying to sound cleverer than I think I am, not before. Before I just thought I was that smart. ;)
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That's a knowledge chart. I'm talking abilities. I've never thought I was an expert on anything.
I was used to interacting with people of middling/low ability. Gave me an inflated sense of my own.
This has since been brutally remedied, but I do still find the occasional bug.
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I've always had confidence in my abilities, but it's long been married to a crippling inability to commit to anything long-term, make new habits, or market myself.
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Yeah.
I haven't actually lost confidence, so much as I have an increased appreciation for my own (considerable) weaknesses of character, experience etcetera.
There is no reason to pat yourself on the back for being clever. If anything, that is just incredibly demotivating.
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And either way, I now have daily access to people who are as clever, or considerably cleverer - not only through books. Thanking Twitter for that.
Seeing how miserably human all of us are up close consigns most of the youthful fascination with cleverness to the dumpster.