Why is it that some people think that they know everything about everything?

I don't know. These kinds of people annoy me too. As I said in another discussion today (apparently, this is the day on MyLot to post discussions about annoying know-it-alls) I get more than my fair share of joy in giving such people their comeuppance. I know it's not a very charitable behavior, but I can't help myself. I figure they deserve it for being so obnoxious.

I have met more than a few. There are many reasons for this behaviour, and onr common factor is inflated ego. When the ego takes over or controls our thinking our minds become insulated against other opinions or view points. Even if the facts are in written form, the brain picks up only what concurs with any ingrained opinion. I saw a lot of this while being a student nurse at St. Bernard's Wing, Ealing Hospital. Narrow mindedness in thinking is also a major factor, which may or may not be driven by the ego. Back in Malaysia I have also met people who are like that. It is these type of people who think that they have the right to impose their thoughts on other people. It is a sad fact, because the world can become a better place without this attitude.

We are dealing with one of those people right now. No matter what we say, she just dones't listen to logic. We tell her that there is a problem with the toilet, and she tells us it's our problem that we did it. She thinks our bathroom is too messy for a plumber to come and fix the toilet, but if he came when our toilet was spewing raw sewage, then nothing's too messy. LOL Some people justdon't get it.

My dad used to get upset if anyone corrected his spelling because he thought he was the world's best speller. But once in a while he made a mistake and if someone showed him the word in the dictionary, he would close his eyes and put his hands over his ears because he was more interested in being "right" than in knowing the facts. But he did not live long enough to experience the PC or internet. His sons were very interested in astronomy and used to talk about space travel and he would interject saying "They will never put a man on the moon!" I once told him he should join the Flat Earth Society.

Oh I know one person like that! It drives me absolutely batty just talking to him, from one conversation to the next I never know if I am going to end up in an argument because he wants to dispute what I am saying. And then-- when I get the fact to prove that I am right and know what I am talking about and he is wrong he says that the information was changed over the years because the scientists in California wanted to make more money. And yes that is how every argument ends because there is no way I am going to dispute that logic. I think all the people like that should be gathered up and put into a camp where they can argue amongst themselves and always be right.

hi jugsjugs, in my family's line of business we have an employee exactly like that and at most times it's quite annoying really! A classic example is I am talking with someone else and she buts in and even if she does not clearly know who and what we are talking about she keeps responding or pretends she knows even if its clear she does not. The most annoying part is that she parrots everything you say!

I sure have noticed a few of them. It can be pretty uncomfortable even being in the same room with Mr. or Ms. High and Mighty. I avoid them whenever possible. It does not do them any good to tell them. They will probably tell you they invented the internet.Of course, sometimes you get more than one opinion when you look on the internet, so it pays to research things really well before committing yourself or putting your foot in your mouth, not that that type cares, they do it all the time.I know it would be refreshing to be able to get a word in edgewise,especially when it is something you actually DO know about. I think we all can sympathize with you on these royal pains.

There's only one person in my life who I know is like that, thank goodness. Her husband told everyone at a dinner one day that he didn't have to have encyclopedias anymore cause he had S_______.

people come in all shapes, sizes and kinds. it is just how we take them that can either make or break our day. just because they're around doesn't mean we have to deal with them. simply ignoring them would do the trick .

I know that feeling. My sister-in-law and my cousin-in-law are two great examples of this. I remember when my husband and I were engaged. My fiance, his mother and I were looking for places to live before we got married. His mom owned a trailer and my fiance had lived with his mom. She was elderly and needed care. I had been renting an apartment and was tired of paying rent because the money was not going anywhere. My fiance and I wanted a place of our own and wanted my future mother-in-law to live with us. My sister-in-law felt that my husband and I should not have gotten married because she felt us being together for three years was not long enough for us to know each other (mind you she married her husband six months after knowing her husband) and she felt that I could not handle being a full-time student and a full-time wife (I am pleased to say that I am graduating college this April with honors and plan to go to grad school). My husband's cousin felt that we should not buy a house because we could not afford it and our credit was not good. I am not sure how she could have assumed that my credit was bad because I would never have shared personal information with his cousin. It was not any of her business.

hi friend,yes there are some people like what you said,they used to think that what they said is truth and they alone know everything ,if the person is that kind he is the biggest fool in the earth,because what we know in this world is only very very small amount,no one can know all the things ...

Dear Jugsjugs I have encountered these people from time to time. I'm with Human Resources and sometime gets a bit annoyed about some individuals telling me how to do my job when they have little or no background about HR. The topic varies from salaries and wages to how to discipline people, giving their opinions (when they don't know what the infraction's background or getting to hear the other side of the story). They often sides with friends who have made the mistake of violating the rules and then pressuring HR to change its decision (esp. when it does not favor them or their friends). Sometimes I just want to challenge them to assume my job to get a feel of what I often go through.

probably because they want to hind the fact that they are really not that smart? I've known some people like that but this kind of aggressiveness is just a front.

I absolutely know what you are talking about. I had a good friend that I knew from junior high and anytime someone disagreed with him, he would justify his point until everyone eventually agreed with him. Mr know it all. Well to make a long story short, we no longer speak because if there is one thing I can't stand, it is someone always thinking that they have all the darn answers.

The internet is about as full of incorrect information as many people who have this trait! Anyone can put up a website, and what they write there isn´t necessarily correct! I know people, like you do, who think they know everything about every subject under the sun. Even if they don´t, they manage to spout enough fluff to make it sound as if they do. It´s really boring for the rest of us, but they just can´t see it! Sometimes I wonder how long they could keep going for, if noone interrupted them!

these are the people who are higher in ranking office positions and i hate them sometimes. you want to tell them that this should be the way it is but they won't listen, because they thought they are higher than you and you have know less than they know.

Yes, I have. there is a great article on Associated Content on the subject. A rant. Some people just have to put their two cents in. For attention or whatever. It sort of reminds me of the mail carrier character on Cheers. He was halarious. He could really reel you in for afew minutes until you realized he didn't have a clue. “People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” Isaac Asimov.

I hate it when I run across someone that acts as though they know everything. It really makes them look pretty bad when they start talking about something as if they know and don't have a clue. It's aggravating.

Actually, my boss is like that and it gives me nightmares to think that i have to listen to someone who really has NO idea what the heck is talking about. It really can drive me up the walls. TATA.

Yes! And, unfortunately, my husband is like that... You know he makes you look and feel stupid, thinking that he knows everything under the sun. I hate it, really. He doesn't know how to compromise. And that's giving all of us inside the household a big headache... And, there's no stopping him. No one and no proof will make him realize that he's just human and can make mistakes too. That's why when sometimes he makes a fool out of himself, I really try to ridicule him. It might be the only way...