Does how "smart" someone talks change how intelligent you feel they are?

I don't usually judge somebody's intelligence based on speech-- the times I do, I am humbled by their expertise in an area that isn't language.

It's just an indicator of how educated they are. Somebody can be a master of a trade and totally illiterate, or give speeches like JFK and actually not know much of anything. I encourage everyone to be versed in every avenue they can get their hands on.

 

It depends. I think a lot of disciplines have their own language. If you can't speak to me in a common language, then, well, what can I say? How else am I going to determine whether we understand each other?

I don't even know what it means to "speak like a professor." Speak correctly if you are in a professional setting.

 

Textspeak irritates me profoundly. And certain things cause me physical pain. Like misplaced apostrophes. Other things, like slang, I'm fine with.

 

I am definitely a grammar Nazi! But not to the point where I make people angry I just like to correct them when they need help such as if they can't spell a word and they ask me. But no you shouldn't judge people by how they speak as in my small country we are quite well known for our cockney/ east London accents that sound very common.

 

Perhaps, but nonetheless, it gives me a deep urge to scream and punch my innocent screen. Couldn't really say why.

 

I try to speak and write for the benefit of those who need to understand what I am saying or writing. Simplicity is often the best way to achieve this...so is having just the right word in just the right place.

I admire concise writing where every word tells, with nothing superfluous or unnecessary. That to me is a sign of intelligence. The opposite of this, of course, is "bafflegab" which is designed primarily to impress the reader or listener with 5-dollar words that serve no purpose other than to confuse (or rather is a reflection of the presenter's own confusion).

 

no and i am actually reaching the opposite point

i used to be super annoyingly wordy and actually used to sound like i was typing or speaking out of a fucking thesaurus, but that was just natural for me. with age i have just realized that creates a communication barrier, unintentional or not, with people and honestly i hate that, i like people just being blunt and speaking how they know and learned or didnt

 

I don't think so.

Personally, I put a lot of superfluous remarks in my speech, and when I'm relaxed, I tend to switch to text speak and use incorrect grammar.

But, as I always say, if you can understand me, why should I correct myself? I honestly don't care if people see me as stupid or unintelligent. If they're smart, they'll learn to keep it to themselves.

Although, it's a totally different story when it comes to job interviews.

(I also talk about myself a lot, if you can't tell.)

In any case, no, I don't judge someone's intelligence by how they speak.

 

Past a certain baseline of being coherent, no.

Sometimes I see people who write really fancy, flowery fiction and poetry just because. I think it makes them look like they don't really have anything to be writing about and are trying to cover that up with lots of complicated words yanked from a thesaurus.

When people are trying too hard to sound smart, it can show.

 

No, I know people that try really hard to use big words and sound more intelligent than they really are, and a lot of the smartest people I know use slang. People should just talk naturally and not try to put on airs, it really shows when they try. I like people that can just be relaxed and not worry about how smart they come across

 

am all for people being themselves but several things do wind me up .
white people who talk black
i do tolerate textspeak but not all the time.
people deliberately being offensive .

 

I hate to admit this, but I am a grammar Nazi and text speak really does get on my nerves. It's not that they're smarter or dumber, I just feel like the person could take a little bit of time out of their day to write correctly and make their writing legible.

In terms of slang, I have no problem with that. You can't spell correctly and write as if you're using an LG phone? I will be irked. It makes it harder for me and there's no race. You don't have to be the fastest typer or writer. Be coherent, people!

 

Hell no. One of the most intelligent people I've ever met had a speech impediment.


Of further note is the fact that "intelligence" is extremely diverse in definition, and verbal communication is only one of a vast number of categories within it.

 

Yeah this. I think communicating as concisely as possible makes for much more interesting reading/listening, something which isn't encouraged by university word counts on coursework :bang:

Textspeak and slang doesn't bother me at all; when you're talking or typing you're trying to communicate something and as long both parties understand the meaning of the words or acronyms you're using then I don't see why it matters, tbh

 

While I expect basic grammatical correctness and structural clarity, the (in)formality of the language doesn't matter to me, unless it's obvious they don't know what they're talking about. Some people think sticking as many Latin words into a sentence makes it sound more intelligent. To me, it reeks of someone who has flicked through a thesaurus and is making a pathetic, self-inflationary attempt to sound more intelligent than they are. If you can use a simpler, more well-known word, use it. Basically Einstein's rule of "if you can't explain it to a three year old, you don't understand it yourself." I think someone's ability with language is defined by their ability to cater to their audience.

Swearing and poor grammar don't remove the legitimacy and seriousness of someone's words, but it can be hard to decipher if every second word is "fuck" and there's no clear structure. It's easy to dismiss that as snobbishness, but it is a genuine problem if someone's informality hinders your ability to understand them.

 

"Hemingway has never been known to use a word that would send his reader to a dictionary." -William Faulkner
"Poor Faulkner. Big emotions do not come from big words." -Ernest Hemingway

 

As in life, a judicious and well-placed "fuck" can make all the difference...to be used sparingly for maximum effect.

 

I just don't see the issue with textspeak/slang to be honest