In my last blog post I mentioned the “know-it-all nerd” and how he ruined my hackathon experience.  I got a little heated reminiscing about the hackathon so I figured I would write a blog post about the archetype.   You probably know the type of person I am talking about.  He or she is always correcting everyone, whether it is the pronunciation of Nicaragua or the “proper” definition of a monad.  He or she is uncompromising and always has to win every argument.  It doesn’t matter if this person is correct, they need to appear correct and better than others.

I am not sure why people act like this.  I guess it is some sort of superiority complex.  Maybe it is because they weren’t good at sports as a child and decide that life should be competitive.  Maybe their dying father said “always be right no matter what.”  Who knows.

If this sounds like you, please stop acting like a know-it-all.  There is a funny Simpsons quote where homer tells Lisa “I’m really glad you corrected me, Lisa. People are always really glad when they’re corrected.”  Make it a new years resolution to stop alienating yourself from your friends and co-workers.  Someone (me) might smack you if you don’t stop.  And if you must must must correct people, at least be CORRECT YOURSELF.

Good Luck,
-Larry