Intimidation: Need From Insecure People

When we think of situations of abuse, we usually associate them with physical and verbal assaults, including through digital means; especially if they occur in the school environment. However, there are also other less egregious ways of mistreating others, such as through humiliation and sarcasm, known as intellectual intimidation.

Intellectual intimidation has received far less attention and recognition than other better known forms of bullying, but it doesn’t stop being important. In fact, this form of psychological violence not only has consequences in adult life, it is also very painful for those who suffer it already in childhood.

Intellectual hierarchy and bullying

The intellectual hierarchy is a ladder for ranking people based on their education and academic qualifications, something that almost all of us learn and practice from children.

At the top of the hierarchy are those who have a higher level of education, training and qualifications;  in the lower part there are those who have received little training and with very low qualifications. The problem arises when the people who occupy the upper part of this hierarchy unduly despise those who occupy lower positions.

This “intellectual superiority” that some demonstrate and use to discredit others is a form of psychological abuse known as intellectual intimidation. An attitude that should not be overlooked given the great damage and suffering it causes.

Intellectual harassment is no different than physical harassment. Both can have a devastating effect on the victim’s self-esteem. In this sense it is known that humiliation, in any form, including intellectual, activates the brain areas related to pain and also that it triggers a response that is more intense and lasting than joy and much more negative than anger.

Humiliating others is one of the cruellest behaviors there is. Let’s see below which people are able to implement these behaviors.

Intellectual intimidation

Usually the intellectual offender is a person who is smarter than the average and who considers himself superior to others by the mere fact of being so. This way of thinking leads him to relate to others using humiliation, contempt and sarcasm to somehow confirm his superiority. A behavior that actually betrays his great insecurity.

Another characteristic feature of this profile is condescension. The insecurity that drives him is masked by big words and phrases to further confirm his intelligence and superiority. For this reason he uses very technical, deceptive and pretentious words to make others feel ignorant and inferior.

It sounds terrible, but aren’t people with these characteristics revered in the media? The programs in which this is expected to see such an attitude not perhaps record audience records? In a sense, offenders who use physical violence are more likely to be punished, as society condemns this.

Intellectual aggressors, on the other hand, are in a better position as a result of their intelligence, in fact this “intellectual superiority” is sometimes rewarded. This justifies them to continue to demonstrate their intelligence with attitudes of superiority without their annoying and humiliating modus operandi being questioned.

Consequences of intellectual intimidation

Intimidation has a devastating long-term effect.  Studying in a competitive environment where “intellectual superiority” is valued causes deep and eternal emotional and psychological trauma.

Victims of this type of abuse usually suffer severe damage to their self-esteem. They also tend to lose self-confidence, so they stop taking the initiative and become demoralized. Without forgetting that this form of intimidation is the cause of a high percentage of teenage suicides.

It must be said that intellectual intimidation also leaves traces on the abuser. In the long run, the intellectual offender ends up being a victim of his own game. On the one hand, people end up discovering its degree of cruelty and toxicity and choose to walk away. On the other hand, the insecurity that leads him to humiliate others will prevent him from fully developing and exploiting his full potential.

Educating also means teaching compassion and humility

Bullying, in general, is due to a lack of compassion. When attackers harass their victim, they do so knowingly.

One of the possible solutions to solve the phenomena of the intellectual hierarchy is the need for compassion, as well as empathy. Instead of trying to fit into an intellectual hierarchy, we should use our knowledge to internalize it and, therefore, to help others. 

As Aristotle said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart does not mean educating at all.” From this point of view, both the intellectually “superior” and “inferior” person benefit from each other. The latter gains a better understanding of the world, while the former learns to be more compassionate and humble.