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Original poster

Do people pretend not to know who people are in order to seem intelligent?

669 replies

coulditbeme2323 · 05/05/2026 09:35

Do people pretend not to know who people are in order to seem intelligent?

This question is prompted from reading comments online re The Met Gala?

Now let me prefix this by saying I have no interest in reality tv, Showbiz mags, etc - but surely there are some people who you know who they are because everybody does!

There were people saying "who" on a photo of Kim Kardashian. I have never seen an episode of the show, have no interest in her, but of course I know who she is - because how can you not?

Another British example is Jordan/Kate Price. No interest in her, but she has literally been headline news in The UK for 20 years. If you live in The UK - surely its impossible to not at least know who she is?

OP posts:
Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:52

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:44

So why is he your example for this, when it's about people not knowing who someone you'd expect everyone to know is?

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I used him as an example because he is incredibly well known.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:44

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:43

I haven't had one person ask me who Trump is.

But as I say I don't challenge you. If in your world people don't know who Trump is then I accept that at face value.

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So why is he your example for this, when it's about people not knowing who someone you'd expect everyone to know is?

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:43

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:41

I'm telling you there's lots of everyday people who don't know who all of the people you say you expect everyone to know are.

Yes, the majority will know Trump, but not everyone will. Less will know who KK is. Even less will know who particular sportspeople are. More will probably know who musicians are but lots won't.

How many people have you come across asking who Trump is? As he's now your favourite example?

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I haven't had one person ask me who Trump is.

But as I say I don't challenge you. If in your world people don't know who Trump is then I accept that at face value.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:41

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:30

I don't have one.

If you state that there are lots of everyday people who don't know who Trump is or have never heard of him then sure I will accept what you are saying as your experience.

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I'm telling you there's lots of everyday people who don't know who all of the people you say you expect everyone to know are.

Yes, the majority will know Trump, but not everyone will. Less will know who KK is. Even less will know who particular sportspeople are. More will probably know who musicians are but lots won't.

How many people have you come across asking who Trump is? As he's now your favourite example?

CoffeeCantata · 14/05/2026 15:37

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 13:48

KK has built a clothing brand that Wall Street has valued at 5 billion dollars.

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If she's designed the clothes, sourced ethically-produced fabrics, checked to see that the factories (in China or India, I bet) are run properly and pay proper wages, and sits over the spreadsheets till late, plus chairs meetings etc etc etc, then fair play to Kim.

Neither you nor I know whether this is the case. But I'd take some convincing.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:30

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:28

Cite your source for that stat.

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I don't have one.

If you state that there are lots of everyday people who don't know who Trump is or have never heard of him then sure I will accept what you are saying as your experience.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:28

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:27

You know full well that 99% of people who don't have some sort of difficulty will know who Trump is.

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Cite your source for that stat.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:27

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:26

No, that's just who she is and I've known her my whole life. She's always been this way, likes her bubble and isn't interested in what's going on outside of it.

Just because you don't know people who live in a way drastically different to you, doesn't make it "incredible" or unbelievable.

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You know full well that 99% of people who don't have some sort of difficulty will know who Trump is.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:26

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:24

I find that incredible, and I suspect deep down you do as well.

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No, that's just who she is and I've known her my whole life. She's always been this way, likes her bubble and isn't interested in what's going on outside of it.

Just because you don't know people who live in a way drastically different to you, doesn't make it "incredible" or unbelievable.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:24

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:18

Because I take an interest in current affairs, against my better judgement these days.

Ask one of my relatives who's president of the US and she'd have to look it up because she doesn't watch the news, barely uses her phone and doesn't WANT to know what's going on so she doesn't look for it. And no, she's not "really old".

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I find that incredible, and I suspect deep down you do as well.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:18

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:16

But you do know, because it's impossible not to know him!

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Because I take an interest in current affairs, against my better judgement these days.

Ask one of my relatives who's president of the US and she'd have to look it up because she doesn't watch the news, barely uses her phone and doesn't WANT to know what's going on so she doesn't look for it. And no, she's not "really old".

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:16

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:15

Or maybe they just don't watch or read the news or listen to the radio.

Some people don't want to know. I wish I could avoid everything to do with what he's doing to be honest. Depressing as hell. I'd love to live in blissful ignorance of who he was and what he does.

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But you do know, because it's impossible not to know him!

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:15

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:12

If you didn't know Trump yes I would consider you probably had some learning difficulties.

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Or maybe they just don't watch or read the news or listen to the radio.

Some people don't want to know. I wish I could avoid everything to do with what he's doing to be honest. Depressing as hell. I'd love to live in blissful ignorance of who he was and what he does.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:12

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:11

Why? Why are you expecting the majority of people to know anything at all?

What does it matter to you?

And why old people but not people who are young but struggle to retain faces or names? Bit ageist.

Why old people but not people who don't watch TV or go out much?

What about people with learning difficulties?

Have you considered people who just don't care?

Why would you expect everyone to recognise everyone you deem as "massive" or "important"?.

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If you didn't know Trump yes I would consider you probably had some learning difficulties.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:11

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:08

I can accept it in the cases of perhaps really old people etc.

But I would expect the large percentage of adults (regardless of what they like or dislike) to know who Trump, Musk, KK, David Beckham, Taylor Swift etc are.

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Why? Why are you expecting the majority of people to know anything at all?

What does it matter to you?

And why old people but not people who are young but struggle to retain faces or names? Bit ageist.

Why old people but not people who don't watch TV or go out much?

What about people with learning difficulties?

Have you considered people who just don't care?

Why would you expect everyone to recognise everyone you deem as "massive" or "important"?.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:08

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:05

That's as maybe, but did it really need a whole judgy post about people clearly knowing and pretending not to, just because you know who this person is?

I'm glad you can accept it though.

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I can accept it in the cases of perhaps really old people etc.

But I would expect the large percentage of adults (regardless of what they like or dislike) to know who Trump, Musk, KK, David Beckham, Taylor Swift etc are.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:05

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:03

I can except that in some circumstances, but I do think people say "who" for absolutely no reason.

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That's as maybe, but did it really need a whole judgy post about people clearly knowing and pretending not to, just because you know who this person is?

I'm glad you can accept it though.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 15:03

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:02

You made a post suggesting people must know who people are, and be pretending not to know. You haven't once considered that people might genuinely not be interested and therefore even if they've seen the name or a news story, they haven't retained the information.

I hate celebrity culture, but can retain the information regardless. My friend loves it but can't retain the information about anything she's not interested in.

Some people just don't know who famous people are. End of.

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I can except that in some circumstances, but I do think people say "who" for absolutely no reason.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 15:02

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:25

I don't buy into celeb culture, that was never my point.

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You made a post suggesting people must know who people are, and be pretending not to know. You haven't once considered that people might genuinely not be interested and therefore even if they've seen the name or a news story, they haven't retained the information.

I hate celebrity culture, but can retain the information regardless. My friend loves it but can't retain the information about anything she's not interested in.

Some people just don't know who famous people are. End of.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:25

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 14:23

But he made something of himself. That in and of itself is impressive, whether you have made a fiver or five billion.

It doesn't change that people who are not interested in basketball or trainers might not retain the information of who he is. In the same way that people not interested in reality stars with sex tapes and dodgy dad's won't retain who KK is.

Doesn't change that you've been very judgemental of people who don't buy into celebrity culture and therefore don't take up space in their memories of who someone you see as "huge" is.

I have a very good memory and so I see or read something about someone once and it usually sticks, whether I want it to or not. But I don't judge other people for that not being the case. I'm willing to bet that if I gave you the name of someone "huge" from something I follow that you don't, you'd probably not know them.

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I don't buy into celeb culture, that was never my point.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 14:23

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:16

Granted KK probably not the best example because of the tape, but lets use a better example.

Michael Jordan has the most successful sneak brand of the last 20 years, and he had a massive leg up because he could play basketball.

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But he made something of himself. That in and of itself is impressive, whether you have made a fiver or five billion.

It doesn't change that people who are not interested in basketball or trainers might not retain the information of who he is. In the same way that people not interested in reality stars with sex tapes and dodgy dad's won't retain who KK is.

Doesn't change that you've been very judgemental of people who don't buy into celebrity culture and therefore don't take up space in their memories of who someone you see as "huge" is.

I have a very good memory and so I see or read something about someone once and it usually sticks, whether I want it to or not. But I don't judge other people for that not being the case. I'm willing to bet that if I gave you the name of someone "huge" from something I follow that you don't, you'd probably not know them.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:16

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 14:14

It's made less impressive by the fact that if she hadn't made her name for herself in other ways first, which many people deem as "seedy", she wouldn't have been able to. You or I could have marketed the same clothes and no one would have wanted them.

She hasn't done this from scratch. She's had a leg up from a lot of dodgy things and she's capitalised on it. In every aspect of her life.

That's why a lot of people aren't interested in her, or don't find her impressive or don't want to know anything about her. It's not exactly rocket science.

Edited
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Granted KK probably not the best example because of the tape, but lets use a better example.

Michael Jordan has the most successful sneak brand of the last 20 years, and he had a massive leg up because he could play basketball.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 14:14

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:10

I am by no means saying KK is a Sheryl Sandberg - of course not.

What I am saying is that on one hand you are quite right. KK is famous because her Father was the lead defender on what's probably the most high profile murder trial of all time and of course that infamous tape.

That being said, it doesn't mean it's not impressive starting a clothing brand that the stock market values at 5 billion dollars.

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It's made less impressive by the fact that if she hadn't made her name for herself in other ways first, which many people deem as "seedy", she wouldn't have been able to. You or I could have marketed the same clothes and no one would have wanted them.

She hasn't done this from scratch. She's had a leg up from a lot of dodgy things and she's capitalised on it. In every aspect of her life.

That's why a lot of people aren't interested in her, or don't find her impressive or don't want to know anything about her. It's not exactly rocket science.

Original poster
coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:10

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 14:07

You said both parts of my statement were true. That was part two.

If you're going to make posts judging people's intelligence, you might want to make sure you're paying attention.

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I am by no means saying KK is a Sheryl Sandberg - of course not.

What I am saying is that on one hand you are quite right. KK is famous because her Father was the lead defender on what's probably the most high profile murder trial of all time and of course that infamous tape.

That being said, it doesn't mean it's not impressive starting a clothing brand that the stock market values at 5 billion dollars.

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IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 14/05/2026 14:07

coulditbeme2323 · 14/05/2026 14:06

Of course I am not saying that!

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You said both parts of my statement were true. That was part two.

If you're going to make posts judging people's intelligence, you might want to make sure you're paying attention.