"I do not understand this; Perhaps I am too stupid for it!" Have you ever heard this, knowing that the person was lying, and just wanting to humiliate you ?

I'm not entirely sure I've come across this phenomenon. There have been times where someone claimed a lack of knowledge in order to get further explanations about something, but they did so sincerely, and not with the aim of humiliating the explainer.

I have also seen occasions of smart women acting less smart than they are because they think that guys will not find them attractive if they come across as smart :( But again, it's not done with the intention of humiliating anyone.

I guess there are also times when someone claims a lack of knowledge in order to get out of having to work on something - i.e. "this is too complicated for me, have someone else do it." Is this what you mean, perhaps? Still, they aren't usually doing this with the express purpose of humiliating the listener.

Explain more about this, please? Thanks...

I have never had this experience personally that I can remember.
Most people "GET" what I say or do or create.
I have never had anyone try to make me feel bad or stupid or discredit me by pretending they didn't understand what I was trying to communicate, either in my art or poetry or writing or other work.

It's a way a person puts themselves down; it has nothing to do with you. There seems to be a fine line between proper modesty and self deprecation. The later is very irritating.

I have had people act stupid or put their work down when they are fishing for compliments - sometimes I compliment them, sometimes I don't. Sometimes one of my stepdaughters acts stupid and asks dumb questions she knows the answer to so she will get some attention. I often invite her to ask a more interesting question if she really wants my attention ;).

paranoia runs deep,
into your life it will creep

I think I self deprecate, perhaps too much. I've actually been making an attempt to not do it anymore. I do it because I think I suck, not because I want to humiliate the person I'm talking to.

Sounds like a personal problem to me.

Whatwhatwhat????

duh ... this was a confusing question - I think I know what you mean - this sort of response comes out sarcastic or condescending and serves to shut down a conversation pretty quickly -

I do not understand this survey; Perhaps I am too stupid for it!

bill, I thought you were a raving egomaniac? Now you think you suck? What wild mood swings...

Very...no no no...he just wants us to say:
..."bill...honey...how can you say you suck? You are spectacular..awesome ...amazing ...we all love you!!!!"
get it?

Now...bill....honey, how can you say you suck????You are coolio man...the cat's meow...the bee's knees. sincerely! :)

huh? I must be too stupid to understand this survey.

I hear this occasionally from a certain 9-year-old when she's either trying to get out of doing some homework, or fishing for sympathy and/or compliments.

"bill...honey...how can you say you suck? You are spectacular..awesome ...amazing ...we all love you!!!!"

"Very" good :)

I think the only times I have heard this are: 1) the person really was that stupid, or 2) one of us was trying to save face.

Thanks to all of you, for all that sympathetic interest,
which - for me - needed not consist in agreement, but
in any sincere application of some slice of mental
attention. I have heard from peope, who I do think
play that above script rather thoroughly,as a sort of
friendly advice (when concerning others to be
dealt with, of course): "pretend yourself being a fool,
in order to escape their control and control them" -
or something similar. What I wanted to say was that
even people who - as an intentioned "friend" or "colleague",
but having adopted that script - will apply it,
at a moment you less would expect, against you ...
Therefore, the survey was intended to try lining
out that very "script"-context, more than isolated
personal impressions. Forgive me those who would
have felt rather inclined to immediately jump to
other topics. I think that is fine enough.
I am not the big "Zampano" at surveys, but still
a good-willing principiant.
On the other hand, I have tried to formulate a really
complicated mixture of experience (nevertheless
experience by me) which I would rather not consider
just punctual, nor exclusively subjective. Your
statements have apported a - gratefully acknowledged -
contribution.
I liked the verbete "paranoia", used by some, because
I am aware that this just could be a rather specific
paranoia of mine. In this case I should have to admit
however, it be just a very tenace one, as at least I
do consider it somehow vital, perhaps as much as
others do respect their claustrophobies. I would
not decline the possibility either, that I, myself,
have been fomenting such contexts, by specific
psychodynamic configuration of my "brain box",
turning out everything - in such a case -
just as my personal problem. But even then - as much
as it would be one's own problem, when he felt
things in a way, others would just consider some sort
of pretty flourishing phantasy.
Some of you, however, against whom I would not be
allowed (as against myself, kindly speaking) to apply
the same psychologically doubting context, do have
agreed and given me som noticeable comfort by that.

shoosh.

I have come to the conclusion that "2 words per line" Timo_Tsc is Kristal Rose and also Jasmine.

Bill, when I tried to use two usernames a while ago, you had a go at me and threatened to kick me out. How come the same doesn't apply to the above?!!

I suspect Timo is a different person than Kristal. The interesting word usements suggest a strong familiarity with the grammatical constructs of another language, although a great familiarity with english is clearly there. Of course, I'm no sleuth, but that's just my impression

Jody, I think you're right.

TM, Very - yeah, that's why I try not to self-deprecate in public anymore. It draws piteous compliments, and then I feel really uncomfortable.
I'm not consciously looking for compliments...
Very, I think low self-esteem and raging egomania go hand in hand.
I seem to have little control over how I'm perceived, so I'm trying not to worry about what other people think of me. My self-esteem really isn't that bad, I just like to talk about it (which, perhaps is why it isn't so bad).

'I just don't understand how a sensible person could feel that way.'

Wicksy...catch up will you?:)
We've all known that Kristal Rose is Jasmine for months. Kristal had a severe offshoot of handles to match her multiple personalities, something I believe bill probably shouldn't fault her/him for(if it got too wild we had the option to filter***which I did*** so bill didn't need to step in).
as for Timo...I believe this to be a separate entity from Kristal and her other alters. I believe Timo is European????

Wicksy - I can't remember, but somehow when you did it, it offended me. I guess I'm just moody sometimes...

*frowns* You bill? moody????
NAW!!!!!
:):( :) :( :) :(

Twister: Yes, I was aware Kristal was also Jasmine. I was just stating that I thought Timo was Kristal and because of that was also Jasmine.

I don't need to catch up round here. I believe I know more about this site and it's members than anyone except Bill and maybe Romkey!

Oh and maybe Jen!

I have heard my boss say it often, I suspect in a transparent attempt to make a person seem smart for trying to explain something difficult to him.

Wick - I am no Kristal Rose! Nevertheless I am
fascinated by your suggestion to have several
personalities. Upon virtuality that seems to me
quite smart: but - believe me - I am not the one
who comes around in the very same place under
different personalities. Maybe in a chatroom to
talk some crazy words, I could imagine run under
a different personality - if the latter be just
sufficiently circumscibed as seems - which would make
sense in times we are living. Anyhow - (jump/look ...)
Jody - you are smart. If I had an airplane-ticket to
Europe under sweepstake-glamour, it would be yours ...
Anyhow, feel yourselves at ease, I may be hysterical,
paranoic and even schizothymic (I am afraid of
becoming schizophrenic, because of your multy-identity
discussion - which could make me cross the borderline).
Just joking, but any joke is a try to cry ...
Thanks Seven (capital S for person).
By the way - I am not offended. Who goes to discussion
stand he well the percussion ...

Sorry Timo

I'm afraid that the apparent language barrier here has led to me having no idea what you are talking about.

ILJ: I agree, I think. :)

Uh, perhaps I'm too stupid to get this question...

GrmBrand: you.. you... you're doing it! *bursts in to tears*

I can't remember. I remember that some people will act like I don't know what I'm talking about, just because they don't. That's irritating.