Is Richard Dawkins intellectually vain?

[plumjam]

Is it just me, or is Senor Dick Dawkins a bit of an unforseen genetic diversion
I'm sure he's a more than averagely intelligent sort of bloke, but everytime i've seen him on tv or youtube he's had the air of someone quite impressed by his own existence.
Anyone else feel the same?

 

[skeptifem]

no.

 

[cyborg]

Nope.

Maybe it's merely one's own dumbassery been shown up against him?

 

[brodski]

He's so vain, he probably thinks this thread is about him.

 

[brettDbass]

I don't see him that way either.

I do, however, see people who like to portray him in that light, and it can be quite easy to start reading more into what you see once someone has planted an idea of what to expect into your mind.
Hey, that's one reason why they invented double-blind experiments!

 

[brodski]

I don't see him that way either.

I do, however, see people who like to portray him in that light, and it can be quite easy to start reading more into what you see once someone has planted an idea of what to expect into your mind.
Hey, that's one reason why they invented double-blind experiments!

There is also the fact that he speaks in an RP English accent, and so many people will be predisposed to see him as arrogant, irrgardless of the content of his speech.

 

[Minarvia]

I agree with all the above. When I hear him speak I don't see him that way, either. But I do see how some people could. I think it is mainly his accent combined with the fact that he uses words that are not as common to some people as they are to him. Some could see that as condescending when that is likely not his intention at all.
Heck, I don't understand everything he says! But I'm working on it. : )

 

[Phil]

Is it just me, or is Senor Dick Dawkins a bit of an unforseen genetic diversion
I'm sure he's a more than averagely intelligent sort of bloke, but everytime i've seen him on tv or youtube he's had the air of someone quite impressed by his own existence. . . . .

You seem to imply that that's a bad thing.

I'm impressed with my own existence. What can we be impressed with if not existence?

 

[plumjam]

Dawkins ness

any English person, like me, will immediately recognise his aristocratic desire to be seen as some superior being, shame you americans seem to have such respect for him... he talks with a lot of hair-flicks and ideological pre-prepared nonsensey designed to impress society and the tv producers

 

[cyborg]

I'm English and I think you're full of crap.

 

[Hellbound]

any English person, like me, will immediately recognise his aristocratic desire to be seen as some superior being, shame you americans seem to have such respect for him... he talks with a lot of hair-flicks and ideological pre-prepared nonsensey designed to impress society and the tv producers

Just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it's nonsense.

If you're going to acuse of this, I for one would appreciate some specific examples.

Otherewise, this simply smacks of a bit of Ad Hom 2007, made from the finest sour grapes around.

 

[Big Les]

I'm English and I think you're full of crap.

So am I, and so do I. Prejudiced, to boot. He can't help being posh for goodness sake. If he had a cheeky cockney chappie accent and wore a hoody, would you think the sun shone out of his Aristotle? I somehow doubt it.

 

[skeptifem]

any English person, like me, will immediately recognise his aristocratic desire to be seen as some superior being, shame you americans seem to have such respect for him... he talks with a lot of hair-flicks and ideological pre-prepared nonsensey designed to impress society and the tv producers

wow resorting to this kind of thing already?

 

[quixotecoyote]

If you don't like what he says but can't argue with what he says, there's always the option of attacking how he says it. After all, if you can move the debate from fact to opinion, you're halfway home.

 

[Pipirr]

any English person, like me, will immediately recognise his aristocratic desire to be seen as some superior being, shame you americans seem to have such respect for him... he talks with a lot of hair-flicks and ideological pre-prepared nonsensey designed to impress society and the tv producers

Your statement makes sense if you remove the first comma.

I'm an English person, and am evidently not like you.

 

[brodski]

So am I, and so do I. Prejudiced, to boot. He can't help being posh for goodness sake. If he had a cheeky cockney chappie accent and wore a hoody, would you think the sun shone out of his Aristotle? I somehow doubt it.

Same goes for me.

 

[Jimbo07]

I'm sure he's a more than averagely intelligent sort of bloke, but everytime i've seen him on tv or youtube he's had the air of someone quite impressed by his own existence.
Anyone else feel the same?

Whether I do or not is not important. I don't know the man. It's important to remember, however, that it doesn't matter. Arrogance doesn't make him wrong...

 

[sinnikal]

Yeah, I'll happily come out of the closet and declare myself an 'atypical' Englishman.
Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris, Dennett. Different accent, same basic message, does it sound better out of a different mouth to you?
Try reading the written word, you can make up what it sounds like then, plus you won't get distracted by anyone playing with their hair or flirting with the camera.

 

[NeilC]

Is he "posh" anyway? Just sounds well spoken to me.

He might be vain, I don't know. Who cares. He's intellectually gifted for sure. He makes his living via his intellect and he values intellect so he would obviously place it as a very important characteristic. He has that characteristic in spades so I guess he should be somewhat pleased with himself.

 

[vexed]

I disagree Plumjam.