It happens to the best of us. You're scrolling through a forum or a comment section, and you see a post so bafflingly off-base that your first instinct is to think, "This user is not smart." It’s a gut reaction. We’ve all felt it. But honestly, the reality behind why people appear "not smart" online is way more complicated than just a lack of IQ points. It’s usually a messy cocktail of cognitive biases, the "online disinhibition effect," and the way our brains simply aren't wired for text-based combat at 2:00 AM.
Context matters.
A lot.
When we judge someone's intelligence based on a single digital interaction, we're usually falling into what psychologists call the Fundamental Attribution Error. This is where we assume someone’s behavior—like a poorly worded tweet—is a permanent character flaw rather than a result of their temporary situation. Maybe they’re tired. Maybe they’re distracted. Or maybe they’re just caught in a feedback loop of bad information.
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The Cognitive Trap of Thinking This User Is Not Smart
Intelligence isn't a single slider on a character creation screen. You can be a literal rocket scientist and still be a total disaster when it comes to reading social cues or understanding political nuances. This is why the phrase "this user is not smart" is often a shorthand for "this person is displaying low situational awareness."
One of the biggest culprits is the Dunning-Kruger Effect. You've probably heard of it. It’s that psychological phenomenon where people with limited knowledge in a particular area vastly overestimate their own competence. It’s why your uncle, who has never held a pipette in his life, suddenly feels qualified to lecture researchers on virology. They don't know enough to know how much they don't know.
It’s a paradox.
Then there’s the issue of Cognitive Load. Our brains have a limited amount of processing power. If someone is dealing with high stress, financial pressure, or even just a very noisy environment, their ability to form coherent, logical arguments drops off a cliff. When you see a post and think this user is not smart, you might actually just be seeing a brain that is currently red-lining.
Why the Internet Makes Everyone Look Worse
The medium is part of the problem. Text is a low-bandwidth form of communication. We lose 70% to 93% of communication—the body language, the tone of voice, the micro-expressions—when we switch to typing.
Without those cues, sarcasm fails. Nuance dies. Everything gets flattened into a monotone shout.
Research by John Suler on the Online Disinhibition Effect shows that people act out more online because of anonymity and asynchronicity. We don't see the other person as a "real" human in the moment, so we don't self-censor. This leads to impulsive posting. Impulsive posting almost always looks like "not smart" behavior, even if the person behind the keyboard is actually quite bright in person.
The Role of Information Bubbles and Echo Chambers
Sometimes, what we perceive as a lack of intelligence is actually just a difference in "data sets." If someone has spent three years inside an algorithmic echo chamber that feeds them nothing but slanted or outright false information, their logical conclusions will be based on those false premises.
Garbage in, garbage out.
If the foundation of your knowledge is built on sand, the house is going to look crooked to everyone standing on solid ground. This doesn't mean the person lacks the capacity for logic; it means their logic is operating on a corrupted map of reality. We see this constantly in niche hobbyist groups or political subreddits where the "common sense" of the group is actually a wild departure from the real world.
Confirmation Bias: The Intelligence Killer
Even high-IQ individuals are susceptible to Confirmation Bias. This is the tendency to search for, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms one's pre-existing beliefs.
It’s a trap.
When someone is deeply invested in being right, their brain will literally ignore evidence to the contrary. To an outsider, this looks like stupidity. To the person involved, it feels like they’re the only ones who see the "truth." This is why arguing on the internet is notoriously useless; you aren't fighting their intelligence, you're fighting their identity.
Recognizing "Digital Fatigue"
There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from being constantly plugged in. Digital fatigue leads to shorter attention spans and a decrease in critical thinking. When we are tired, we rely on Heuristics—mental shortcuts.
Shortcuts are prone to error.
A "not smart" post might just be the result of someone who has been scrolling for four hours and has lost the ability to synthesize complex information. They’re essentially operating on autopilot. Their brain is looking for the quickest, easiest path to a conclusion, which is rarely the most accurate one.
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The Impact of "Rage-Baiting"
We also have to talk about the platforms themselves. Social media algorithms are designed to prioritize engagement. What gets more engagement than a nuanced, well-thought-out essay?
A fight.
Algorithms often surface the most inflammatory, extreme, or "dumb" takes because they generate the most comments and shares. Sometimes, the person you think is not smart is actually just a "troll" or someone performing a persona for the sake of engagement. They are playing a character, and the "stupidity" is the bait.
Practical Steps to Avoid Being "That User"
If you want to make sure you aren't the one people are looking at and thinking, "this user is not smart," there are a few concrete things you can do. It’s about building better digital habits.
- The 10-Second Rule: Before hitting 'post' on a heated reply, count to ten. If you’re still angry, don't post. Your prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for logic—usually needs a second to catch up with your amygdala, which handles emotion.
- Check the Source: If you’re sharing a "mind-blowing" fact, spend thirty seconds on Google (or your search engine of choice) to see if it’s been debunked. Sites like Snopes or FactCheck.org are basics, but even just looking for a second reputable source can save you a lot of embarrassment.
- Steel-manning: Instead of "straw-manning" (making your opponent's argument look as weak as possible), try "steel-manning." Try to describe their position so well that they would say, "Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Only then should you try to argue against it. This forces you to actually understand the topic.
- Own Your Ignorance: The smartest thing you can ever say is "I don't know enough about this to have an opinion yet." It’s a superpower. It prevents you from falling into the Dunning-Kruger trap and keeps you from looking foolish when the facts eventually come out.
- Change the Environment: If you find yourself getting into "not smart" arguments, it’s probably time to close the app. Walk outside. Talk to a real human. Digital spaces are skewed versions of reality, and getting some perspective helps recalibrate your brain.
Intelligence is fluid. It's influenced by sleep, stress, and the tools we use to communicate. The next time you see a post that makes you think this user is not smart, remember that you're only seeing a tiny, pixelated slice of a much larger, more complex human life. Or, they might just be a bot. In 2026, that’s an increasingly likely possibility. Either way, reacting with nuance rather than judgment is usually the smarter move.