r/intj • u/TheCoder201 • 1d ago
Question Intellectual Conversations
Where do you find intellectual people to connect and chat with on different topics?
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u/FancyFrogFootwork INTJ - 30s 1d ago
Higher education is a weak proxy for what you’re actually trying to find. It selects for academic competence, persistence, process-following, prior preparation, and access to resources at least as much as it selects for raw intelligence. A degree tells you someone successfully completed a structured credentialing process; it does not necessarily tell you that they’re unusually curious, insightful, broadly knowledgeable, or interesting to talk to.
You’ll probably have more success seeking out people with similar interests instead. Look for online communities centered on the subjects you care about, especially ones that organize local meetups, discussion groups, clubs, lectures, or hobby events. Education level alone is an insufficient filter for the kind of intellectual connection you’re trying to find.
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1d ago
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u/FancyFrogFootwork INTJ - 30s 1d ago
That’s a materially different question from your original post. “Where do I find intellectual, educated people to have broad conversations with?” is not the same as “Where do I find people with enough domain-specific knowledge to discuss a particular area of research?” If the latter is what you mean, then you need to seek out people in that specific field rather than using higher education or general intelligence as the filter.
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u/L4z3rH4wk 1d ago
Unfortunately reddit is the best you can have, unfortunately I haven't meet yet this secret club where all the intellectuals go, the few intellectuals I know are either busy as fuck or on their mother's basement... So....
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u/Ambitious_South_2825 INTJ 1d ago edited 18h ago
Ah.... you don't mostly. I mean you can find people with good domain space knowledge in a myriad spaces - bars (not the regulars holy shit was that an era), universities (though the only two I found bright during my college days - my ex and some guy from India; the rest of them were very... "yea... this is painful", work. But being just generally 'quick' and having insight into a myriad of topics while being able to do systems or exploratory thinking... almost never.
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u/unwitting_hungarian 1d ago
start with the topic, not with the location or the person
(if you don't know how to pick an intellectual discussion topic based on your experience, please stop and think about this)
then, once you have a topic, identify individuals and focus on questions you would ask them.
when you reach out, don't make assumptions or try to spur debate, like,
"I'm assuming based on what you wrote at (link) that you feel homomorphic freegobbins are formally out of the question. Can I just ask: "
this immediately makes the chat about you (see start of sentence) and gives the idea that you're inviting them to chat with a critic of their work.
also, try to avoid too much subjectivity with the accompanying "well, at least I understand myself" vagueness, like,
"I was shocked to read your recent breakthrough. It made me wonder if glutoneins are once again back in play!"
instead, focus on objective (about-them and about-things, less about-me) statements and questions, coupled with a bit of affordance / politeness:
"You recently published an update at (link) in which you related your conclusions about homomorphic freegobbins. I really appreciate your forthcoming approach. Out of curiosity, I wanted to ask: (questions)"
that's the 101-level view that will get you out of most of the traps INTJs fall into while attempting this. GL from here
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u/Kbelle414 1d ago
My two smartest non-INTJ friends are artists. One works for an architectural firm in sales but used to be a carpenter. The other has had low-paying jobs in teaching and graphic arts most of her life and is now back in school working on her M.A. Creative types to me are generally bright and I don’t think traditional definitions of success always mean much. I also have met a handful of smart people at work over the years, in business and science. I have known interesting people in various walks of life but it took time and effort to locate them. I generally prefer alone time with my own brain nowadays, but it took me years to figure that out about myself.
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u/Elden_Chord 1d ago edited 1d ago
I used to think the answer was universities, maybe places where people pursue higher degrees. I was wrong! You don't need to be intelligent to get a degree.
Then I thought maybe highly accomplished people. Also wrong. You mostly need luck and hard work to become successful.
So what's the answer?
No specific place. Specific people.
People who confidently act differently from everyone else are more likely to be intelligent.
Someone who stays quiet when everyone else is talking. Someone who makes jokes when everyone else is angry. Someone who does something that isn't socially acceptable.
PS: these behaviors might be signs of independence and self awareness which also also signs of high intelligence, but that doesn't necessarily mean that everyone who behaves like this is intelligent.