So what makes a person dumb? Is it the way that they dress, speak, or act? Hmmm… and you are here because your friends think you are dumb? But are they correct? Maybe you are not aware that you are dumb. I am only kidding, first of all, you are not dumb and your friends are mean for thinking or saying that you are dumb, unless…..
There could be a mountain of reasons why your friends think that you are not intelligent, so let’s look at why your friends think that you are dumb
9 Reasons why your friends think you are dumb
Your friends think you are dumb because you have limited knowledge of the things that they know, because of your background, education, or culture your overall knowledge may be limited. In addition, you could also unknowingly be acting dumb in front of your friends to make them feel comfortable or to try to fit in, so because you act like a clown, they think that you are dumb.
They have unrealistic expectations
Your friend could have control issues, maybe you do not do what they want you to do or they have unrealistic demands that make it impossible for you to thrive. You are the only one who knows your friends, what kind of people are they?
You are socially awkward
Socially awkward people are not stupid by any means but the fact that they are socially weird can make them appear to be stupid. I feel awkward all the time, and that is okay because not everyone is an extrovert, But your friends can misinterpret being socially awkward as “Oh she is that one dumb friend” even though you are not. Usually in a social setting, socially awkward people tend to either keep quiet, talk to themselves, or not fit in the group.
Not fitting in usually looks like not being able to connect with what the group is saying or having strange interests. For example, your friend might only talk about Joe Bidden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, or what is happening with the world food program. But you on the other hand might only be interested in talking about music.
Protip: If being socially inept bothers you, think about getting help in the form of therapy for social awkwardness.
You act dumb
I act dumb but I know everything
You might not be aware of your behavior but your friends could think that you are dumb because you unknowingly act time. This could be the role that you have unconsciously taken on in the group. For you acting dumb can be a way to have a role, a way for you to fit in, so one of your friends may be the clever one, the other friend may be the strict one and because those roles are taken, you act dumb because “ you are the dumb one” in the group.
You talk weird
Your use of language might be basic or nonexistent. If you are not a native English speaker you might use basic English and even if you are a native speaker your English or use of the language might not be on their level. Your friends might use Advanced English Jargon to talk about things and because that is not the language you use daily, you might find yourself always asking them questions like, “What does this word mean?” or “ How do you pronounce this word?”, In addition, you may use a certain word incorrectly so in their eyes your intellectual capabilities are non-existent.
You are a slow learner
Now everyone learns at a fast pace, it can take me weeks if not months to learn something new, but then again my friends don’t think I am dumb, so back to you. Being a slow learner can look anything like you asking them the same thing over and over again, there is nothing wrong with this but some people equate continuously asking the same thing over and over again to being dumb.
When you are with your friends, they might be discussing something of political relevance or if you are in university they might solve a maths equation. And because of your lack of understanding, you will naturally ask them to explain to you how they reached a certain conclusion. Repeatedly asking the same thing makes people like your friend annoyed and you can come across as a slow individual.
Your knowledge is limited
This is depended on what your friends are interested in, there is no way that you will know about every single topic out there, that’s impossible and it will drive you crazy so relax. Your friends might think you are dumb because you have no clue about what they talk about and so you sit and keep quiet.
They think of you as inferior
I am not sure what part of the world you live in but it’s quite common for friends who have different backgrounds to treat each other differently because of the social status quo. For example, if you are from India you are aware of how some Indians are treated because of the cast. It doesn’t matter how intelligent they may be but the fact that they come from a certain cast makes them inferior to some people.
The same applies to your friends thinking that you are dumb, you might be more intelligent than they are but because of the societal background that you come from, they simply don’t care, they are arrogant, and having a dumb friend will make them feel superior
They are projecting
If your friends think you are stupid there is no way that they will ever tell you if they think you are awesome or that you are winning at life. If they don’t know a particular subject they can call you dumb as a defense mechanism.
Calling you dumb can be their way of projecting, projection happens all the time, and it has happened to me a few times. When your friends are secretly jealous of the qualities that you possess, your wild imagination or your knowledge on certain subjects, or the ability to go after your dreams.
Because they don’t they didn’t dare to be themselves looking at you is like looking at what they couldn’t be or do. So calling you stupid is their way of projecting their insecurities and making themselves feel better about who they are.
You hardly say a word
If I was your friend and you hardly said anything, I am sorry but a part of me could be forgiven for thinking “ Oh she is the dumb friend or the stupid friend” even though you are not. So try to speak up even if you do not feel confident in what you are saying, at least say something.
What should I do if my friends think I’m dumb?
You should tell your friends to stop calling you dumb, so play into the role of being the dumb friend if you don’t know something ask your friends and if they think you are dumb because you ask them a question, then they are not people you should be spending your time with.
Stop acting dumb
Just because they are smart doesn’t mean you have to do what they tell you to do, don’t act like that stupid friend because they call you stupid, or be the clown because you feel like that is your role in the group.
Why do I act dumb when I am not?
You do it to either try to fit in because you don’t want to make others feel bad about their lack of knowledge or you act dumb because it keeps your friends entertained and that is the persona that you have built for yourself.
What does it mean when you act dumb?
Acting dumb is to pretend you do know something or how to do a particular thing, so when someone acts like if you a question you tell them that you don’t know the answer even though you do.
Learn something new
Don’t go out buying every book that you can afford, learning new things is about being open-minded enough to admit that you don’t know all there is to know. You can give yourself a target and spend as little as ten minutes a day learning a skill and practicing it. It’s not about you learning to that you can show off, you learn so that you can take control and feel empowered.
Stop feeling intimidated
So what if your friend has a high-paying job or they come friend a rich family, what does that have anything to do with who you are? Don’t allow yourself to feel intimidated because other people have more things or they have achieved more than you, otherwise, they will continue to call you dumb.
Ignore them
I mean no one’s forcing you to be friends with them, you never have to stay in situations that make you second guess your intelligence or who you are. You also don’t have to act stupid, act dumb or pretend that you are unintelligent to fit in. So before you lose yourself completely, know that you don’t have to stay.
If you ignore them or you don’t want to, then tell them to stop, the danger of this is that your friend can end up thinking that they have some sort of control over you and might end up telling you what to do, bossing your around and that my darling is no way to live- link to post about a friend telling me what to do
When all is said and done
It serves you no good to play dumb or act like a clown because your friends call you dumb, if that, ‘s not you, don’t do you. If it bothers you when they call you dumb, speak up, if they are your true friends they won’t do it again, so let me know how you handled the situation.