Intellectual arrogance is a set of characteristics that tends to blind an otherwise intelligence person to recognizing the truth. These include:
- a lack of logical rigor, resorting instead to preconceived notions or what one thinks he learned in school
- a double standard to avoid admitting personal error, particularly an intellectual mistake
- a lack of humility like Isaac Newton's declaration that he understood very little
- assuming one is always correct without having sufficiently studied an opposing position
- refusing to address another's position, arrogantly assuming their argument is "beneath them"; a failure to even listen to opposing views.
- thinking you're an expert in every field.
- asserting a dubious argument is obviously true or simply follows from logic, rather than proving or providing evidence for it.
Intellectual arrogance leads to mistaken conclusions.