Truly Ignorant People Usually Say 6 Phrases When Confronted With The Truth
Kues / Shutterstock Many people are genuinely ignorant of just how ignorant they are. When you are willing to stand on your opinions as facts and have no interest in doing any actual work to better inform yourself, chances are you also don't want to do the work of holding yourself accountable for your errors in understanding or judgment.
People who don’t know what they are talking about usually don't like hearing the truth and will try just about anything to avoid it. When they are eventually confronted with actual facts that don't align with what they want to think is correct, they will use some pretty standard phrases in an effort to make a clean escape from accountability.
Truly ignorant people tend to use these phrases when they're confronted with the truth
1. "That's not true"
When someone who actually has no idea what they are talking about is confronted with facts, they find themselves hit by a wave of cognitive dissonance. They often deal with that discomfort by trying to justify what they've done or said, even if that comes at the expense of other people.
If someone tries to tell them something that goes against their beliefs, they may try to feel better by pretending it’s not real. They will say something like “that’s fake news” or "that's not true" so they don’t have to think about a perspective that doesn't fit with their personal biases.
2. "Nobody’s perfect”
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It’s hard to receive criticism about ourselves. Our brains treat criticism as a threat to our physical survival. It can also trigger our defenses and feel like a personal attack on our values and belief system.
When someone has never learned how to receive criticism gracefully, any sort of comment can trigger an unjustified response. They may respond with things like “nobody’s perfect” to make themselves feel better about whatever they did that prompted someone to comment. Instead of taking accountability for their actions and trying to do better, they just brush it off and keep going as they were.
3. “Let’s just agree to disagree”
When people don't really know what they are talking about but can't handle hearing the truth, they often master the art of deflection. They will use a phrase like “Let’s agree to disagree” in an attempt to back the other person into believing they've come to an agreement of sorts.
This phrase is often used to dismiss the other person without hurting their feelings or making a minor disagreement into a bigger argument.
4. “That’s just your opinion”
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Another phrase people say when they can’t handle the truth is “that’s just your opinion.” It’s another way to justify sticking to what they want to believe when presented with evidence that clearly shows it isn't true.
Rather than accepting the new information or doing a deeper dive to research the topic more carefully, they will simply write off the offending perspective and being a matter of differing points of view.
5. “Well, I like it”
When someone critiques something about yourself, it can be hard to accept that, especially if it’s something that you like. Whether it’s an outfit choice, an Instagram post, or a job offer, everybody will have an opinion. While it’s not your job to listen to every single person’s opinion of you, if somebody that is close to you tries to help you out and you reply with “Well, I like it,” that’s just a sign that you don’t know how to take criticism.
6. "It's not a big deal"
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Saying something isn't a big deal anyway is another way ignorant people try to avoid the actual truth at hand. When someone confronts them with factual information that contradicts their previous thoughts or statements, they instinctively want to defend themselves rather than face the hard truth that they were wrong.
To get themselves out of the situation without having to admit their error, they write off the issue as not being a big deal in the first place.
Sophie Bagheri is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and theatre who covers lifestyle topics.
