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Getting information through quality conversation can be enjoyable or a struggle. Figuring out solutions and fielding valuable expert opinions can be difficult to discern when the person you’re talking to (or debating with) seems suspect. Fortunately, a neuroscientist online has laid out what to look out for to see if your conversation partner is actually intellectual or just talking out of their…well, you know.

Neuroscientist turned musician/comedian Alex Riordan discussed how to spot pseudo-intellectuals and how they differentiate themselves from actual intellectuals. For Riordan, who spends ample time with his colleagues at Princeton University as well as his degree-less intellectual friends (because you don’t need to go to college to be intelligent), he’s identified three signs that helped him separate the fake-it-til-you-make-its from actually thoughtful individuals.

Pseudo-intellectuals will talk past you

Riordan mentions that pseudo-intellectuals will often go out of their way to use colorful rhetoric and terms to try to talk past you and get you to talk past them. To expand on Riordan’s point, the purpose is a means to bait you into an argument by cutting you off before fully explaining your point or trying to move the conversation past your points to focus in on their own point. They may use tactics such as whataboutism, a tactic that asks, “But what about ______?” to shift the focus of the conversation from one issue to another in order to distract or deflect from initial point.

They aim to ‘win,’ not aim to understand

The folks that aim to appear smarter than they truly are don’t have any interest in coming to an understanding with their conversation. They want to win. This is common in what Riordan calls “debate bro tactics.”. Being right isn’t as important as appearing right, regardless of any logical holes or pushback that they cannot rationally defend.

The Dunning-Kruger effect

Riordan briefly mentions the Dunning-Kruger effect as a way to spot if someone is talking nonsense. The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people overestimate their knowledge and/or abilities in a specific area. When they encounter a new subject, they immediately think they have a complete grasp of it and lack the self awareness to see their own limitations. Once they read an article by an actual expert that conflicts with their understanding, they reject it and assume they’re right despite their lack of education, skills, or actual knowledge.

If a person in a conversation demonstrates those behaviors, you may want to politely shut it down. However, even if with a person who knows what they’re talking about, conversations can get heated and people can devolve into these pseudo-intellectual behaviors. Fortunately, Riordan shared one great way he and his colleagues keep the conversation focused on understanding and respect.

Ask clarifying questions

Asking clarifying questions is a habit Riordan and his colleagues and friends practice to curb any pseudo-intellectualism and arguments that might arise from it. They do so because asking for clarification goes against all of the previously mentioned tactics of fake know-it-alls. It doesn’t claim to know everything, it’s aimed for understanding rather than “winning,” and acknowledges that you may not know everything about the subject at hand.

Asking clarifying questions, especially the right ones, shows your conversation partner that you’re curious about them and their thoughts, which encourages them to feel more connected with you. If you disagree with a person’s point and respond with a clarifying question it allows you to see where they’re coming from, find common ground, or learn something you hadn’t considered before. In some cases, answering clarifying questions helps your conversation partner to notice errors or discrepancies in their own thinking that may change their conclusions to line up with yours.

Some examples of clarifying questions include:

– What did you mean about ____?

– Could you further elaborate on that?

– I heard you say ____, am I interpreting that correctly?

– Are there specifics about ____?

– Can you break that down into detail for me?

Whether you’re conversing about politics, the universe, or what the best pizza topping is, leading with curiosity can ensure that everyone is not only enjoying the conversation, but are learning legitimate truths as well.