LMKIAs

"LMKIA" is my acronym for Loud Mouth Know It All. Everybody knows their (un)fair share of them. There are three types of LMKIAs:

1. Those who stick to pontification on selected subject(s) that they are very knowledgeable and/or passionate (and won't shut up) about;
2. Those whose intellectual curiosity has led them to acquire varying degrees of knowledge on an array of topics, and who will attempt to speak about any or all of them (regardless of actual level of knowledge) as if he/she was an expert (and who may also jump into discussions on topics about which they know nothing, yet try to speak as if they know everything); and...
3. Blithering idiots who don't realize it (or who DO realize it and try to compensate for it), and just have to be heard. About everything...

No matter the type of  LMKIA, they tend to exhibit many of the same behaviors:

• The LMKIA states his/her opinion(s) to any and everyone within earshot, in the manner of someone who is the ultimate authority on the subject (even if that subject is something he knows little to nothing about)
• The LMKIA tries to recruit people to his/her point of view, to be able to make the case that all those people can't be wrong (and an LMKIA with a particularly magnetic personality may already have a stable of friends ready to back his/her opinion on practically anything)...
• However, if the LMKIA can't recruit people to his side of a debate, then none of those people know what they are talking about... 
• The LMKIA loves to brag - after the fact - about having "predicted" or "called" certain events in the world of news, entertainment, or (especially) sports (regardless of whether anyone actually heard him/her do so)...
• The LMKIA loves to use terms that speak in absolutes (e.g., "real" or "true"or "best"). The only "real" or "true"or "best" entity that exists in an argument is the one which the LMKIA says is "real" or "true" or "best".
• Those who agree with the LMKIA "get it", and are good, intelligent people who are "being honest" with their thoughts. Those who don't: not so much...the idea that  decent, intelligent people can disagree agreeably is a foreign concept to the LMKIA. If you aren't on his/her side, then there is clearly something wrong with or about you... 
• The LMKIA deals with any dissenting opinion by becoming even louder, apparently with the belief that volume of voice = validity of opinions/comments...
• The LMKIA rarely lets little things like facts get in the way of sticking to a line of argument, if it is a topic about which he/she is especially passionate...
• The LMKIA is quick to fall back on abusive and/or circumstantial ad Hominem arguments, and perhaps even to straight out personal attacks, in the face of any invalid points being exposed...
• When proven to be right (and they often are), the LMKIA tends to be completely ungracious towards anyone who dared not go along with him/her right from the beginning...
• The LMKIA will not hesitate to offer unsolicited advice, even if the subject matter about which he/she is advising is a matter about which the LMKIA's own personal history and/or circumstances are more screwed up than the person's on the receiving end of the advice...

As I said, we all know our share of LMKIAs. How you choose to deal with them is up to you. If you choose to tangle with one who knows his/her stuff, just make sure you do too, because few things are more annoying than an LMKIA who is proven right in a debate. And if you are tempted to argue with an LMKIA who doesn't know what the heck he/she is talking about (and who is likely not to pay you any mind even if you do), then you have to decide whether you're wasting your time. Either way, keep the following quote in mind:

 "I learned a long time ago, never wrestle with a pig; you get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw.

The question then is how much you feel like getting dirty at any particular time and place...