Intellectual Machismo and Darwin

I am going to demonstrate the inferiority of your intelligence by spouting big words at you in fantasically complex sentences. You won't understand a thing and you will have to admit that your intellect is not as big as mine. To use the current parlance this is a device to 'big myself up' to you.

So where does Darwin come into this? This 'bigging oneself up'; the peacock ruffling feathers, is an ostentatious type of behaviour we have inherited from our primate ancestors. It is an attraction device.
In its more subte form this kind of behaviour has inveigled its way into academia. I know this because I have done it so often myself.

I am indepted to Thomas Metzinger for this little apercu (there I go again).