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/lit/ - Literature

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16445279 No.16445279 [Reply] [Original]

What is "pretentious"?

It seems to be associated with "aloof", "patronising" or "ornate", but that all seems very contextual. Can a book be judged pretentious in one century's culture and in the next just be considered normal?

>> No.16445289

>>16445279
Sure, just how right now you're a fag, but in the future others may read your post and decide you're a retard.

>> No.16445324

>>16445279
Books aren't sentient. Only people can be pretentious.

>> No.16445386

>>16445324
Retard
Language is metaphorical, personification is justified

>> No.16445408

>>16445279
Pretending to be higher brow than you actually are.

>> No.16445414

>>16445408
so like this poster? >>16445386

>> No.16445420

>>16445279
Having a 3 inch penoor but acting like its 10 inch

>> No.16445427

>>16445279

Pretentious is a cognate of "pretend". Normies believe that any open demonstration of intelligence is a conjecture that you are superior to them so it receives extra qualities of "aloof", "patronising" and "ornate" as you said.

The correct use of pretentious is to describe someone who is deceptively projecting a degree of knowledge or elite social status which they do not actually have

>> No.16445432
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16445432

>>16445279
It's mostly just a word that means "I don't like this/you." The vast majority of human beings on earth don't really think in any capacity, they just react emotionally, completely unable to articulate why they agree or disagree with something. "Pretentious" is just an expression of that inability to articulate. Other similar expressions include:
>Wow, that's totally original
>This is nothing new
>contrarian
>edgelord
>reactionary
>Wow, philosophy 101 much?
>Looks like someone read Infinite Jest!
>Wow, so deep
I digress

>> No.16445433

>>16445408
Would it be pretentious for a renowned professor to use academic language when speaking with children?

On one hand maybe he's aware and maybe being pretentious, but if he sincerely doesn't realise the context then to himself at least he's being normal. Is it all subjective, in the eye of the beholder?

>> No.16445449

>>16445427
Thanks

>> No.16445455

>>16445432
Wait a minute, this post is pretentious!

>> No.16445477

>>16445427
Isn't it 'pretense' not 'pretend'?

>> No.16445517

>>16445279
pretentious is, like, name-dropping/referencing a bunch of random shit just to seem smart with no deeper meaning/context. a lot of anime is pretentious, especially hideakki anno. being vague is pretentious, and making grand, sweeping, contrarian statements is pretentious. i'd say the movie tenet is pretentious. it's something that pretends to be way deeper than it is.

>Can a book be judged pretentious in one century's culture and in the next just be considered normal?
i don't think this has ever happened before

>> No.16445754

>>16445433
>Would it be pretentious for a renowned professor to use academic language when speaking with children?
No, it would just be autistic.

>> No.16445765

>>16445455
>ary
>>Wow, philosophy 101 much?
>>Looks like someone read Infinite Jest!
>>Wow, so deep
>I digress
you are getting it now anon.

>> No.16445767

>>16445517
>being vague is pretentious, and making grand, sweeping, contrarian statements is pretentious.
In other words, continental philosophy is inherently pretentious. Hence its popularity on /lit/, the internet mecca for pseuds.

>> No.16445770
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16445770

>>16445279
>>16445289
>>16445324
>>16445386
>>16445408
>>16445414
>>16445420
>>16445427
>>16445432
>>16445433
>>16445449
>>16445455
>>16445477
>>16445517
>>16445754
You're all idiots.

>> No.16445777

>>16445279
Pretentious is trying to do something deep, beautiful, or complex - and failing.
However, it's more often used incorrectly by someone with plebeian taste to attack a work they weren't prepared for.

>> No.16445829

>>16445770
All me

>> No.16445842

>>16445767
>continental philosophy is inherently pretentious
not at all. you're just a brainlet