This word can be used in two ways but you have to be attentive to know which one a person refers to. A person can say you are ignorant of a particular fact or information. A person can also call you ignorant, referring to stupidity.
Both can be quite annoying. No one likes to get insulted or get called stupid. It’s even worse if you are called ignorant in public. It is quite embarrassing and there is a 90% chance that you will be thinking of a perfect comeback to respond with.
People also tend to use this word in arguments. It can be seen as an excuse when one person is out of points and, instead of yielding, chooses to dismiss the topic, using the other person’s ignorance as the excuse.
This can get you slightly pissed and you just want to give a devastating reply or just say something that makes you feel better.
How To Respond When Someone Calls You Ignorant
- What do you know?
- Enlighten me
- Alright then.
- You probably know too much
- It’s not my specialization.
- I will work on that
- You can’t know it all.
- How?
- Wow. Tell me more
- Or you could just listen.
- Is that your excuse?
- You think so?
- We can end the conversation then.
- Or you’re the stupid one.
- Am I supposed to know that?
- Teach me then
- It’s not my business.
- See where so much knowledge got you.
- I’m quite happy with my life.
- /Ignore him or her/
What do you know?
You can respond with this question if a person says you are ignorant about a particular thing. This is perfect, especially when you are sure the person has no point to make.
You are asking the person to tell you the areas you have been ignorant but you are saying it in a challenging way. If the person doesn’t know what he/she is saying, this will feel like a sudden attack and there is a chance he/she will start to stutter.
If the person doesn’t reply, you can smile and know you have won the argument. The person will probably reply and tell you the fact you are ignorant of.
There is a chance you get to learn something new or the argument will continue peacefully because the person was only lying about some hidden fact you were ignorant of.
You can now clap your hands. You have been able to call his/her bluff.
Enlighten me
This is another way of challenging the person to tell you something new. You have to respond sharply if you want it to feel like an attack on the person.
When a person says you are ignorant about something and you respond with this, he/she will probably stutter, especially if the person is only bluffing about your ignorance. However, there is a chance the person will explain how you have been ignorant.
The person can choose to stay silent but if that happens, you can smile and agree that you have won the argument. The person may also start to talk so you get to learn where you have been ignorant.
There is also a chance you are aware of the fact the person is talking about and there is another fact the person is unaware of. With a proper conversation, you will be able to reach a conclusion.
Alright then
This response is another way of shunning the person. Some people can agree that the best way they would choose to respond to this is to ignore the statement.
If you want to ignore the person, the best way is to say a short concluding statement and end the discussion by doing something else.
It is clear to the other person that your I agree is just a way to disagree without arguing further.
You can say this if you don’t want a longer or dirty argument. However, if there is a fact that you have been ignorant about, you may not get to know it and the other person will probably consider you obdurate.
You probably know too much
When someone says you are ignorant during an argument, it is supposed to mean that there is a piece of information that is hidden from you or something you are not aware of. In some cases, you know the other person is just bluffing.
When the person just looks at you and calls you ignorant, you just automatically know that it’s the person’s excuse not to yield. By saying this, you are shunning the person’s ideas in a quite rude way. There is a chance the person will shut up.
However, if the person shuts up, you may be truly ignorant of a fact. If the person keeps repeating the same thing, you will be sure the person is just refusing to listen to your points.
It’s not my specialization
This response only works if the conversation or argument is short and not serious. A person can walk up to you with a weird topic that leads to an argument and end up calling you ignorant because you refuse to agree with his or her idea. You can simply tell the person it is not your specialization.
If it is not a basic topic or something important for you to know, this response will be perfect and it will be mere honesty when you say it.
However, it can also be seen as a sign of obstinacy in you, especially if it is something you should know about. Saying this can dismiss the topic in a quite impolite way and if it is something you are supposed to know, you may not get to know it at the end of the day.
I will work on that
If someone says you are ignorant about a particular thing, you can simply tell him or her that you will work on your ignorance. This is a polite way to dismiss the topic, even if it is untrue. However, it is not a perfect response.
When you respond by saying you will work on it, the person will probably shut up instead of giving you the information you are supposedly ignorant of.
You can also respond to a person with this if it is an outright insult to your wits. This will only show you don’t want a longer conversation. By saying this, you will shorten the person’s pleasure in the insult.
It will be very clear that you are shunning the person when you say this but you have to completely ignore it so you don’t look stupid after saying this.
You can’t know it all
This is a polite response to give when you are proven to be ignorant of the ongoing argument. Virtually every person has been caught in an argument with fewer facts to back up his/her side of the argument.
At times, the other person proves us wrong. Other times, we win the argument easily because we use wrong facts and the other person is just as unsure as you are.
By saying this, you are admitting that you don’t know some things about a particular topic, even though you are using the you pronoun. You can say this before or after you are proven wrong.
How?
This will be a quite full response if you were called ignorant as an outright insult. You will have to shun the person or look for a perfect comeback in the case. However, in a simple argument, you can simply ask for proof that you are ignorant as the other person claims.
You should say this response sharply so it will sound like an attack on the person, even though it is a simple question. The person can stutter or just choose to stay silent.
If that happens, you can be 90% sure that you have won the argument. The person may also start to talk so you get to learn where you have been ignorant.
With this, you get to know if you have been ignorant or not. It is a win-win. You either win the argument or you learn the information you were missing.
Wow. Tell me more
This is quite rude, despite its simple words. It is quite obvious that this statement does not fit into the conversation or the argument so you are stylishly telling the person that you are uninterested in what he/she has to say.
It is another way of shunning what a person has to say. You can also reply with this if it is an outright insult. This will show you don’t want a longer conversation.
By saying this, you will take away the person’s pleasure in the insult. It will be very clear that you are shunning the person when you say this. Then you will have to completely ignore it so you don’t look stupid after saying this.
Or you could just listen
This is a way of dragging the argument further. You are also indirectly challenging the person. Most people call their opponents ignorant in an argument and choose to shut up. That can be quite annoying and it doesn’t prove that either of the two is more knowledgeable.
If you reply with this, there is a chance the person will change his/her mind about shutting up and continue to argue. If he/she doesn’t reply, you will still feel much better than staying quiet.
Is that your excuse?
This is a perfect response to get a person to remain in an argument. Some can choose to stop talking after calling you ignorant.
You may ask how you have proved your ignorance and the person will say nothing. However, this response feels much more like an attack and the person will feel forced to prove himself or herself.
You think so?
When you think the person is going to stop talking, you probably shouldn’t ask this since it won’t affect him/her. It can sound like you are ignoring the person if the word has been used to insult you but you have to shun the person with your expression too.
In an argument, you can also say this before you continue proving your point.
We can end the conversation here then
Some people can choose to end a conversation after they call a person ignorant. You will feel a bit embarrassed by that. However, you can avoid embarrassing yourself by ending the conversation by yourself.
The person may even feel awkward.
Or you’re the stupid one
If a person insults you by calling you ignorant for any reason, you have the right to respond with an insult.
By calling the person stupid, the person feels attacked for a second. He/she will probably find another insult to respond with or try to prove that you are ignorant.
Am I supposed to know that?
When a person accuses you of being ignorant of something you care less about, you can simply ask this rhetorical question.
It will shut the person up or change the topic. It also shows that you have lost the argument or you have no idea what you both were talking about.
Teach me then
If a person calls you ignorant in a conversation or argument, there has to be some fact you do not know or it would just be an excuse to refuse to yield to you.
You can tell the person to teach you what you do not know. If the person doesn’t have any hidden knowledge, he/she will probably repeat the same argument and stutter.
It’s not my business
This is a straightforward response if you have been called ignorant over a topic you care less about.
If the topic of the argument is not your business, you can simply say so and the person will stop talking about it. However, the person would have won the argument.
See where so much knowledge has got you
If a person insults you by calling you ignorant, this is a perfect comeback to respond with. He/she will be stunned for a few seconds before thinking of a response. It will take a few seconds for the meaning of your response to sink in.
This can keep the person shut but you have to be prepared with another comeback, in case the person responds with another insult.
I’m quite happy with my life
If a person insults you by calling you ignorant and you don’t want to get into a verbal fight, you can simply say this and ignore the person.
It is a perfect way to shun the person and you won’t be giving him/her the satisfaction of watching your reaction.
/Ignore him or her/
As mentioned earlier, virtually everyone would choose to ignore the person in this case. However, ignoring is not always perfect.
In an argument, when you choose to ignore this, you may end up feeling awkward and looking like you have lost. However, if you were insulted by this, ignoring should work fine.
Conclusion
As sweet as ignoring can seem to some people, comebacks work better. They are not perfect but a perfect comeback can make you feel on top of the world.