Ultimate Authority-osis

Symptoms:

This sufferer is known to express him/herself very strongly, and presents him/herself as being brilliant.

Possible Warning Signs:

“I know everything about the ornithology of the Northern Hemisphere.” Supposing the writer does know everything about some topic, it is still unpalatable to one’s audience to read other writers’ boasts.

“My thorough understanding of Chuck Norris’ Tae Kwon Do moves has inspired me to share my insight with the world.” This is a more subtle example of the symptoms of Ultimate Authority-osis. (Personally, I love to find a line like this in a summary, though it is rarely found there.)

“This is a complex piece which will be above the common reader’s understanding.” Move on, reader! The only ones who take this challenge will be viewed as having egos bigger than this writer’s, as nice as it would be to deflate them somewhat.

Prognosis:

Very poor. Although the afflicted may try to suppress these thoughts online for awhile, they will resurface.

Treatment:

There is no treatment to overcome this particular ailment; yet, it has been documented that when these sufferers do not receive adequate feedback, they do not continue to frequent the site with as many “knowledgeable” postings. Perhaps the thinking behind this is that their expertise is not appreciated in that particular community.

Disclaimer: While researching this affliction, few Fictionpress members were harmed during the case studies performed.