I have a little confusion whether "smugness" implies a "low opinion of others" in contrast to a "high opinion of oneself" I have consulted ODO and wiktionary; they showed the meaning of "Smugness" is Smugness(noun)[ODO]: having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements ...

So my perticular question is, is the usage valid? Can adjectives like this be used in contrasting situations also? Yes, we do that from time-to-time, particularly in conversation. In other-side-of-the-coin contexts, words are often used in ways that don't fit their precise definitions. For ...

Observing the debate between evolutionists and creationists, I've noticed that the evolutionists refer to their theory as "evolution" not "evolutionism," whereas they refer to the creationists' theory as "creationism" not "creation." Why the discrepancy? In addition to the grammatical considera...

Is the theory of evolution, and specifically, theistic evolution, compatible with Islam? That is to say, is there any official doctrine in Islam (or if not agreed upon in Islam as a whole, in a specific sect or area of Islam) that teaches that evolution is expressly wrong?

I have an Indonesian friend, he's 23 years old and on his way to learn conversational English. I told him that he needs to start reading books, but he's an ordinary Indonesian guy (they do not read books), so he's not convinced. Maybe there is an easy to read, thin book that's exciting enough t...