A person who is not trying to enlighten anyone, they're trying to prove how intelligent they are without understanding the intelligence of their audience. They never get to understand their audience because they're to busy concentrating on their next brilliant statement.
I looked around the class and seen the look of confusion. Professor Smith is a mental masturbator. He is mentally masturbating over the heads of his students.
by tahirjahi July 4, 2010
We debated and created a perfect system of government, but it was all just mental masturbation, really.
by Ryan February 18, 2005
the act of engaging in intelligent and interesting conversation purely for the enjoyment of your own greatness and individuality. Subjects range from obscure lp's to cultural movements in preindustrial societies. Either delivered through grand monlogues or subtle conversation orientation, it links large words and random references resulting in nothing acually being communicated.
Though the influence of Ric Okasisk was quite evident within Weezer's blue album, rivers coumo domination of the lyrical form seem quite evident in Pinkerton
by Robert finkle February 19, 2005
by The Big Thicc August 14, 2019
The act of looking up the term "Mental Masturbation". You should have better things to do. Now go do it! Geez!!!
I knew I was wasting time thinking about things that didn't amount to anything useful. So I wondered if I was the only. I looked up "Mental Masturbation" and confirmed it.
by XAlterEgoX October 20, 2015
The act of engaging in useless yet intellectually stimulating conversation, usually as an excuse to avoid taking constructive action in your life.
Guy 1: "If only I had taken Cindy to my high school prom, I could have fucked her instead of that loser Jeff and then now she would be my girlfriend."
Guy 2: "Dude, stop that mental masturbation right now and go out and meet a new girl!"
Guy 2: "Dude, stop that mental masturbation right now and go out and meet a new girl!"
by SweetP April 12, 2005
Intellectual activity that serves no practical purpose. Excessively theoretical, and therefore a distraction from more practicable matters.
Dr. Richard Dawkins, noted biological theorist, in response to a student's philosophical question about skeptical attitudes towards science and reality, cited the following anecdote:
<paraphrasing>
James Boswell asked, "... nothing really exists unless there's somebody there to see it. How do you refute that?" Samuel Johnson replied, "I refute it thus!", and kicked a stone out of his way.
<\paraphrasing>
Dr. Dawkins, commenting on Boswell's question, and critiquing the attitude: "If you want to mess about with that sort of mental masturbation, thats fine, but, ... but the science of reality is what gets you through the day, ... and makes things work!"
<paraphrasing>
James Boswell asked, "... nothing really exists unless there's somebody there to see it. How do you refute that?" Samuel Johnson replied, "I refute it thus!", and kicked a stone out of his way.
<\paraphrasing>
Dr. Dawkins, commenting on Boswell's question, and critiquing the attitude: "If you want to mess about with that sort of mental masturbation, thats fine, but, ... but the science of reality is what gets you through the day, ... and makes things work!"
by The Practical Atheist December 12, 2009