Recently, due to several misguided decisions, I found myself having a sleepover with five friendly but ambitious dogs. The entire night was one long dominance display. No sooner had I settled each pooch onto a separate cushion than the biggest one got up, grabbed a chew toy, and stood over the others, proclaiming (in dog language): "I am Bjorn! And I am Pack Leader! For this toy is mine! And I own this toy! And the toy is my property!" and so on.

It reminded me so much of Harvard, I got a little misty.

We humans use many "toys" to claim dominant status in our own packs—cars, clothes, houses, job titles—but one of our favorites is knowledge. In our school system's educational meritocracy, having answers means winning praise and attention. This has given rise to a certain breed of human, commonly called the know-it-all, which tends to frequent university settings. Know-it-alls can be good companions, but the breed also has many annoying behavioral problems that must be dealt with decisively if you're going to have any peace. Before we discuss training techniques, here's a short list of ways in which know-it-all behavior problems are often manifested.