People call someone intellectual

when he explains (actually, 'justifies') what they want to believe, with seemingly plausible reasoning (or historical anecdotes, or sophisticated academic terminology), which they can't come up with on their own (Actually, they often don't understand the reasoning while admiring him and his explanation) That's why pessimistic views of world can't be ended just there, and must provide optimistic solutions, in order that those views can be widely accepted