when is something an insult?

[Fragony]

When it's intended. Stupid people can possibly miss a cunning insult or jab at themselves. If someone smarter explains how they were insulted they have the right to claim it was an insult.

However if a moron takes something as an insult because they are too narrow minded, dumb, uneducated etc. to understand what you meant, it's not your fault that they are a moron and thus should not be held liable for some imagined offense.

Having been the victim of the later I can say it's pretty annoying.

Arrogance looks so good on you, but I agree. Intelligence or the lack of it it can be found in having a sense of humour I think. If you don't have that you are just playing by the numbers without understanding any outcome. The greatest genius of our time is the Marquis de Sade who was shamelesly hedonistic, imho of course.