- #31
outsider
- 24
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i thought this was for a friend?... o wait.. i get it... it's for "a friend"bor0000 said:
Is there a way to appear smarter?
- Thread starter bor0000
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The discussion revolves around advice for someone seeking to appear more intellectual. Suggestions include reading significant literature, particularly works by Jean Paul Sartre, and engaging with knowledgeable individuals. There is a debate on whether one should focus on genuine learning or merely on appearances. Some participants emphasize the importance of being concise and tactful in conversations, while others argue that trying to appear smart can backfire. The idea of using sophisticated vocabulary and dressing well to create an impression of intelligence is also discussed, but many caution against faking knowledge, suggesting that true understanding and interest in subjects are more valuable. The conversation highlights the balance between self-presentation and authentic intellectual growth, with a consensus that genuine curiosity and learning are key to becoming smarter.
- #32
outsider
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bor0000 said:
agreed... often this will make you look "stupider"... especially when the other person starts going deeper into a topic you are not prepared to discuss... so like marlon says, saying nothing is better than saying something of no value...
digging a hole for yourself let's people know where to help you dig.
it's better to admit your weaknesses, at least your smart enough to be honest... 
- #33
bor0000
- 49
- 0
The only useful, sincere advice i got from a writer: read Sartre. I already picked out some books that i'll be reading for the next year or so, none of them are as heavy as Sartre, the closest is probably "Of Human Bondage". But many books may be even considered "children's books". Right now I'm reading "great expectations"-i may say the book is entertaining. Also, since it is a book it improves my english somewhat, i.e. i can read a bit faster. But i don't think I've gained anything intellectually. I read "Razor's Edge" and that i believe left something in me, but i don't know exactly what. Is Sartre a level above Maugham? What other authors are hardcore in sharing knowledge?
As for "be quiet"-that is the most useless advice ever. I am reserved in real life already. But if I'm interested in something, I need to participate.. And i need to learn how to present myself more intellectually and amiably. Sometimes i don't know what gets into me but i say something hateful/angry/pessimistic. In razor's edge i really liked how all those characters conversed so amiably and tactfully, not to mention his narrative, i wish i could do half as good.
Also, before this summer i practically didnt read any books(other than school textbooks) my whole life and i am turning 22. But I've read a few books now, and i still feel like reading books could improve my character, but not by much:(
p.s. what do you think of my reading list so far(in chronological order):
razor's edge-done-i just love how maugham expresses himself, a true intellectual. i couldn't really relate to any of the characters. may be if larry had listened to eliott's advice in the beginning, he'd become quiet a gentleman, but then there would be nothing to write about.
sister carrie, great expectations(reading now)-good, interesting books, but i don't think they've made me even a little smarter.
vanity of bonfires-is it even lighter than the previous 2?
count of monte christo-looking forward to it
arrowsmith-i want to be a doctor, but i question whether this book would teach me anything
of human bondage-looking forward to it
crossing to safety(wallace stegner)
doctor dealer, surviving extremes-this is just something for fun, they're not real literature.
i hope these books would make me somewhat literate so that i could at least talk about something with people.
now the books that i hope to jump to after this:
Sartre, Dawkins, Zen and the Brain, Letters of Lord Chesterfield. Would those books suddenly make me intellectual, or you're just either borne with it or not?
i guess it would take me quiete a long time to read all of these. I am now reading at about 25pages/hr(for the regular size like penguin classics) and i can usually allocate only about 1hr to such leisurely reading per day. I'll try to keep it up at 1 hour once the school starts. also i must note that when the summer started i was doing only about 17pages/hr, but that's probably because i was reading lying down while now i read in a comfortable chair sitting up.
As for "be quiet"-that is the most useless advice ever. I am reserved in real life already. But if I'm interested in something, I need to participate.. And i need to learn how to present myself more intellectually and amiably. Sometimes i don't know what gets into me but i say something hateful/angry/pessimistic. In razor's edge i really liked how all those characters conversed so amiably and tactfully, not to mention his narrative, i wish i could do half as good.
Also, before this summer i practically didnt read any books(other than school textbooks) my whole life and i am turning 22. But I've read a few books now, and i still feel like reading books could improve my character, but not by much:(
p.s. what do you think of my reading list so far(in chronological order):
razor's edge-done-i just love how maugham expresses himself, a true intellectual. i couldn't really relate to any of the characters. may be if larry had listened to eliott's advice in the beginning, he'd become quiet a gentleman, but then there would be nothing to write about.
sister carrie, great expectations(reading now)-good, interesting books, but i don't think they've made me even a little smarter.
vanity of bonfires-is it even lighter than the previous 2?
count of monte christo-looking forward to it
arrowsmith-i want to be a doctor, but i question whether this book would teach me anything
of human bondage-looking forward to it
crossing to safety(wallace stegner)
doctor dealer, surviving extremes-this is just something for fun, they're not real literature.
i hope these books would make me somewhat literate so that i could at least talk about something with people.
now the books that i hope to jump to after this:
Sartre, Dawkins, Zen and the Brain, Letters of Lord Chesterfield. Would those books suddenly make me intellectual, or you're just either borne with it or not?
i guess it would take me quiete a long time to read all of these. I am now reading at about 25pages/hr(for the regular size like penguin classics) and i can usually allocate only about 1hr to such leisurely reading per day. I'll try to keep it up at 1 hour once the school starts. also i must note that when the summer started i was doing only about 17pages/hr, but that's probably because i was reading lying down while now i read in a comfortable chair sitting up.
- #34
bor0000
- 49
- 0
outsider, as was explained above, it's not necessary to discuss complicated ideas, it's how you discuss them that counts! if you are consise, tactful, and logical, then people notice. and if you are angry,wordy, annoying, cynical, brute, people also notice it! so I'm trying to get rid of the latter.outsider said:agreed... often this will make you look "stupider"... especially when the other person starts going deeper into a topic you are not prepared to discuss... so like marlon says, saying nothing is better than saying something of no value...
digging a hole for yourself let's people know where to help you dig.
- #35
outsider
- 24
- 0
bor0000 said:
yes, that is a good idea... you sound smart enough to me... but I'm not in any position to coach on appearing smart... being knowledgeable in any area and having good self confidence is enough to fool most women, if that is your goal... (present company excluded of course)
- #36
kant
- 388
- 0
bor0000 said:
study 10 hours per day and try to avoid human contact for an entire year.
i am not being cute.
- #37
outsider
- 24
- 0
this is the worst advice I've ever heard of... sorry to say... but it iskant said:
where did you get this idea from?
- #38
marlon
- 3,779
- 11
Moonbear said:
this is dangerous because when doing so, one can actually realize he/she is just hoplelessly retarted
I say we keep it superficial and try to appear as smart as we can be. That in itself, already is a hughe challenge to must of us
marlon
- #39
motai
- 364
- 2
kant said:
Doesn't that... defeat the purpose of trying to appear smarter, kinda hard to do if no one is around to see the end result...
- #40
Cappicola
Sure, spend some time with the books... but refocus on developing your emotional intelligence. You'll be the wiser for the effort expended.
- #41
Mickey
- 163
- 0
Wear glasses?
- #42
Rach3
Sit around and age for sixty years, then wear some really thick glasses.
- #43
Sisyphus
- 62
- 0
furrow your brows
- #44
SpaceTiger
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Dngrsone said:The best way to appear smarter is to be smarter. Which means one should always be learning, and to tie in with my first sentence, one can't learn very well while running at the mouth.
Your first statement is certainly true, but I disagree with the last. I find (and I know others like this) that it's much easier to both understand and recall a conversation if you're taking part in it. This doesn't mean dominating the conversation, just contributing and perhaps asking questions. Even if you have nothing interesting to say, this will force you to remain engaged and actively thinking. On the other hand, if you generally have nothing interesting to say, then participating won't make you look particularly smart.
In other words, I think remaining silent will make him look better in the short run, but may not help build his conversation skills and knowledge base in the long run. It all comes down to Moonbear's question of whether he just wants to appear smart or to actually be smart. You can learn a lot from asking a smart person a lot of (seemingly) stupid questions.
- #45
Smasherman
- 30
- 0
I recommend reading "Of Studies", in Of Empire, by Francis Bacon. He explains how to become better mentally (including wit, which helps one to make friends, so long as tact is observed).
Reading books on the subjects that you want to appear smart in, without necessary understanding any/most of it, is a good way to impress people who aren't smart (or at least aren't knowledgeable on the subject). Be careful, though, because you might accidentally become smart.
Also, using good spelling, grammar, and punctuation helps a lot. The trick is to impress and using the manners of the elite impresses.
Also telling people that you're smart, and having other people agree (sincerity is necessary when convincing empathetic people) works well, since popular opinion has a large sway on many people (especially in High School, though that won't help you anymore).
Also, faking smartness isn't really considered a "moral" thing to do, usually.
Sigh...
Reading books on the subjects that you want to appear smart in, without necessary understanding any/most of it, is a good way to impress people who aren't smart (or at least aren't knowledgeable on the subject). Be careful, though, because you might accidentally become smart.
Also, using good spelling, grammar, and punctuation helps a lot. The trick is to impress and using the manners of the elite impresses.
Also telling people that you're smart, and having other people agree (sincerity is necessary when convincing empathetic people) works well, since popular opinion has a large sway on many people (especially in High School, though that won't help you anymore).
Also, faking smartness isn't really considered a "moral" thing to do, usually.
Sigh...
...if only it were positive attention...dduardo said:
- #46
Smasherman
- 30
- 0
Deleted: Moonbear already asked this question.
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- #47
Mickey
- 163
- 0
Change your name from "So and so" to "So and so Ph.d."
- #48
Mk
- 2,039
- 4
Sisyphus?Sisyphus said:
You must have wireless now.- #49
Mattara
- 347
- 1
Act like you are highly intellegent and be evil. That has always worked for me in the past.
- #50
Mickey
- 163
- 0
Never say the word "thinking cap."
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- #51
Schrodinger's Dog
- 835
- 7
I'm a 26th level Palladin by knight and an accountant named Ron by day.
Dungeons and Dragons is cool, you people are wierd.
People will see through someone trying to appear smart, just get some education and learn as much as you can, find some academic interest outside of what your studying, have a few strings to your bow, nothing you do will make you supersmart or even appear so if your not now, but you can at least appear informed or interesting. The older you get the more crap is stuffed in your head, so just growing wiser can fool people into thinking your smart
As homer says Camus can do but Sartre is smartre, although I disagree because..., saying things like that will make you appear smart, particularly if you have read both and can back that stuff up
Dungeons and Dragons is cool, you people are wierd.
People will see through someone trying to appear smart, just get some education and learn as much as you can, find some academic interest outside of what your studying, have a few strings to your bow, nothing you do will make you supersmart or even appear so if your not now, but you can at least appear informed or interesting. The older you get the more crap is stuffed in your head, so just growing wiser can fool people into thinking your smart
As homer says Camus can do but Sartre is smartre, although I disagree because..., saying things like that will make you appear smart, particularly if you have read both and can back that stuff up
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- #52
Gokul43201
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Yes. Quit the "a friend wants to know" approach!bor0000 said:
- #53
Smurf
- 442
- 3
Schrodinger's Dog said:
I love it!- #54
Mickey
- 163
- 0
Wait, I got it.
Wear smart shoes and hats.
Wear smart shoes and hats.
- #55
Zantra
- 791
- 3
It's been said but it bears repeating: don't fake smart, try to actually BE smart- reading is fundamental.
As far as the rest.. why would you want to fool someone about that anyhow? Any person who is half intelligent would see through the ruse, and if it's for a girl, she'll only dump you when she realizes it's an act.
Try being yourself. I hear being yourself is "in" nowadays.
As far as the rest.. why would you want to fool someone about that anyhow? Any person who is half intelligent would see through the ruse, and if it's for a girl, she'll only dump you when she realizes it's an act.
Try being yourself. I hear being yourself is "in" nowadays.
- #56
chroot
Staff Emeritus
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Well, I must say I disagree with the entire concept of trying to "appear smart," since it is hopelessly flawed. As many people have already mentioned, people who are genuinely intelligent will see through your thin veneer rather quickly.
If your intention is to make people like you, an overly-intellectual attitude is probably going to work against you. If your intention is to lord your intellect over other people to make yourself feel better at their expense, then you probably have bigger problems than can be solved by reading a few books.
I mean no offense, bor0000, but this sounds like a pretty typical sort of adolescent differentiation. As teenagers struggle to figure out who they want to be -- and who they want to like them -- they often try on different personalities for size. Some people, like yourself, think the most effective kind of differentiation is to appear precocious or otherwise "better" than other people. While I think this approach is mostly doomed to failure, I'll provide my advice, anyway.
1) The central driving force behind intellectual grandeur is: interest. If you're not genuinely interested in something, you'll never master it. So, my advice is to figure out which subjects you find interesting -- literature, art, airplanes, science, chess, you name it -- and study them with genuine passion. When you tire of one subject, pick another one. Many people are impressed with "Renaissance (wo)men," those who can have at least a passing, competent conversation about almost any topic.
Keep in mind that esoteric topics -- like 18th century French poetry -- are unlikely to come up in most conversation. If you spend all your time becoming an expert in French poetry, it will unfortunately be lost on most people. In fact, the only way it'll even come up in conversation is if you bring it up, and that will only alienate your audience.
Instead, try to focus on basic, nuts-and-bolts kinds of topics, the sort which affect everyone and often come up in everyday conversation. Learn about how the body works, or how different medicines affect it. Learn about different kinds of foods -- where and how they're made. Learn about housing construction (how difficult would it be to rip out that old sink and put a new one in?) and automobles (is it hard to change brake shoes?). Learn about computers, the internet, and other kinds of technology.
2) Read the newspaper or a news magazine regularly. Current events have an interesting two-faced natures. On the one hand, current events are very powerful: they literally define our world as it exists in the moment. On the other hand, many people feel trepidation about trying to fully understand them.
Let's take an example. They get the feeling it would take years of research to fully understand, say, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so they opt of even having an opinion on it. Ask most people on the street about the conflict, and you'll hear dismissive, trivial responses like "I don't know, but I think they they should stop fighting."
If you spend some time reading (good) news media, you can gain a much deeper and significant understanding of current events. If someone brings up the Israeli conflict in a conversation, and you say "Well, I read that Israel pretty much kicked the Palestinians out of their homes back in the forties -- some of them still treasure their old house keys, years later," people will regard you as someone with wisdom. Even if all you're doing is repeating the opinions of the columnists in Time, you'll still garner your audience's respect.
3) Pay attention to your presentation. Make sure your spelling and grammar are at least decent. Try using some of those "word-a-day" websites to build your vocabulary. Do not flaunt, however. Even if you can properly build incredibly complex sentence structures, or know the meaning of unusual words like quixotic, you shouldn't use them all the time. Use the best word for the job. Reserve the big, difficult words for those times when, honestly, no other word fits as well. Speak to your audience with the sort of vocabulary and grammar that includes your audience.
4) Do your best to never offer advice who those who not made it clear they want it. Even if you see someone struggling to decide whether to take Excedrin or aspirin, don't tell them what they should do unless they ask. Since you're not a doctor, your opinion is really no more valid than their own. Any attempt to "play yourself" as a medical authority (just because you know that caffeine is a vasoconstrictor and probably would help with a migraine) will be met with contempt. Instead, wait until they ask, perhaps even absent-mindedly, which one they should take, then offer your advice in the most simple and unassuming way you can.
5) Consider the behavior of people around you whom you regard as intelligent, and emulate them. Don't try to pretend that you know everything they do, as that just takes time to develop. Instead, focus on their interpersonal skills, as that's probably want endeared you to them in the first place.
- Warren
If your intention is to make people like you, an overly-intellectual attitude is probably going to work against you. If your intention is to lord your intellect over other people to make yourself feel better at their expense, then you probably have bigger problems than can be solved by reading a few books.
I mean no offense, bor0000, but this sounds like a pretty typical sort of adolescent differentiation. As teenagers struggle to figure out who they want to be -- and who they want to like them -- they often try on different personalities for size. Some people, like yourself, think the most effective kind of differentiation is to appear precocious or otherwise "better" than other people. While I think this approach is mostly doomed to failure, I'll provide my advice, anyway.
1) The central driving force behind intellectual grandeur is: interest. If you're not genuinely interested in something, you'll never master it. So, my advice is to figure out which subjects you find interesting -- literature, art, airplanes, science, chess, you name it -- and study them with genuine passion. When you tire of one subject, pick another one. Many people are impressed with "Renaissance (wo)men," those who can have at least a passing, competent conversation about almost any topic.
Keep in mind that esoteric topics -- like 18th century French poetry -- are unlikely to come up in most conversation. If you spend all your time becoming an expert in French poetry, it will unfortunately be lost on most people. In fact, the only way it'll even come up in conversation is if you bring it up, and that will only alienate your audience.
Instead, try to focus on basic, nuts-and-bolts kinds of topics, the sort which affect everyone and often come up in everyday conversation. Learn about how the body works, or how different medicines affect it. Learn about different kinds of foods -- where and how they're made. Learn about housing construction (how difficult would it be to rip out that old sink and put a new one in?) and automobles (is it hard to change brake shoes?). Learn about computers, the internet, and other kinds of technology.
2) Read the newspaper or a news magazine regularly. Current events have an interesting two-faced natures. On the one hand, current events are very powerful: they literally define our world as it exists in the moment. On the other hand, many people feel trepidation about trying to fully understand them.
Let's take an example. They get the feeling it would take years of research to fully understand, say, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so they opt of even having an opinion on it. Ask most people on the street about the conflict, and you'll hear dismissive, trivial responses like "I don't know, but I think they they should stop fighting."
If you spend some time reading (good) news media, you can gain a much deeper and significant understanding of current events. If someone brings up the Israeli conflict in a conversation, and you say "Well, I read that Israel pretty much kicked the Palestinians out of their homes back in the forties -- some of them still treasure their old house keys, years later," people will regard you as someone with wisdom. Even if all you're doing is repeating the opinions of the columnists in Time, you'll still garner your audience's respect.
3) Pay attention to your presentation. Make sure your spelling and grammar are at least decent. Try using some of those "word-a-day" websites to build your vocabulary. Do not flaunt, however. Even if you can properly build incredibly complex sentence structures, or know the meaning of unusual words like quixotic, you shouldn't use them all the time. Use the best word for the job. Reserve the big, difficult words for those times when, honestly, no other word fits as well. Speak to your audience with the sort of vocabulary and grammar that includes your audience.
4) Do your best to never offer advice who those who not made it clear they want it. Even if you see someone struggling to decide whether to take Excedrin or aspirin, don't tell them what they should do unless they ask. Since you're not a doctor, your opinion is really no more valid than their own. Any attempt to "play yourself" as a medical authority (just because you know that caffeine is a vasoconstrictor and probably would help with a migraine) will be met with contempt. Instead, wait until they ask, perhaps even absent-mindedly, which one they should take, then offer your advice in the most simple and unassuming way you can.
5) Consider the behavior of people around you whom you regard as intelligent, and emulate them. Don't try to pretend that you know everything they do, as that just takes time to develop. Instead, focus on their interpersonal skills, as that's probably want endeared you to them in the first place.
- Warren
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- #57
3trQN
- 337
- 1
Put lots of letters after your name whenever you sign your name, like Jeff Jefferson FGi fnO CBj Obq Bsc Mnd Phi
- #58
selfAdjoint
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Dearly Missed
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3trQN said:
Does anybody remember Frank Baum's T. Wogglebug H.M, F.R.G.S., F.R.Z.S.? From The Land of Oz, the second, and in my opinion, best, Oz book.
(the letters mean "Highly Magnified", "Frightened by a Green Snake, Friday Zeptember Seventeenth". Wogglebug was a biological specimen that the Wizard had accidentally preserved in magnified state.
- #59
chroot
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
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I guess I just realized that most of my suggestion on "appearing" smart were really suggestions on becoming smart. Heh.
- Warren
- Warren
- #60
jcsd
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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1) Hang around stupid people.
2) Perfect a wry laugh and use it all the time to make it seem as if your seeing some hidden subtext that no-one else has seen.
3) Everytime someone says soemthing mundane like 'I had fried eggs for breakfest" say "interesting" and stroke your chin as if your pondering the philosophical meaning of the statement.
4) Constantly tell jokes with obscure classical references as if you expect everyone to fully understand these references.
5) wear glasses.
2) Perfect a wry laugh and use it all the time to make it seem as if your seeing some hidden subtext that no-one else has seen.
3) Everytime someone says soemthing mundane like 'I had fried eggs for breakfest" say "interesting" and stroke your chin as if your pondering the philosophical meaning of the statement.
4) Constantly tell jokes with obscure classical references as if you expect everyone to fully understand these references.
5) wear glasses.