Is there a way to appear smarter?

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In summary, the conversation revolves around a friend seeking advice on what to do and what books to read to improve their intellect. Suggestions are made to dress in a certain way, join intellectual groups, and read philosophical books by Jean Paul Sartre. The benefits of reading Sartre's works are discussed, but some find them pretentious and difficult to get through. The conversation also touches on the idea of using elevated vocabulary in conversations, and the importance of expressing oneself.
  • #1
bor0000
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a friend is asking. suggest some things he could do? any books he should read, or people he should associate with, or just general ideas? thanks
 
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  • #2
If that is what he/she wants, I can say thet there is no chance for him/her.

I am sorry...! (j/k)
 
  • #3
Wear a lot of black and gray and always carry at least one book by Jean Paul Sartre.
 
  • #4
join PF. and then cheat on an IQ test
 
  • #5
bor0000 said:
a friend is asking. suggest some things he could do? any books he should read, or people he should associate with, or just general ideas? thanks

I have been trying for a long time, and it just don't work, mix with the people
you like, the only way you can crib is to be a back scratcher :yuck:
 
  • #6
man, you're not funny. some say that chess improves your mind, but he finds it hard to believe. nobody recognizes you for chess, unless you are a master, at least. what about literature?
 
  • #7
loseyourname said:
Wear a lot of black and gray and always carry at least one book by Jean Paul Sartre.
wow. I've seen this book mentioned before. do people really read philosophy books with such a purpose?? is there something about Sartre, as opposed to other philosophers, that makes him more of an intellectual? I've never seen anybody read such books in real life, i thought smart people just read historical novels or about art.
 
  • #8
wolram said:
I have been trying for a long time, and it just don't work, mix with the people
you like, the only way you can crib is to be a back scratcher :yuck:

he once worked with a wise old man, a ph.d. that man constantly talked about literature and about culture. i thought it was very beneficial for the young lad, he should've taken advantage of the situation and continued keeping in touch wiht the man after the summer job was over, but he was too immature.
 
  • #9
What gave the idea to read Sartre? And do you use in daily conversation anything that was provided in the book?
 
  • #10
His plays are delightful and his prose is pretty intense. Great reads. His expository writing, however - the philosophy books - are the most pretentious you'll ever read. Getting through Being and Nothingness is like swimming through wet cement that solidifies halfway through. There are more pretentious books out there - Finnegan's Wake comes to mind - but everyone knows Sartre.
 
  • #11
bor0000 said:
What gave the idea to read Sartre? And do you use in daily conversation anything that was provided in the book?

I wouldn't say I use anything borrowed from Sartre in daily conversation, but there are hints of No Exit and The Wall in many of my own writings (fictional writings).
 
  • #12
If someone carries a large book around everywhere and reads it from time to time, that makes them appear smart :/

But if you mean in a conversation? Well, tell your friend to use strictly SAT vocab :D
 
  • #13
loseyourname said:
I wouldn't say I use anything borrowed from Sartre in daily conversation, but there are hints of No Exit and The Wall in many of my own writings (fictional writings).
damn, a writer and a physicist. i should just quit trying.
 
  • #14
loseyourname said:
His plays are delightful and his prose is pretty intense. Great reads. His expository writing, however - the philosophy books - are the most pretentious you'll ever read. Getting through Being and Nothingness is like swimming through wet cement that solidifies halfway through. There are more pretentious books out there - Finnegan's Wake comes to mind - but everyone knows Sartre.
since i haven't read any of his books, i don't know what to take of this. but i read one of Maugham's. And i wonder if it's vastly different from Maugham, because there i am actually reading an interesting story. I don't think i could fathom reading just about some wall.
 
  • #15
bor0000 said:
a friend is asking. suggest some things he could do? any books he should read, or people he should associate with, or just general ideas? thanks
tell your friend he/she should just remain quiet. :approve:

marlon
 
  • #16
moose said:
If someone carries a large book around everywhere and reads it from time to time, that makes them appear smart :/

But if you mean in a conversation? Well, tell your friend to use strictly SAT vocab :D

SAT vocab is pretty lame. It's not the vocabulary but what you say. He is just too wordy and often contradicts himself and is often judjemental and rude and annoying, which makes all the girls run away from him.
 
  • #17
marlon said:
tell your friend he/she should just remain quiet. :approve:

marlon
he does that a lot. but a man can't be mute throughout his life, must learn to express himself
 
  • #18
bor0000 said:
damn, a writer and a physicist. i should just quit trying.

Ha, I'm not a physicist. I don't even remember how I found this place any more, but it wasn't because of an interest in physics.

And The Wall is a damn good story. It's not about a wall. It's about a guy during the Spanish Civil war who is about to be put to death by firing squad. It chronicles the last several hours of his life, mostly what is going through his mind. You'll never read anything more intense.
 
  • #19
bor0000 said:
he does that a lot. but a man can't be mute throughout his life, must learn to express himself
you do know there are different kinds of remaining quiet, do you ?

1) the 'err i do not get it' style
2) the 'feeww, this is too easy' style
3) the 'whatever ...' style
4) the 'i hope they do not talk to me' style
5) the 'ooooii, she is hot' style (this one require sunglasses, if you want to be perfectly safe :wink: )

I suggest a combination of nrs 2 and 3, 5 is an option depending on your 'in situ' hormonal condition. :wink:

Each number corresponds to a facial expression that i would like to demonstrate to you, but unfortunately, my webcam is on strike :grumpy:

regards
marlon
 
  • #20
I would agree with marlon-- the less talking you do, the better. Let the fools speak; the person with reserve, who deliberates before speaking, generally has the upper hand in a conversation.

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. :rolleyes:
 
  • #21
Don't talk much.
 
  • #22
Is he just trying to "appear" smarter, or to actually "be" smarter?

If he's just going for appearances, he won't fool those who are actually smart, but for those who aren't, being very clean cut (not a "buzz" haircut, that just makes you look like a cop, but a stylish short haircut), black trousers, a properly pressed shirt and properly knotted tie give off an aura of authority, which people mistake for intelligence. Wearing glasses helps. Walking with a quick stride, and not dawdling about things helps.

If he actually wants to BE smarter, then nothing to do but buckle down and crack open the books.
 
  • #23
loseyourname said:
Wear a lot of black and gray and always carry at least one book by Jean Paul Sartre.

and accidentally rhyme when you talk =)
 
  • #24
Moonbear said:
If he's just going for appearances, he won't fool those who are actually smart, but for those who aren't, being very clean cut (not a "buzz" haircut, that just makes you look like a cop, but a stylish short haircut), black trousers, a properly pressed shirt and properly knotted tie give off an aura of authority, which people mistake for intelligence. Wearing glasses helps. Walking with a quick stride, and not dawdling about things helps.

Not to mention a handbag of some sort, or laptop bag. A tie isn't necessary as long as the clean cut look is going on. Resting one's hand on one's chin and periodically humming "hmm" will also work. Frizzy hair (aka the "Einstein Look") is acceptable if they already look smart as it is.

I'm not sure why, but it seems that some professors like to wear plaid shirts :confused:. That, coupled with the trousers and handbag, will definitely make someone appear "smarter". Spectacles may also give impressionable looks.

Also, a whitish long beard may help.

If the climate is colder than usual, wear a jacket with elbow-patches.
 
  • #25
one more for the, talk less, listen more approach.
 
  • #26
In conversation bring up how highly ranked you are in Dungeon and Dragons. That always gets the ladies attention.
 
  • #27
dduardo said:
In conversation bring up how highly ranked you are in Dungeon and Dragons. That always gets the ladies attention.
Yep, it does get our attention, and then we slowly back away. We always pay attention to whom to avoid. :biggrin:
 
  • #28
bor0000 said:
a friend is asking. suggest some things he could do? any books he should read, or people he should associate with, or just general ideas? thanks

This reminds me of Dean Moriarty writing Sal Paradise; asking him for tips on how he can be more intellectual, what books to read, what big words to use etc..
 
  • #29
bor0000 said:
a friend is asking. suggest some things he could do? any books he should read, or people he should associate with, or just general ideas? thanks

Tell him to stop asking questions like that.
 
  • #30
The Sphinx said:
If that is what he/she wants, I can say thet there is no chance for him/her.

I am sorry...! (j/k)
i don't think he was really kidding... when you try to look smart, you only look dumb... (take it from one who knows)... they say being smart is the only cure... but i know nothing about it really... good luck to your friend :biggrin:
 
  • #31
bor0000 said:
damn, a writer and a physicist. i should just quit trying.
i thought this was for a friend?... o wait.. i get it... it's for "a friend" :rofl:
 
  • #32
bor0000 said:
SAT vocab is pretty lame. It's not the vocabulary but what you say. He is just too wordy and often contradicts himself and is often judjemental and rude and annoying, which makes all the girls run away from him.

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. :wink: it's better to admit your weaknesses, at least your smart enough to be honest... :biggrin:
 
  • #33
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.
 
  • #34
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. :wink: it's better to admit your weaknesses, at least your smart enough to be honest... :biggrin:
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.
 
  • #35
bor0000 said:
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.

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)
 

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