How to Act Smart In Front of Your Friends

Acting smart in front of friends takes some intelligence, wit and confidence. Say a few
words in French, speak with sophisticated words, speak on deep subjects. But most
importantly, have fun!

Steps [edit]Speak with confidence. Always give the impression that you know what you
are talking about, even if you are making up some of it up. If your friends are talking
about something you don't know much about then stay quiet and listen. When you get
home look up whatever it is that you didn't know about.
Speak in a different language. In French, "Je m'appelle" means "My name is". You say
"Please" with "S'il vous plait". Try out different phrases.
Talk about quantum physics, politics, and use words such as 'superfluous' and 'ostracize.'
Make sure that you consult a dictionary or encyclopedia in order to really understand the
words, otherwise you'll appear merely ignorant.
Read articles on the internet or in a newspaper that look interesting. A lot of knowledge
can be obtained this way.
Be sarcastic. Raise your eyebrows a lot. (This can get you called a smart aleck, or
grounded if you abuse this in front of your parents). Wit is valued when done well,
however.
Speak clearly and avoid "uhm"'s and "like"'s (especially while giving a speech). Breathe
deeply instead of filling the space with a useless word.
Sit in a room full of friends,and just sit and be very quiet, occasionally nodding and
smiling. This will let them think that you are observing them and they will act differently.
Read quotes by famous people and use them in situations that call for them. Be sure to let
your friends know who said that, so they will ponder the thought and think more highly
of you by knowing the person who said it.

Tips [edit]When someone questions you, question them in return.

If challenged by someone who does know what they are talking about, don't be defensive,
rather agree that they have an interesting perspective and that you appreciate the
information.
Don't be afraid to admit you may be wrong. If someone calls you out on it, and they are
irrefutably right, concede, and quickly change the subject. Or use humor to defuse the
situation, admitting that you have yet to finish studying that knowledge.
It is better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Use silence to your advantage; people will wonder what you're thinking.
Don't brag about things you have that they don't. People love to brag about themselves. so
listen and learn to read them from this.

Warnings [edit]Watch out for people who might catch you acting smart. Keep learning
and you will actually be smart rather than acting.
Don't make up facts - and if you do, make sure you say something like, "I read it forever
ago in a magazine" or something equally vague.
Another excellent vague source is "I saw it on the History Channel." Works like a charm.
Also, if caught, you can use. "Oh, then I guess he/she/the author/TV presenter was lying
or mistaken." Don't say who he/she is.

How to Act Smart

You might be smart, but maybe nobody knows it. The question is, how do you act smart
and show that you really do have a pretty nifty brain on your shoulders?

Steps [edit]Ask yourself why you hide your intelligence. Is it because you're shy? Do
people belittle you for being smart? Do they often end up imposing silly stereotypes or
unfair expectations? If you're feeling self conscious, drill this into your mind: Anybody
who tries to bring you down for being smart is insecure. Why should you be a slave to
their insecurities?
Read in public. There's no reason to hide the fact that you like to read. Read the
newspaper. Go to the bookstore, get a cup of coffee, and browse recently published books
in topics that you're interested in.
Speak your mind. If there's something that you're interested in it, state your opinion or
better yet, ask a good question. You want to act smart, not arrogant, and making a
statement can sometimes put people on the defensive. The most graceful way to display
your intelligence is to gently show your inquisitiveness--ask why and make suggestions!

How to Appear Like a Smart Girl at

School
This guide will cover mainly physical appearance. For tips on acting intelligent or
increasing your intelligence, please see related articles.

Steps [edit]
1. Cut your hair to a medium length. Studies have shown that medium length hair is
perceived as intelligent
2. If your hair is medium length, you can neatly braid it or put it in a neat looking
bun. No matter what length, you should make sure its clean and neat. Whatever
your style, make sure it doesn't take too long to do.
3. Dress in an intelligent looking way. T-shirts with the names of museums on them,
shirts with stuff like "Use Your Brain" on them, plain and tailored looking pants,
knee-length and above the knee skirts and clean, neat, clean-cut and sensible
shoes are all nice. Imitating school uniforms and the clothing of corporate
executives also looks nice, but don't do it every day. Avoid trends, dress modestly.
4. Make up should be clean and not excessive or elaborate. No glitter or shine.
Imitate the makeup of women in power who look like you. You can also get
 inspiration off fashion websites that address makeup for working women, and
only use makeup in that section. If you don't want to do any of this, then here is a
universal makeup scheme: natural looking eyeshadow, one coat of black or brown
mascara, red lipstick that suits your coloring and clear nail polish. Make sure your
makeup doesn't take too long to do. Nails should always be at the length of a well
groomed boy and you can have any color you want but make sure its a solid one.
Neat eyebrows are very important. You don't have to wear any makeup if you
don't want to.
5. If

you need glasses then you should wear them instead of contacts. Glasses
sometimes make people seem more intelligent, especially rectangle and rounded
frames. Keep them clean. Thick frames are especially good.

6. Things to always carry: a practical backpack of reasonable size, a good book to

read, an address book to put your friends phone numbers in, notebooks for your
various needs, some pencils with good erasers, some ball point pens, a hand held
manual pencil sharpener that doesn't need to be used over a trash bag, some good
erasers, some good eraser caps and a planner.

Tips [edit]
• Whatever you do, be yourself. There is nothing smart about pretending to be
someone you're just not. Stick with your look - it's just sad seeing someone try to
be smart and the next day completely going back to being "one of the pretty
girls". You will totally lose respect.
• If you try to use big words - make sure you actually understand what you are
saying. Otherwise you'll seem like a fake and everyone will laugh at you. Try
learning a new word from the dictionary each day.
How to Act Smart In Front of Your Friends
Acting smart in front of friends takes some intelligence, wit and confidence. Say a few
words in French, speak with sophisticated words, speak on deep subjects. But most
importantly, have fun!

Steps [edit]Speak with confidence. Always give the impression that you know what you
are talking about, even if you are making up some of it up. If your friends are talking
about something you don't know much about then stay quiet and listen. When you get
home look up whatever it is that you didn't know about.
Speak in a different language. In French, "Je m'appelle" means "My name is". You say
"Please" with "S'il vous plait". Try out different phrases.
Talk about quantum physics, politics, and use words such as 'superfluous' and 'ostracize.'
Make sure that you consult a dictionary or encyclopedia in order to really understand the
words, otherwise you'll appear merely ignorant.
Read articles on the internet or in a newspaper that look interesting. A lot of knowledge
can be obtained this way.
Be sarcastic. Raise your eyebrows a lot. (This can get you called a smart aleck, or
grounded if you abuse this in front of your parents). Wit is valued when done well,
however.
Speak clearly and avoid "uhm"'s and "like"'s (especially while giving a speech). Breathe
deeply instead of filling the space with a useless word.
Sit in a room full of friends,and just sit and be very quiet, occasionally nodding and
smiling. This will let them think that you are observing them and they will act differently.
Read quotes by famous people and use them in situations that call for them. Be sure to let
your friends know who said that, so they will ponder the thought and think more highly
of you by knowing the person who said it.

Tips [edit]When someone questions you, question them in return.

If challenged by someone who does know what they are talking about, don't be defensive,
rather agree that they have an interesting perspective and that you appreciate the
information.
Don't be afraid to admit you may be wrong. If someone calls you out on it, and they are
irrefutably right, concede, and quickly change the subject. Or use humor to defuse the
situation, admitting that you have yet to finish studying that knowledge.
It is better to be quiet and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Use silence to your advantage; people will wonder what you're thinking.
Don't brag about things you have that they don't. People love to brag about themselves. so
listen and learn to read them from this.

Warnings [edit]Watch out for people who might catch you acting smart. Keep learning
and you will actually be smart rather than acting.
Don't make up facts - and if you do, make sure you say something like, "I read it forever
ago in a magazine" or something equally vague.
Another excellent vague source is "I saw it on the History Channel." Works like a charm.
Also, if caught, you can use. "Oh, then I guess he/she/the author/TV presenter was lying
or mistaken." Don't say who he/she is.

You're Only as Smart

as You Appear
(SAMPLE DIALOGUES INCLUDED)

By Jenn Stroud Rossman, Ph.D.

The goal behind this painless four-step plan is to seem smarter without having to read any books, listen to
classical music, or depend on crutches like word-of-the-day toilet paper. By making a few minor modifications to
your behavior, you will give the impression to those around you that you are smarter--not only smarter than you
were before, but, more importantly, smarter than they are.

1. Say Less
Talkative people rarely seem smart. Think of the adjectives that describe them: chatty, garrulous, loquacious.
Garrulous has several meanings, including "given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk"; loquacious
means, in part, "apt to blab and disclose secrets." John Dryden wrote of impetuous youth "who think too little,
and who talk too much," who are "loquacious, brawling, ever in the wrong." In fact, you can often say more with
a gesture or a nod than an entire paragraph replete with quotations from the mid 17th century.

2. Active Listening
This step is a natural extension of Step 1. It involves only a small adjustment to your listening style. When
listening to another (talkative, hence less smart) person relate an anecdote, you may find yourself inserting a
murmur or an "uh-huh," encouraging the speaker without intruding upon what they're saying. Instead, replace
"uh-huh" with a brisk nod and the word "sure." Practice this dialogue with a friend:

FRIEND: So, I was at the mall yesterday. . .

YOU: SURE.

FRIEND: . . . and I thought I'd head over to Abercrombie & Fitch. They were having a sale, plus I find
myself drawn to their homoerotic advertising imagery. . .

YOU: SURE.

"Sure" serves much the same conversational purpose as "uh-huh," while suggesting that you're already familiar
with life's trivialities and do not need to have things explained to you. Once you've become comfortable with
"sure" and its usage, you may also substitute "of course."

3. Deflect Literary Questions

If a particular work of literature comes up in conversation, you may be asked whether you've read it. This is quite
likely to happen once you have implemented the first two steps, because people will have begun to regard you as
a smart person and will look to you for affirmation of their own intelligence and sophistication. When asked, reply
in your now-characteristic economical style: "Well, not in English." You may wish to accompany this remark with
a slight snort. This will serve the dual purpose of implying that you are, of course, familiar with the work while
deflecting any potentially embarrassing follow-up questions about characters or themes by shaming your
questioner with your multilingual abilities.

Even if you are familiar with a particular book, restaurant, or law of physics that comes up in conversation, do not
rush to share your knowledge. Remember, say less.

4. Sports as Metaphor
It goes without saying that, as a smart person, you should not appear to be interested in sports. However, it is
acceptable to be familiar with this or that sport, as long as it's for metaphorical purposes. (See the baseball
writings of George Will for examples of this technique.) Here is another dialogue to practice:

FRIEND: So, I think Bill's been seeing that woman from the health food store. You know, Twigs and
Berries? So I confronted him about it, and he said I'd driven him to it with my "incessant nagging."

YOU: WELL, THE GROUND CAN'T CAUSE A FUMBLE.

FRIEND: I'm afraid my marriage is over.

YOU: SURE.

Beware of false promises on your path to seeming smarter. Some instructors will tell you that all you need to do
is surround yourself with idiots. This is pure snake oil. Like the nonprescription glasses that were fleetingly
popular in the early 1990s, the attempt to seem smarter simply by accessorizing is shortsighted. The same can
be said for quick fixes like speed-reading or listening to NPR. You deserve a comprehensive program with lasting
results.

A Short History of the Scientific Evaluation of

Intelligence
In the 19th century, French surgeon Paul Broca tried to gauge intelligence using craniometry. He measured the
length ratio of the radius bone to the humerus bone (the forearm to the upper arm). A higher ratio, or longer
forearm, is a characteristic of apes; therefore, he reasoned, a smaller ratio should reflect higher intelligence.
Using this criterion, the average intelligence of whites rated below that of several darker-skinned races. Broca
quickly switched to a new parameter--cranial capacity--according to which white men ranked higher. By making a
correction for stature, he was able to "prove" that the French were smarter than the Germans. Broca later made
important scientific contributions--including discovering the brain's speech center--but his craniometry research
continues to be highlighted in such distinguished publications as the Web site of white-supremacist bigot David
Duke.

In the early 1800s, Philadelphia scientist Samuel Morton tried to rank the intelligence of races according to
average brain size. His method involved stuffing the cranial cavity with mustard seed or lead shot to determine
the volume of the brain once held by the cavity. Morton's analyses confirmed what most of his colleagues
suspected: The American intellectual pyramid had whites on top, American Indians in the middle, and blacks on
the bottom. Objective science, working for us all.

A student of Broca's, Alfred Binet, reexamined his mentor's techniques and discovered that measurement error
(inaccurate readings, discrepancies between different experimenters' results) exceeded the differences between
"smart" and "not smart" specimens. Binet went on to develop a test that measured subjects' abilities to
sequence, arrange, and match, then compared the results with a standard for each subject's age. This led to the
concept of an intelligence quotient, or IQ, based on the ratio of mental age to chronological age.

The international passion for testing ignited by Binet's work led to the development of many tests with scoring
measures based on limited data. For example, tests based on Binet's standards were used by the U.S. Army to
rate World War I recruits. However, the questions were based on current events and general knowledge rather
than the mental tasks used by Binet. After long periods spent in training facilities and overseas, in isolation from
popular culture, the recruits scored poorly, and were further embarrassed when the results were released after
the war. As with Broca's and Morton's scales, the testers themselves scored very well.

How to Make People Like You: Secrets of Instant Rapport

Nicholas Boothman

Special from Bottom Line/Retirement

f other people like you, the world can be a very wonderful place...

People who like you are eager to help take care of your needs and desires.

Enjoying relationships with other people is a major factor contributing to longevity and
happiness.

Some people are naturally able to make others like them. Those of us who are not born
with this knack can develop it by applying just a few principles.

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MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

It takes very little time for people to form an impression of someone they have just met,
and that impression tends to stick. A recent study by Harvard University psychologists
found that the attitude students formed toward new teachers in just two seconds was
essentially the same as the one they held after sitting through the whole course.

Of course, you cannot expect to become everyone’s best friend in two seconds, but if you
make the right first impression, demonstrating that you are sincere, safe and trustworthy,
you can initiate the building of a lasting rapport within 90 seconds.

PROJECT A “REALLY USEFUL ATTITUDE”

Your attitude sets the quality and mood of your thoughts, which in turn influence your
voice tone, the words you use, your facial expressions and your body language. Your
attitude determines the quality of your relationships. When you project a “really useful
attitude,” one that is cheery, interested and helpful, other people will want to be around
you.

It’s up to you to choose your attitude. When you project the opposite attitude, they will
have the opposite reaction.

Very important: Make sure your words, tone of voice and gestures are all consistent.
When faced with inconsistency among these three ways of delivering a message, people
pay most attention to body language, and then to tone of voice -- and surprisingly little to
the actual words.

ESTABLISH RAPPORT BY DESIGN

We like people who are like us, so the key to establishing rapport with strangers is to
learn how to be like them. This requires you to deliberately control your behavior to
become sufficiently like the other person to form a connection -- at least for a short time.

Look around a restaurant or any other public place where people meet and socialize and
compare those couples who are in rapport with those who are not. The ones who are in
rapport lean toward one another... adopt similar arm and leg positions... talk in similar
tones of voice. In short, they seem to be synchronized.

The quickest way to establish rapport with people you meet is to synchronize with them.

Synchronizing does not mean you are being phony or insincere. Its purpose is to help you
put the other person at ease and speed up the rapport that would otherwise take longer to
develop. You are not expected to make your movements, tone and voice mimic the other
person’s, but just to act with him/her the same way you would if you were already
friends.

HOW TO SYNCHRONIZE

Try to start synchronizing within seconds of making a new acquaintance. Five stages of a
successful first encounter...

Use open body language. Uncover your heart by leaving your jacket or coat unbuttoned
and facing the other person.

Be first with eye contact. Look the other person straight in the eye.

Beam a smile.

Be the first to identify yourself with a pleasant, “Hi! I’m Nick.”

Lean subtly toward the other person to show your interest and openness, and begin to
synchronize.
Pick up on the other person’s feelings and identify with him by synchronizing your
movements, breathing patterns and expressions. Use your voice to reflect back the mood
conveyed by his voice. Don’t copy him clumsily, but notice his posture, gestures, head
and body movements and facial expressions and mirror them.

Particularly important: Mirror his voice tone, volume, speed and pitch.

SECRETS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Get the other person to start talking openly so you can find out what matters to him and
synchronize yourself accordingly.

Begin by asking open questions -- those that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or
“no” but encourage the other person to open up and reveal himself.

Key words: Who? When? What? Why? Where? How?

Keep the conversation going by answering a question with another question.

Sensory preferences: If you really want to communicate with other people on their own
wavelengths, learn to rapidly figure out their sensory preferences. People view the world
in one of three basic ways...

Visuals are motivated primarily by what they see.

Auditories by what they hear.

Kinesthetics by physical sensations.

You can quickly recognize which group people belong to by listening to the vocabulary
they use. Examples...

Visuals tend to talk fast, wave their hands, look up with their eyes, dress well and say
things like, “I’d like to see proof of that.”

Auditories tend to talk at a medium speed, have melodic and expressive voices, gesture
and move their eyes from side to side and will say, “I hear that.”

Kinesthetics tend to speak very slowly and with great detail, look down as they speak,
wear textured clothing, and talk about how they feel.

Detecting sensory preferences requires you to pay close attention to others, which in itself
makes you a more people-oriented, likeable person. And when you learn how to
synchronize with people using the vocabulary they feel comfortable with, your ability to
develop rapport with almost anyone will grow.
How to Make People Appreciate and Like You
When other people like you, the world can be a very wonderful place. People who like
you are eager to help take care of your needs and desires. Enjoying relationships with
other people is a major factor contributing to longevity and happiness. Some people are
naturally able to make others like them. Those of us who are not born with this knack can
develop it by applying just a few principles.

Steps [edit]Project a "really useful attitude." Your attitude sets the quality and mood of
your thoughts, which in turn influence your voice tone, the words you use, your facial
expressions and your body language. Your attitude determines the quality of your
relationships. When you project a "really useful attitude," one that is cheery, interested
and helpful, other people will want to be around you. It's up to you to choose your
attitude. When you project the opposite attitude, they will have the opposite reaction.
Very important: make sure your words, tone of voice and gestures are all consistent.
When faced with inconsistency among these three ways of delivering a message, people
pay most attention to body language, and then to tone of voice -- and surprisingly little to
the actual words.
Establish rapport by design. We like people who are like us, so the key to establishing
rapport with strangers is to learn how to be like them. This requires you to deliberately
control your behavior to become sufficiently like the other person to form a connection --
at least for a short time. Look around a restaurant or any other public place where people
meet and socialize and compare those couples who are in rapport with those who are not.
The ones who are in rapport lean toward one another... adopt similar arm and leg
positions... talk in similar tones of voice. In short, they seem to be synchronized. The
quickest way to establish rapport with people you meet is to synchronize with them.
Synchronizing does not mean you are being phony or insincere. Its purpose is to help you
put the other person at ease and speed up the rapport that would otherwise take longer to
develop. You are not expected to make your movements, tone and voice mimic the other
person's, but just to act with him/her the same way you would if you were already
friends.
Synchronize.
Try to start synchronizing within seconds of making a new acquaintance. Five stages of a
successful first encounter...
Use open body language. Uncover your heart by leaving your jacket or coat unbuttoned
and facing the other person.
Be first with eye contact. Look the other person straight in the eye.
Beam a smile.
Be the first to identify yourself with a pleasant, "Hi! I'm Nick."
Lean subtly toward the other person to show your interest and openness, and begin to
synchronize.
Pick up on the other person's feelings and identify with him by synchronizing your
movements, breathing patterns and expressions. Use your voice to reflect back the mood
conveyed by his voice. Don't copy him clumsily, but notice his posture, gestures, head
and body movements and facial expressions and mirror them. Particularly important:
Mirror his voice tone, volume, speed and pitch.
Secrest of effective communication. Get the other person to start talking openly so you
can find out what matters to him and synchronize yourself accordingly. Begin by asking
open questions -- those that cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" but
encourage the other person to open up and reveal himself. Key words: Who? When?
What? Why? Where? How? Keep the conversation going by answering a question with
another question.

Tips [edit]Sensory preferences: If you really want to communicate with other people on
their own wavelengths, learn to rapidly figure out their sensory preferences. People view
the world in one of three basic ways...
"Visuals" are motivated primarily by what they see. Visuals tend to talk fast, wave their
hands, look up with their eyes, dress well and say things like, "I'd like to see proof of
that."
"Auditories" by what they hear. Auditories tend to talk at a medium speed, have melodic
and expressive voices, gesture and move their eyes from side to side and will say, "I hear
that."
"Kinesthetics" by physical sensations. Kinesthetics tend to speak very slowly and with
great detail, look down as they speak, wear textured clothing, and talk about how they
feel.

Detecting sensory preferences requires you to pay close

attention to others, which in itself makes you a more
people-oriented, likeable person. And when you learn
how to synchronize with people using the vocabulary
they feel comfortable with, your ability to develop
rapport with almost anyone will grow. Fundamental
Techniques in Handling People
1. Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.

Part Two

Six ways to make people like you

1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and
most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
 6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Part Three

Win people to your way of thinking

1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're
wrong."
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
10.Appeal to the nobler motives.
11.Dramatize your ideas.
12.Throw down a challenge.

Part Four

Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving

Offense or Arousing Resentment
A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some
suggestions to accomplish this:

1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.

2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be
"hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.