Brainy Dose Presents:
15 Ways to Appear Smarter Than You Really Are
More often than not, how smart people THINK you are is more important than how smart you
ACTUALLY are.
This is especially true for those working in highly social fields – such as sales,
where success is based on your ability to engage and connect with others.
If you have an important meeting or interview coming up, or simply want to impress others
and get them to think that you are smarter than you really are, then the following tips
on our list will definitely help you.
Number One: Speak Properly
Refrain from saying “um” and “uh,” and eliminate “like” and “y’know”
from your speech patterns.
Get from point A to point B quickly in your sentences - without using too many filler
words.
Number Two: Be Still
Practice waiting, listening, and thinking before you speak or act.
This sort of control will boost your emotional IQ and also make your brain IQ seem a little
higher to an outside eye.
Number Three: Make Eye Contact
You already know that you’re supposed to do this anyway—it’s good manners, right?
But it also makes you look smarter.
Just don’t overdo it!
Or people will think you’re creepy.
Number Four: Tack on a Couple of Initials
Using your middle initial can make others see you as smarter.
This might be because people believe middle initials to be associated with higher social
status, which makes them expect greater intellectual performance.
Number Five: Dress for Success
This one should be no surprise.
Extensive research shows that how you dress affects how people perceive you.
Dressing well makes you seem more intelligent, while showing skin makes you seem less intelligent,
as it directs people’s attention to your body rather than to your brilliant mind.
Number Six: Wear Eyeglasses
This is a no brainer, and probably the easiest trick of them all.
Research shows that people wearing glasses—especially thick, full-framed ones—are perceived as
being more intelligent.
So, if you want to seem smarter, leave your contacts at home.
And if you don’t need vision correction, just slap on a pair of fake spectacles!
Number Seven: Put on a Genuine Smile
People who smile genuinely are perceived as more intelligent and more attractive than
those who fake it.
It might be because real smiles exude authenticity, which people usually consider an important
factor when judging your intelligence.
Number Eight: Act Interested
People who appear engaged in conversation, make solid eye contact, and maintain an upright
posture are rated as more intelligent.
So, resist the urge to zone out when someone’s rambling on and on to you.
Number Nine: Speak Expressively
It's not always what you say, but how you say it that leaves the biggest impression.
If you want to come off as more intelligent in your next meeting, speak louder, faster
and add in more vocal variation.
Number Ten: Carry Reading Material
You can carry around a copy of the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal or
a couple of books.
By doing this, you will influence how others perceive you, and make people associate you
with sources of information that they “think” are intelligent.
Number Eleven: Use a Thesaurus
Nothing shouts being smart more than having an extensive vocabulary.
So, use a thesaurus to spice up your words!
Just type any average word into an online Thesaurus, and let the internet do the thinking
for you.
Number Twelve: Believe in Yourself
Nothing projects intelligence quite like confidence.
When you believe in yourself, it shows!
Believing in yourself improves your performance on cognitive tasks.
Self-doubt, on the other hand, impairs your performance.
Number Thirteen: Stay on Top of Current Events
Read the news every day so you know what’s going on in the world.
If someone tries to make small talk by referencing the current political developments or the
latest Grammy Award winners, you won’t to be falling short.
Number Fourteen: Know When to Stop Talking
People who talk too much, often wind up revealing how dumb they really are.
So, pay attention to what’s coming out of your mouth, and watch people’s faces to
gauge their reactions.
When in doubt, stop talking!
And Instead, ask a question to give someone else a chance to speak.
Number Fifteen: Skip the Booze
According to studies, merely seeing someone holding a drink is enough to make them seem
less intelligent.
It’s not that we assume less intelligent people are more likely to drink; it’s that
the perceived correlation between drinking and cognitive impairment is so strong, that
we assume impairment even if there isn’t any.
Do you have any other tips to share?
Let us know in the comments below!
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