Do you fake intelligence?

hard to answer. People tend to react to me as pretty smart. Mostly that's because I am, but I know people smarter than I to whom others react as if they were stupider. That's mostly 'cuz in addition to being smart I'm articulate and animated and good at playing tricks with language, which can create an illusion of intelligence. I'm aware of that, and I allow it to happen, so I checked yes, although I'm not sure it's quite correct to say I "try to act smarter."

I'm smarter "THEN" Brian. That's all that counts!

I'm told that I appear to be very knowledgeable and that I know what I'm talking about (even when *I* know my knowledge of the given subject is not up to the conversation at hand). This is very helpful when making presentations, though it's not something I really try to control other than to be very clear when I don't know something.

On the flip side, one of the things I'm a little peeved about in our (USA) society is that high intelligence is considered to be different, and different has a negative connotation. When I was in grade school I was called names for being so smart, and I reacted to this peer pressure by attempting to appear less intelligent than I actually was. One of the habits that has stuck with me since then is that I tend to speak more slowly and pause a lot.

i'm afraid i do...i'm really stupid, but don't tell anyone

Interesting how different people react to the same stimulus. I had no friends in grade school, so instead of dumbing down to make some, I used my intelligent (and, I thought at the time, maturity) as an excuse to myself for why, and just felt like I was above all of them. I pretty much built my identity around being smart. Scary when I got into this group of people, most of whom I feel are much smarter than I am.

Yes, but this is how everything is done... One generally has to "fake it" the first few times before they become good at something. So, if you want to be smart, fate it a few times and soon you will be.

No, often I act less intelligent, so I don't put anybody off.

I've been known to fake knowledge in a subject which I do not possess. I, however, do not fake intelligence. I am just as intelligent as I am, no more no less.

Trying to "fake intelligence" is a bad idea, because it is an impediment to learning. I prefer to admit to myself and others that I don't know everything, in the hopes that I might learn something.

Is anybody fooled by this?

Jen, Jonathan: I don't think speaking slower or pausing (at least the way you two do it) makes you seem less smart. On the contrary, it makes you seem like you think about your answers, which is a behavior I associate with smart people.

I'm doing it right now. ;)

miltree - that is a side-effect (and sometimes a useful one), but certainly not the one I was intending.

This generally backfires in the presence of people who are actually smarter than I am...

No, I don't. If I did I'd probably get caught!

Pooh_Bear: I do the same thing sometimes. I don't act stupid, but I don't act like a know-it-all either.

No, though I will often share opinions on subjects of which I have relatively little knowledge in a confident tone that would imply perhaps that I know more than I do.

No, there's no way to be any smarter than I already am. I know everything. I took a test, so it's proven. I'm wayyyy above average intelligence. That's how I know you hate me, just because I'm 17, overweight, smelly, friendless, and I live in my grandmother's basement.

You forgot paranoid!

Don't forget I can masturbate seven times a day.

I can't believe I'm saying this (and I'm not trying to start trouble here - really), but I think the Brian-bashing is getting a little old. Yesterday I would have laughed at the above statement, but it's just not funny anymore.

Indeed, ho hum. Can we move on now?

I don't act "smarter," but I sometimes _do_ act like I know more than I do, if I think it'll help a conversation move along.

Not intelligence, but I sometimes catch myself acting as though I have more knowledge on a topic than I actually do. I'm not sure why I would do this, since it gets in the way of my learning on that topic in which I have some interest. I just sometimes have seen words come out of my mouth and thought "that was utter bullcrap!" At that point I would usually say "You know I'm not really sure about that at all- I realize I just said it, but now I'm really not sure about it." After a few iterations of that, I've watched what I've said more carefully.

Hey, does the mixed metaphor of "watching" what one "says," and "seeing words (verbal)" strike anyone else as odd?

jonathan- I'm with milktree on the effect of speaking slowly and pausing a lot- depending on how it's done. It's far less effective if peppered with "uh," "um," " y'know," "and all, " etc. I tend to pay more attention to people who speak more slowly and leave me time to consider their words before moving on- I find it more fun to have conversations this way. It gives me the impression that the person is speaking to me rather than just to hear themselves talk.

Because I had the good fortune of going to a private grade school, I got very little discouragement for intelligence from my peers- though sometimes they objected to me debating a teacher on a topic, rather than just accepting what was said.

I'm finding it delightful reading the comments on this survey from people I have conversations with... particularly jonathan, with whom for my first six months at my current job I would find myself having long, involved, detailed technical conversations of which I understood perhaps a word in three. I would then go back to my desk and twitch for about ten minutes...

topper - a former coworker of mine, who twigged to the fact that I do what you describe as well, got into the habit of asking "is that true?" whenever I said something implausible with confidence.

This led to exchanges like "so dave, what should we do about X?" "Hm... well, I'd expect A, B, and C to have effect M, which would tend to resolve X." "Is that true?" "Damned if I know, but it sounded good, didn't it?"

I have to do this as well. People ask questions and I provide plausible answers and sometimes I find out later that my extemporaneous audible thinking about possible solutions was taken as definitive by the person(s) listening. It's amusing and strange to me that people take me so seriously.

I would have to say no. If I do not know something, I usually admit it and use it as an impetus to learn something new. I have known some people who "fake" intelligence only to have it come back and bite them in the ass.

I tend to cut people who talk slowly off, finish their sentences, derail their points, etc. I can't help myself. I absolutely hate when someone does this to me though.

hunter/dpolicar, I now make an effort to say "I don't know but..." or "This is pure speculation, but..." when I start spewing such stuff. I've found it really helps and often relaxes the person I'm talking to such that they get more involved and offer their ideas up as well.

No, for two reasons. 1. it invariably fails at some point. 2. I prefer honesty in my dealings with others.

A good way to feign intelligence: Combine trivia and arrogance. You'd be amazed how many people'll fall for it.

trivia+arrogance doesn't equal intelligence
trivia+arrogance=annoyance

k...pandora and jen...this is where brian made a comment and you two immediately retorted with smart-ass remarks...leave him alone...it's old...stale...just ignore him....his comment was, in no way, directed towards either of you...which leaves me to believe you are seeking opportunities to make derogatory remarks towards brian....all you're doing is fueling the fire...

well..hold on...jen's remark may have been awe...i'm not sure...were you impressed that brian made you think he was/is intelligent?..or was it like "duh, i know you're not intelligent"?...

A weak mind is like a microscope, which magnifies trifling things but cannot receive great ones....Lord Chesterfield

Brian: Filter away if you so desire.
Magbast: I wasn't thinking of my comment in a smart ass way at all. I'm stating my feelings, and my comment is in no way directed toward him, at least not any more than it's directed to anyone else.

pandora: The statement was as follows: A good way to feign intelligence: Combine trivia and arrogance. You'd be amazed how many people'll fall for it.

Now, look at that first part again. A good way to FEIGN intelligence. Many people combine arrogance with trivia, and somehow pass it off as intelligence. I made that quite clear in my previous post. magbast was quite correct when he said you were only looking for excuses to be a smart-ass.

Actually he wasn't. It's really annoying to me that you would make a statement about what I *really* meant, because you couldn't know. So I'm telling you without a doubt, it wasn't meant in offense to you or anyone else.

And for future reference, if I wanted to make a smart ass remark, I wouldn't be afraid to do it flat out. No need to worry about my underlying meanings.

Certainly not intentionally. Like telling a lie, it's a good way to dig oneself into a hole without a way out.

I don't have to. I just show them my M.S. in health physics

bill, I never fate my intelligence because I know I am a genius, its just that my preoccupation with my thoughts for a better world causes many of my peers to label me absent minded................michael

I have enough intelligence that I don't feel the need to fake it.