How To Appear Smart

Appearing smart doesn't require that much intelligence. All it will take is reading this list! That and not letting people see past the surface. We're just going to give an impression and then move on.

 

#1 Have books handy

   Not just any books, it has to be particular ones. Having each Twilight book on your shelf isn't going to do you all that good with the type of people we're trying to attract. So what books do you need? There's a lot of options and it shouldn't be too difficult to decide what will work and what won't. Just ask yourself "Would a smart person read this?" or in other words "Is this book beyond me?" If it is, you've got something good! It can be anything dealing with literature (the study of/ and or classic novels) mathematics, science, or some other genus reading material. Now what you do with those books is important. If you ever have people coming to your home you want to appear smart to, have these books handy. They can be on the bookshelf or even on the coffee table. Try not to make it too obvious that you want them to be seen. Throw a couple of average readers on a shelf next to them. Even a couple of well selected books can do the trick.

   Here's my own example. Look at these books. There is no way of knowing if I've actually read them or not.
As far as any passerby is concerned,  I have. But the truth? I'm yet to read Literature and Life in America. Love Poems and Sonnets of Shakespeare I'm rather afraid to read. Industrial Control Instruments I have never read and never will. The only reason I got that book from a Library sale was just for this purpose! For show!

But not everyone you want to come across as smart will be in your home. This leads to #2, which is similar to #1.


#2 Carry a book around

   All the books you have reserved for #1 will work for this step. You don't have to carry a book around with you where ever you are,  just in appropriate places. That's really for you to decide. 
Don't pick the MOST difficult book to carry because you should be able to read it if you absolutely have to in an emergency.  I'm not going to carry that  Industrial Control Instruments book around. That would just be silly. Take a book that interests you, but you probably won't be reading its entirety any time soon.

   This is an example that's already worked for me. I did state testing this past year for school and in between sections of the test we were allowed to read. As one teacher past by me she asked what I was reading. Wordlessly, I showed her this page. Yes, it was the autobiography of  Italian metal worker Benvenuto Cellini. Her only reply was "Oh...that's deep." I had only read two pages of this book and that's all it took. The teacher had much more to say to the girl next to me reading The Hunger Games. Ha! It takes a certain kind of person to understand the things you and I will be holding.  Harvard classics only!!!


#3 Watch T.V and YouTube 

   You're probably already doing this step. You can  pick up bits and pieces of information with this. Not everything you watch will be useful. Obviously you will learn more from a documentary than you will from an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  But what's mentioned by the people in shows, movies, and even videos on the internet can teach you something. It's not going to teach you anything in depth, but it may be good enough. You've probably heard of people knowing "a little bit about everything." Well that can now be you, all from you paying attention to your entertainment! You can benefit from this by dropping these bits on information of what you know in conversation when applicable.



#4 Quote exoteric movie lines 

   When the discussion turns to film, you can quote exoteric lines from movies (well known and obscure). You don't have to claim whether you've seen the movie or not.  People will be blown away from you reciting an excerpt from a movie. They will be so awestruck that you won't even need to say anything else for the rest of the conversation. That may be because you don't know anything about the movie, but they will probably assume you just know it so well you're above talking about it. A few times I've quoted "“What is the victory of a cat on a hot tin roof? I wish I knew... just staying on it, I guess, as long as she can...”  Have I seen the movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?  No. But you would think I did if you heard me quote it.
In case of an emergency mention the sled that said "Rosebud".


By following these steps and whatever else you can think of- you can successfully appear smart, knowledgeable and interesting. You may have very shallow friends but take it for what it's worth. 

Good Days are Here Again

"Those were the good old days..."


Were they?


   I often look back on things and think that. The people and the places I went in the past now seem so delicate. Delicate in the sense that they were really great and nothing can change that memory.

Next I'll think  "If only I was back at that time again." But what's funny is I probably was never aware that I was experiencing the good times when they were happening.
Of course I had fun when I was with the people I really cared about and knew it. But I think I should have appreciated them even more.
 


If this is really the case that only things in the past were good, then things must be getting progressively worse.  Either they are or your memory of the past is distorted. Maybe some of things look so nice because you're only remembering the good.
Certain places you can never return to. People you once spent time with are no longer your friends. Dwelling on this gets to be so painful. Change isn't easy, especially when it's a change for the worse.

So what now?  You just have to hope that you will be happy sometime in the future and do things memorable, big or small.

Playlist - Spring 2012

I had the idea this past winter to have a post on a PLAYLIST. Yep that's right. Here's some songs I've liked the past few month. It's mostly pop/techno music with some other stuff thrown in. So if you like that type of stuff you may enjoy this.  This blog doesn't get much traffic (obviously) so I can pretty much post whatever I want. ;)


http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14C3D0BA98C7AFAD

Alexz Johnson - Give Me Fire
Dia Frampton - Don't Kick the Chair
Flo Rida - Wild Ones
Kill Paradise - Forget the Queen, Save Us All
Markattack - Infinite Possibility
Morgan Page - In the Air
Mr. Hudson - Everything Is Broken
Olly Murs - Heart Skips A Beat
Inna - Amazing
Coldplay - Princess of China
Foster The People - Call It What You Want
Lana Del Rey - Video Games (Jamie Woon remix)
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know

Shy

"Oh she's just shy."

   I've gotten that many times. It's usually a statement made from someone who thinks they know me to someone else. It's an excuse as to why I'm not saying much.
I keep trying to define the word shy. It's definitely not a compliment, so does that make it an insult? I'm starting to think so. It's not as obvious as an insult like "oh she's overweight." or "they're such a jerk." Still it doesn't do any good or encourage anyone. So what is the point in saying it? No one has to make an excuse for me not being social enough.

    This problem has followed me for a long time. Back in kindergarten, The Powerpuff Girls were really popular with all the girls. My friends and I used to play that we were them as recess. I remember one day we were lining up after recess and overheard my friends trying to decide who was going to play which character the next day. One girl suggested I be Bubbles..and the other said "no...she doesn't have enough spirit." If you've never seen the show- Bubbles is the really happy, ditzy, bubbly one. I know this was only something a five year old said, but strangely I haven't forgotten about it. Not because I'm still angry to this day but because it stood out to me so much. According to the world I don't have much spirit and I'm shy.  It doesn't sound like things are going too well for me.

"Quiet people have the loudest minds." - Stephen Hawking

   I came across this quote recently and I think it's true. Maybe not true for every single person who is considered quite but still. Everybody is different. Not everyone can be loud and obnoxious. Everybody is different!  And that's good! Not to say that I don't dislike people who are talkative.
No one needs to be permanently labeled as shy. You will get into so many conversation for the rest of your life. Sometimes you just don't have anything to say in a particular conversation or to certain people. That's fine. At the least you can be considered a good listener- and that is valuable.

From Where I Sit

Driving home on I81 really was beautiful in some spots. The highway its self is just a bunch of cars and trucks passing one another. Seeing all the hills and rivers really is a contrast. All of that is there on its own. The things man-made are just build around them. The highways have no purpose other than to accommodate people going places. I could go on about this but I'll spare you.

 A shot from out the car window. I know...I should have put the window down. :p

The view from out hotel window in Salem, VA. The city is build up but the mountains were there first.

Winter Beach

Just an idea I had, took me a few minutes to do. I don't know if this is any good, haha. It's pretty short and it doesn't rhyme. 

Winter Beach

Sand and snow

Feel the heat of the crystal cold

Piercing sun in the icy wind

Complicate the sweet sound of the roaring lull

Up high and falling down

Bare skin hits the wool

Soaking up the chilly day

Hot humidity freezes me

Details

DETAILS.

   Details are nearly worthless. Well maybe not quite yet. What am I talking about? Details have such little value to many people. No one wants to hear the whole story, they just want you to get right to the point. For example, each time I've had to email my school's tech support about computer problems I always get a short reply.  In my mind it would be helpful to explain how I arrived at a certain problem...but all that they want to hear is the ending. I also felt this way the last time I went to the doctor. I know it must sound crazy to think that a doctor of all people would not care about details, but in some cases it's true. When I thought I had strep throat I never had the opportunity to go into detail about my symptoms. For a common problem as sore throat doctors must have a check list to go through. For that they don't need to hear the details. Either your glands are sore or they're aren't.

   Beside my complaints with the system not wanting to hear the details, it's also true with everyday ones you speak with. All they want is the plain and simple facts. Did you get your license or didn't you? Yes I did. They probably won't be asking about the time it took me to get that license. Maybe I can account people not wanting to hear details with everyone being so busy.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not sitting here disgruntled with all humans. It's just my observation. Someone out there will listen to the details.