Article: As the saying goes, "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." If you want to assumed reasonably smart, keep your mouth shut. Talk less and when you do talk, what you say will be valued that much more. It helps that "smart" people are generally viewed as more introverted, as inaccurate as that is. Not only will you have the benefit of the doubt, but you'll have the stereotype on your side, too. "Mama said I dun need none no book learnin'. Now gid off th' property!" If you got that, you're probably picturing someone in overalls with a strand of wheat hanging from their upper lip, rifle in hand. Not exactly smart looking, huh? How about, "Mother said I didn't need any book learning. Now get off the property." A little strange (why was mother so against formal education, anyway?), but definitely smarter. "Proper" here meaning by the standards of conventional American or British English (or whatever umbrella your dialect falls under). While saying "y'all" is totally acceptable and not technically incorrect in certain dialects, it's not okay in others. In order to be truly proper, speak the kind of English they teach you in school. It's totally natural to drop the "g" from -ing words and to say things like "coulda" or "kinda," but if you're really looking to sound smart, those habits will have to be dropped. Slow your speech a bit, say the full words, and speak a bit more formally. People may wonder why you talk like that and the answer? Intelligence. "I dunno. I think I'm gonna go with 'em to the show fer 'bout an hour," is more intelligently said as "I don't know. I think I'm going to go with them to the show for about an hour." And that doesn't take any mental work -- just talking. OMG, like, really?! LOL. No. Just no. In your new smart-sounding communication, there is no IDK-ing, no inserting "like," "you know," or "umm" every third world. Don't do it. If you think you don't do it, spend an hour actually listening to yourself. Seriously. Avoid the abbreviations and the acronyms (like "totes" or "BRB"). That's text speak and shouldn't even really be used on your phone (especially if you want to keep up the facade). Mallspeak is where, you, like, talk like this, and, umm, like, you fill the empty spaces, with, like, and, umm, rising intonation and it, like, always sounds like you're asking questions when you're, like, really not. Basically don't talk like you're in Clueless. The "valley girl" dialect isn't viewed as particularly intelligent, to say the least. Even Alex Trebek would sound like an idiot if he had to expound on the five ages of the universe. It doesn't matter how smart you are -- if you don't know anything about the topic matter, you won't sound intelligent. So stick to what you know! Don't put pressure on yourself to join in on a conversation about the Glass-Steagall Act if it's not your cup of tea. No one can add valuable input to every conversation. Try to steer the conversation at hand if you're really aching to show your stuff. Maybe you don't know anything about the Glass-Steagall Act but you know a tidbit or two about Roosevelt. Get the conversation about him and jump on it! Find your opening (six degrees of Kevin Bacon style) and grab the wheel. That's how conversations progress, after all! There's an episode of Friends where Monica and Chandler run into Monica's ex-boyfriend, Richard. While Chandler is busting out poop jokes, Richard recites, "In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." Who's the smarter one in this scenario? Quoting that doesn't mean Richard is smart, but it sure makes him look like it! In case you were curious, that's a Khalil Gibran quote. If you're going to choose things to quote, it's best to stick to poets, classic novelists, and prominent figures of the past -- not Dennis Rodman, Michael Scott, or Carrot Top. Just sprinkling in a handful of "smart" words can do wonders for the impression you give others. Words like "hence," "sought," "shall," "divert," and "inquire" are good alternatives to other, more common words, but look them up to be sure when to use them. If you use them wrong, you'll come across as foolish. In general, English has a lot of French and German words. Sometimes the French word is "smarter sounding" than the German. Instead of saying "to answer your question" say "in response to your question." Instead of "begin," choose "commence." "Understand" is "comprehend," et cetera ad infinitum. Don't know what to say? Don't say anything at all! Let your face do the talking. Someone starts going off on a soap box you don't understand? Roll your eyes, wave your hand away, and occupy yourself some other way. Some people will question your behavior...and if they do, just run. You could always put on your "thinking" face. A slightly furrowed brow, squinted eyes looking up, maybe a hand near your face. Then ask them to explain further. You want the full argument before you respond. If you're jumping in every sentence and a half to prove just how smart you are, that's not smart. There's a reason Hermione Granger didn't have very many friends throughout Hogwarts. Most people know a bit about a few things and no one knows everything about everything. Be comfortable with your lack of knowledge! Just because you can't recite information about the structure of atoms doesn't mean you're not smart; it just means that's specific knowledge you don't have right now. It's something you can learn later. Ask some questions, but not too many. Smart people know a lot, but they don't know everything. They became smart by learning, so it's a good idea to occasionally say something like "I'm not familiar with that, can you explain" or "I hadn't heard that, can you tell me more"?
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Listen more and speak less. Use proper grammar. Pronounce your words fully. Avoid textspeak and mallspeak. Stick to what you know. Quote something. Use "smart" words. Express yourself non-verbally. Don't be a know-it-all.