I found this funny and kind of weird article online.. I was searching for how to be smarter. I was actually looking for the physical approach.. like eating better, excersizing.. etc.. but I found this article which I found quite funny.. cuz I do most of the things that is said on there.. cuz I don’t talk much.. I just say ok.. aha.. sure.. lol Read more of it

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.”

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