Today’s Wall Street Journal contained an article with the same title as this post. In summary, how to project intelligence:

Behaviors people use to look intelligent:
1. Putting on a serious facial expression.
2. Holding hands and arms still.
3. Using big words and complex sentences.
4. Moving faster than others around them.

Behaviors others look for when judging who’s smart:
1. Having a self-confident expression
2. Being responsive in conversations, nodding and gesturing.
3. Speaking in a pleasant expressive voice.
4. Using clear language.

Behaviors people use that actually make them look smart:
1. Looking at others while speaking
2. Standing or sitting up straight
3. Using a middle initial.
4. Wearing glasses.

I think that these last two are pretty silly, but understandable to an extent.

One of the biggest aspects of self-confidence developed in my career and in life, is freely admitting when I don’t know something and asking questions intended to clarify and penetrate. The more I learn and come to know, the confident I am making those concessions and admissions; and clearly the more I come to know when people explain things. I enjoy the process, but as a part of it I also try to weed through the hollow sounds that some people make to get to the ways that they actually think. Words are simply a screen – they either shield emptiness or are an enticement and avenue to much more (even if things aren’t perfectly organized behind there). Those words could be standing between you and paradise, with a few penetrating questions serving as the key. That’s what “smart” looks like to me.

What are some of the smartest people you know like?