Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Appearance
• Method 2 of 2: Behavior

You will never get a second chance to make a first impression! To look smart, choose clean, fit clothing and practice good hygiene and posture. To be smart, build up a knowledge base, only comment on topics you understand, and ask sensible questions that will demonstrate your desire to learn something new. Looking and acting like a smart person will leave people with a positive impression of yourself and possibly open up opportunities for yourself both socially and professionally.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Appearance

1. 1 Wear clean, fit clothing to make a good first impression. Walking around in baggy, torn, or stained clothing may inadvertently be perceived as unkempt and unprofessional. Although physical appearance has nothing to do with inner intelligence, people make a lot of hasty judgments about each other, so it's best to make a good first impression on them. Choose shirts, pants or dresses that fit you well, not too tight or too loose.
   • Wear classic shirts instead of plain tees from time to time.
2. 2 Do not wear sweatpants or training equipment in public. Of course, you can wear T-shirts and sweatpants if you are exercising or relaxing on the couch.But when you go out in public, wear jeans, a skirt, or trousers for an extra boost of self-confidence. This will not only make you look more professional, but you will also feel better: more prepared, attentive, and eager to give your best.
   • If you plan on exercising in the evening, put your workout clothes in your bag and carry them with you to change later. This will keep you looking professional throughout the day.
3. 3 Wear glasses to look smarter. The notion that people who wear glasses are smart is completely unfounded, but this is such a popular image in films, books and television that many people (since you are wearing glasses) will automatically think that you are an intelligent person. If you need to wear contact lenses, use glasses instead, and perhaps this will improve your image.
   • If you want to wear glasses, but you have good eyesight, you can purchase "image glasses", which are fitted with simple lenses without diopters.
4. 4 Get a nice pair of shoes to complete your look. It doesn't have to be expensive or high-heeled, but having clean, scuff-free shoes can greatly contribute to your intellectual image. Try wearing something better than sneakers to enhance your look.
   • Try chelsea boots or suede slippers.
   • Do not wear jogging shoes when you are not exercising.
5. 5 Practice personal hygiene to radiate freshness and cleanliness. Shower and shave regularly, and always wear deodorant. Brush your teeth and floss. You don't have to do complex styling or makeup to look smart, but you do need to take care of your body, smell good, and be clean.
   • If you don't have time to wash your hair on a specific day, braid your hair to keep your hair from looking greasy.
6. 6 Watch your posture. Try to stand up straight with your shoulders back and your back straight. If you have to spend a lot of time in a seated position, you can still improve your posture by sitting with your back slightly bent and looking at the computer monitor at eye level. Good posture makes you look smarter because it gives you a confident and professional look.
   • Maintaining good posture can also help avoid severe back pain.
7. 7 Maintain eye contact when speaking and listening. By making eye contact in conversation, you will appear confident, relaxed, and engaged in the discussion. If you are uncomfortable looking people in the eyes, try first to look at the other person in the eyebrow area and gradually move to the eyes.
   • Don't feel like you need to gaze into the person's eyes throughout the conversation. This can be very stressful. Instead, try to maintain eye contact for about 5 seconds, then move your gaze to something else, and then make eye contact with the other person again.
   • Try to maintain eye contact about 50% of the time you speak and about 70% of the time you listen.

Method 2 of 2: Behavior

1. 1 Listen to more than you speak to absorb information. You might be tempted to join the conversation and share a lot of fictitious things in order to look smart, but in reality, this makes you appear to be just a chatterbox. If you don't know anything about a given topic, don't make it obvious by making up all sorts of things. Listen instead. You will really learn something new! Then you can politely turn the conversation to a topic in which you are more or less knowledgeable.
   • Don't change the subject to show off. Instead, switch to a topic that you feel comfortable discussing. For example: “Oh, it reminds me of a conversation with my grandfather. He had such an interesting life. He ...".
2. 2 Ask sensible questions. Even if the conversation is about a subject in which you are poorly versed, you can still look smart.No one knows everything in the world, but smart people know how to ask sensible questions, thanks to which you can turn small talk into a deeper conversation.
   • For example, if a person describes their experience, you might ask, "Do you think this experience changed the way you interact with people today?" - or, if the other person describes the book they have read, you can ask: "What impressed you the most about the book?"
3. 3 Read books on the road and before bed. It may seem like a bit of a trite, but it will really make you stand out from the crowd. Many people think they don’t have time to read, but in fact it doesn’t take many hours to do so. Put a book in your backpack or purse and take it out whenever you usually start using your phone: in line, on the bus, on the train, while waiting for a friend. Choose a genre that you really like so that reading does not feel like a duty.
   • Reading books in public will not only make you look smart, but it will really expand your knowledge by opening up new worlds, words and ideas for you.
   • Try to read before bed instead of watching TV. This will prepare your brain better for sleep than watching bright lights and moving pictures. Just don't read anything too sad or scary right before bed!
4. 4 Follow the news for interesting conversations. It is not at all necessary to read the newspaper from the first to the last page every day to stay in the know. Most likely, it will be enough to skim the headlines on the phone in the morning to start an intelligent conversation. You can say, “Have you heard of ...” and then let the other person dominate the conversation.
   • In addition, it is not necessary to follow all the news in all areas. Pick a topic that interests you and follow it.
   • Many news outlets make podcasts with news summaries so that you don't have to read them if you don't have time. For example, you can listen to podcasts from RIA Novosti.
5. 5 Write cosplays and do your homework to look smart in class. To excel academically, you always need to be prepared. In fact, there are no people who are naturally smarter than others. To a large extent, it's all about preparation. Read and write aspects of the teacher's speech.
   • If you don't understand something and don't want to ask in front of the whole class, draw an asterisk in the margin to remind yourself to talk to your teacher after class.
   • Do not discuss test and assessment grades with other students. This will only make you appear arrogant and obsessed with evaluations, not smarter. If you are asked about your grade for a test, simply say, "I prefer not to discuss academic performance, but I'm happy with the results," or, "I didn't do so well this time and will study harder now."
6. 6 Spend time hanging out with older people to gain wisdom. While it's tempting to spend all of your time with peers, take some time to hang out with your grandparents or other elders and mentors who have wisdom to share. Ask about their experiences and listen to their stories.
   • You will acquire deep knowledge, and, perhaps, people will even begin to perceive you as a "wise beyond his years" person.