10 Ways to Look Smarter Than You Are

9) Write and Speak Simply

Many people think that by cramming their speech and prose with a load of long words they will instantly look smarter. But showing off your vocabulary does not necessarily make you appear more intelligent and can, at times, have the opposite effect. Verbosity often backfires, particularly when the long and complex words you’re using are not appropriate in the context of the conversation. Needlessly using long words to express yourself is often viewed as a transparent tactic for trying to make yourself look smarter and as a result might make you look less intelligent. In conversation, clumsily using long words can make people feel threatened, as though you’re trying to outwit them, or it can just be plain annoying. Using overly-complex words in written work can have the same effect as clarity and insight are ordinarily valued above an extensive vocabulary. Why use twenty words to say something you can express in five?