article

“Smarten Up”: 5 Tips to Appear Cultured and Intelligent When You’ve Got That “Not So Sharp” Feeling

Friday Mar 27, 2009 – By Sky Obercam

sb10067534n-001 Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you may not feel as cool, cultured and intelligent as you know yourself to be? Insecurity has a funny way of rearing its unwelcomed head at the worst possible moment, making it difficult to access your inner sophistication. Having said that, the following tips are essential to remember if and when you find yourself in this unnerving position:

You Are Worldly: Keeping current national and global events of ‘importance’ in mind has a number of benefits. You can demonstrate that you are well informed, while giving yourself that extra boost in confidence for actually being informed.

Keep it Serene: After watching years of TV (or President Obama), you should’ve noticed by now that the cultured and intelligent rarely fly off the handle. Keeping a level head and diplomatic attitude – despite the nature of your discussion – is an absolute must.

Resist Sporting the “Trollop Gear”: No one can fault you for feeling frisky from time to time, but when you want to be viewed as the intelligent, suave Clutchette you are, leave the all things stank and tasteless at home. It is entirely possible for you display your sexy through a chic, respectable means.

Interrogation: Ok, you may be in a situation that you’re at a loss for words. This is the time when you employ some cross-examination skills. It doesn’t matter if the person across from you is discussing the joys of stamp collecting; just interrogate the crap out of that individual. At the very least you’ll: 1) appear to be inquisitive and 2) have one helluva funny story to share with your friends about the peculiar information you’ve gathered.

Confidence: This may be the most challenging tip of all – especially when tensions are high. But one thing is for certain – confidence is key. Whether you’re faking it, or have managed to conjure up some authentic self-assurance about the wonderful person you truly are, confidence will provide you with the attitude that transcends the debilitating affects of feeling inadequate. It’s all about being kind to yourself, and unapologetic for simply being you. Confidence has a wonderful way of erasing all the foolishness that prevents us from exemplifying our genuinely brilliant nature.

Riposa says:

March 27, 2009 at 2:57 pm

HAHHAHAHHAHH rofl at the interrogation tactic! I will use that next time. Thanks for the tips, they are very practical. And hecka funny to read!

↑ Reply

Lindsay says:

March 28, 2009 at 12:58 pm

Oh, I have been in several situations where I feel not so “cool”. lol Thanks for the tips :)

Danielle of Urban Glamour says:

March 28, 2009 at 8:57 pm

Love this!

Lish says:

March 28, 2009 at 9:20 pm

i always used the interrogation tactic lol…its the way to go!

The List Maven’s Faves 03-29-2009 : The List Maven says:

March 29, 2009 at 7:30 pm

[...] Clutch Magazine – reveals a handful of how-to’s for how to present yourself as one smart cookine while you’re out on the town. [...]

lexibugg says:

March 31, 2009 at 7:56 pm

yeah, as a person who has ended up in some very interseting situation, and as intelligent as i consider myself to be, i don’t know everything and there’s nothing wrong with that. life is about learning so ask questions, an inquisitive nature is also a sign of intelligence!!!