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> Almost 20 years ago someone wrote in my yearbook that I would "do better when I stop telling people how smart I am." That sounds good advice. If you want peo

> Almost 20 years ago someone wrote in my yearbook that I would "do better when I stop telling people how smart I am." That sounds good advice. If you want people to think you're clever, demonstrate it by your behaviour. Telling people you are will convince no-one, they will just think you're an arsehole, and a stupid one at that. When I consider all the people I know who I consider to be highly intelligent, none of them go round boasting about how clever they are. > I also try to say smart things and speak as an expert on a wide range of things. Do people ever tell you that you come across as an arrogant know-it-all? The reason I ask is to try to gain an appreciation of how others see you. > I've spent my whole life trying to be the smartest guy in the room. If you have to try to be clever, you're not clever. Sorry. > Are you the well read geek that with all of the answers. I've been doing programming for over 30 years. I'm still learning new stuff. I don't have all the answers and i doubt if I ever will. Anyone who thinks they do know it all is either (i) an expert in a small field, or (ii) an idiot.

10ren 17y ago
Yes, his love is competition instead of cooperation and creation. About trying to be clever: If you are a human being, you an intelligent animal; you are already clever. If you are trying to understand something or someone, or solve a problem, or capture an elusive inspiration that's just out of reach, then it is natural to try, to make an effort. Genius only exists in action. > Are you the well read geek that with all of the answers. No. But I notice that when I encounter a problem, I get lots of ideas about how to solve it, often building on each other. Some of them work really well. I don't like to tell people what the answer is, but to give my perspective and hear their's: then I have two perspectives. And the beginner often sees things in a novel way that the expert misses, so that an open discussion is often greater than the sum of its parts.

10ren 17y ago

Yes, his love is competition instead of cooperation and creation. About trying to be clever: If you are a human being, you an intelligent animal; you are already clever. If you are trying to understand something or someone, or solve a problem, or capture an elusive inspiration that's just out of reach, then it is natural to try, to make an effort. Genius only exists in action. > Are you the well read geek that with all of the answers. No. But I notice that when I encounter a problem, I get lots of ideas about how to solve it, often building on each other. Some of them work really well. I don't like to tell people what the answer is, but to give my perspective and hear their's: then I have two perspectives. And the beginner often sees things in a novel way that the expert misses, so that an open discussion is often greater than the sum of its parts.