People Confess Why They Act Less Intelligent Than They Really Are

"It's the old technique..."

Better to pretend you're dumb and pleasantly surprise than to pretend you're smart and disappoint.

It's the old technique of lowering expectations to the point you literally can't fail.

PeterPorty

"People who tend to..."

People who tend to always act as smart as possible all the time usually are annoying as hell to be around.

Wingedbonobo

"Because..."

Because less intelligent is less threatening.

Likewise, acting "smart" all the time gets so tiresome for the people around you.

throwawayd4326

"I had a stroke..."

I had a stroke and often find it difficult to communicate. I have found that people assume I'm stupid or don't want to be engaged, when in fact I have a master's degree and just can't respond or speak in that particular moment.

BlankNothingNoDoer

"Because explaining myself..."

Because explaining myself, I get a lot of anxiety and it's easier to let someone else do it. I typically find that if I come across as not knowing much, I'll either learn more from someone else, get a different view point on a subject or they'll fall over themselves and then I'll know not to trust that persons intellect over mine.

Or they think you're an idiot and tell you everything.

kaibesean

"A fool who is in no hurry..."

If I'm negotiating for something expensive, like a new car, I have no problem playing the ignorant one. I've asked how much could be saved by removing the sunroof. A fool who is in no hurry is tough to beat.

Scrappy_Larue

"Not so much..."

Not so much intelligent, but I have a really good memory and I hold back a lot on it because it can weird people out when you remember random things that happened months or years ago.

-eDgAr-

"I don't want to drag..."

I don't act less intelligent, but I usually pretend I know less about certain topics than I really do. I don't want to drag a conversation into an area that the other person isn't familiar with.

SpencerSDH

"It's bad..."

Years of conditioning. It's bad to be the smart kid in school. Even as adults, people can get defensive and nasty when they think you're smart. Sometimes it's easier to just pretend you don't know what's going on than to deal with someone else's insecurities.

MagratMakeTheTea

"Life is easier..."

Life is easier if people think you're stupid. No one expects as much. At my last 2 jobs I didn't play dumb, I was overworked, everything was pawned off on me constantly. This job I play dumb, I get to do just my job and nothing else. I go home with no stress.

Tsavo43