/lit/ - Literature

>>16943301
I find it's helpful to begin every conversation with the opening line from a great novel (that way everyone is immediately aware that you are an intellectual who has read many books). First lines are usually fairly well-known even in non-intellectual circles, so they'll recognize that you're quoting something that they haven't read and so they'll respect you for it. This is how I begin 90% of my conversation. The main downside is that most of my acquaintances believe my name is Ishmael, that I can't make up my mind as to whether this is the best or worst of times, and that I come from a uniquely unhappy family.

>>16943301
people instinctively know if you're smart, if you haven't had all manner of random people you meet in your life continually call you smart then you probably aren't

>>16943301
actually hilarious bait, well done

>>16943301
It depends on the person you're talking about. I've talked to people who tell me that I'm very smart, others, who are well-read as well, can keep an interesting conversation, while others just tell me that I am pedantic as fuck.

>>16943301
Use Latin words and then say
>oh you don't know Latin?
>o tempora o mores

>>16943395
Bitch please, people constantly call me smart, well spoken and a particularly bright individual, yet I would maintain that most of them don't know what they're talking about because the image of an intellectual is the one they've gained from their shows and movies, and the people that posture far too often and give the illusion of being all of that, but usually aren't. Just because a dozen different people told you you're smart, don't mean shit, dawg.

>>16943384
>The main downside is that most of my acquaintances believe my name is Ishmael, that I can't make up my mind as to whether this is the best or worst of times, and that I come from a uniquely unhappy family.
Based

>>16943301
Be quiet, but don’t put off an autistic energy. Have good posture, be fit, and clean, and people will automatically assume you to be the quiet intellectual type.

>>16943301
People will detect it over time, you don't have to try. You'll know it's worked the first time someone says you seem intimidating.

>>16943384
kek'd

>>16943550
this kills the "smart kid" coddled by the low standards of US public education, i.e. me.
>>16943384
hearty chuckle

>>16943301
Don't do it.
No good will come of it.
Only engage in /lit/ conversation IRL if someone else starts.

>>16943384
This anon is 100% correct.
You wouldn't believe the amount of pussy I got by starting the conversation off with
>I'm a sick man. An evil man. An unattractive man. I think my liver hurts.

>>16943550
so you're stupid and they're wrong about calling you smart?

>>16943384
Kek
Have a (You) anon, you earned it

>>16943475
>o tempora o mores
Some day I will have that carved above the entrance to my library, similar to how TE Lawrence had carved "οὐ φροντὶς" on his.

>>16943301
why do you want to look the part? are you a fucking pseud?
if it's something interesting regarding books, just say it and you won't come off as pretentious, just tone it down a bit, tell the story in a fun way.

I always tell people my favorite novel is Gravity's Rainbow. Hell, once I even put on my best blazer, went to the bar, and read Gravity's Rainbow while nursing my cocktail. People in my small little working class city think I'm a genius.

>>16943678
They probably think you're a fag

>>16943639
Where is he going?

>>16943301
Stop caring about it, study rhetoric for when you need to show off in important moments

>>16943395
People may say you're smart but they are not in a position to tell the difference between a very smart person and a midwit

>>16943384
Upper tier dad-joke

>>16943684
Nah, they think I'm cool af

>>16943301
you are pretentious if you are preoccupied with appearing well read and intelligent

>>16943384
kek'd

>>16943301
Use the information you've gleaned from books in conversation rather than trying to posture. Be interesting rather than autistic.

>>16943608
This

>>16943384
Very witty. Made me laugh and I don't know if I'll ever be smart enough to come up with a joke this good

>>16943611
yes

>>16943301
Any time someone mentions a situation in their life, you need to say "This is like that one book..." and find the closest parallel you can find in your mental library.

Do this enough and people will begin to call you "The Book". Once the nickname has been acquired (organically or inorganically) you can start to use the line:

"Y'know why they call me the Book? Read the Kama Sutra and mastered its ways."

100% success rate (so far).

>>16943384
reddit

There is no difference. These days people see intellectuals as pretentious and disconnected from reality by default.

>>16943301
If you put conscious effort to sound like "an intellectual" you will 100% come off as having your head up your ass

>>16945080
filtered

>>16943301
Only a woman reads for the purpose of trying to showcase what you know and receive external validation, thus it is assumed you are a female sex/troon. My suggestion would be to walk around with a book stuck between your cleavage, something small like a kafka short story, then when people point it out, say "Oh, silly me! It must've fallen in there when I was reading earlier, I wondered where that got to!" then mention that you like reading a lot. Obviously there's no reason to continue the conversation much if it's with another woman, but if it's a guy then he'll either start talking literature with you, or he'll be a guy you to want to fuck. In the latter case, there's no reason to go into any deep discussion, just say "it's a story about a guy who gets turned into a giant cockroach! Crazy right?" and he'll be creeped out by you but if you're hot he'll still want to have sexy times. This also answers the question of "what if I don't have cleavage" (i.e. you aren't hot, don't bother).

So you see in any scenario, it's actually completely unnecessary to mention you read classic literature, no one actually cares. You're meant to read for your own enjoyment anyway. It doesn't actually make you smarter.

>>16943301
If they understand you they are people