By haveadamnniceday
So.... I've had tons of folks tell me I'm pretty smart. Well, if I'm so smart, why hasn't it occurred to me sooner to start playing dumb??? Mr. T once said it takes a brilliant person to play dumb, so I suppose I need to at least attempt...
That being said, who here can provide insight as to use this ploy to my advantage in the workplace without seeming like some idiot employers would rather not keep around? I am open to any and all suggestions, because at the moment, I'm too stupid to play dumb! ;)
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By Sphincter Detector:It's not so much playing dumb, as it is hiding your cards and pulling out your aces at the perfect time. For example, you're in a meeting and everyone in the meeting is talking over each other, no order, each person jockeying for position trying to get their two cents in , trying to act smart and show off for the boss. You're sitting there thinking, whatta bunch of idiots because you happen to know that they're all full of shit and all wrong about the subject their discussing. Instead of participating in that circus, you sit there quietly observing until they're all done talking stupid, all the while contemplating your remarks. Wait for a your moment to interject with your pearls of wisdom and bam! You're the smart guy. The hero.
Knowledge is power, the more you keep it hidden, the more power you keep for yourself. As soon as you share your knowledge , you dilute your power. So you only share your knowledge when it is to your advantage, when it is strategic to your advancement. The more you open your mouth, the more opportunities you have to put your foot in it. So let other people hang themselves first, then you jump in like Superman with your Knowledge.
The other scenario to consider, is that most of the time people prefer the sound of their own voices over others , and really are not interested in your knowledge. They prefer to live in their ignorance. So you really need to assess the dynamics of the group you work in to determine whether or not it is worth it to be the smart guy, or if you will only end up being resented or viewed as a threat- this is when you need to play dumb. But playing dumb should only be a temporary measure to survive temporary situation. If it is a permanent requirement of your environment, I suggest you remove yourself because despite the altruistic intentions of the smart person, the smart person cannot by his sheer influence and example, make the stupid person smarter. Nature dictates that it's the stupid person who will drag down the smart person and make them ‘stoopider' by forcing the smart person to dumb it down in order to level the playing field. One can only ‘act' for so long before it becomes his ‘reality'.
By bookwoman:Why do you want to play dumb, ms. smartie-pants?
By HaveADamnNiceDay:I want to play dumb because people let their guard down. Playing dumb gives you the upper hand. I'm just trying to figure out exactly how to do it. I mean, I already have a naturally innocent quality to my personality, and it used to aggravate me to no end that folks assumed I was stupid because of it. Now I realize what an advantage that is. It's a way for me to hear things I wouldn't normally hear, see things I wouldn't normally see, because I'd not be perceived as any kind of threat. Before, I was actually too dumb to use that to my advantage. Now it's a part I really ought to be playing.
I just don't know *how* to do it properly.
By bookwoman:I understand. Having never mastered the art myself, however, I can't offer much. All I can think of to suggest is to stay quiet and keep a knowing look on your face as much as possible. Just look at people with the expression of "I know what you did" even if you have no clue at all. Not sure where to go from there, though, to make use of making people feel off-balance...good luck!
By labtech:Sometimes just staying quiet, smiling, and looking at the person as if their every word is wonderful can get them to tell you more than they want you to know. Our office tattletale has developed this skill to perfection, I'm learning to copy the behaviour.
By Printing Fool:I don't know about playing dumb unless it's a ploy to get out of some trouble of sorts, a tactic I haven't employed since I was a teenager. But, I am a poker player, I know that having a poker face and a really good hand can work wonders. If you got an ace, hang on to it as long as you can just to see if it's useful. If you don't have a ace, bet like you do, but mix it up so you're not so predictable. Don't play dumb, play poker. I once used the same tactic to get a long overdue raise from my former employer. I put all my chips on the table so to speak, went home, walked off the job. The next day I was hired back with a big fat raise. Just know when to play those cards!
By wageslave:This ploy worked out really well for ex-President Bush.
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