78% said they had lied to appear smarter

[Mich the Tester]

Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron.

OBAQ!

Have you been playing with doorknobs again?

[Old Greg]

Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron.

OBAQ!

It is indeed.

[Ticktock]

Because reading novels, even pretentious ones, doesn't make you smarter merely better read.

Not neccessarily true. Reading the same novel over and again may not. Reading in general "exercises" the brain, increasing blood flow, prompting the firing of neurons, etc and may actually make you smarter, if by smarter you mean you are able to learn and retain information more quickly and easily.

[doodab]

Because reading novels, even pretentious ones, doesn't make you smarter merely better read.

You don't have to read novels, although some of them can be very thought provoking and expand your vocabulary.

[Mich the Tester]

You don't have to read novels, although some of them can be very thought provoking and expand your vocabulary.

I--n--d--e--e--d. I--t e--x--p--a--n--d--e--d m-i-n-e.

[d000hg]

Not neccessarily true. Reading the same novel over and again may not. Reading in general "exercises" the brain, increasing blood flow, prompting the firing of neurons, etc and may actually make you smarter, if by smarter you mean you are able to learn and retain information more quickly and easily.

But that could just as easily be Tom Clancy, Dick Francis, Iain M. Banks, rather than "smart people books".

[d000hg]

I--n--d--e--e--d. I--t e--x--p--a--n--d--e--d m-i-n-e.

Big words hard. Hurt inside of head.

[Mich the Tester]

Big word 'ard. 'urt in 'ed.

ftfy

[Ticktock]

But that could just as easily be Tom Clancy, Dick Francis, Iain M. Banks, rather than "smart people books".

Are you saying that those authors don't write novels?

[d000hg]

Are you saying that those authors don't write novels?

78% said they had lied to appear smarter, with around two-thirds (62%) pretending to have read books including Crime And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Nobody is going to pretend to have read Tom Clancy novels to appear smart; I bet many of those 62% do actively read novels by mainsteam authors.