How to reply with smart answers?

ML00211 · 2013-08-21T11:57:55+00:00

Here's what helps: experience.

When you find yourself in these situations and you hear your friends riffing on each other, observe and learn. How do they reply back? Are they smiling or frowning or showing anger? How does the other party respond to their emotions?

Then pay attention to the words. If you hear a particularly good response, commit it to memory. Write it down later. Does someone jab at you with a particularly pointy joke and you come up with something 10 minutes later? A day later? Write that shit down and commit it to memory.

Most people don't have an unlimited supply of gags. Start analyzing and responding and watch the game change.

[deleted] · 2013-08-21T13:41:40+00:00

Is there any kind of material I can read or something I can practice to make myself better for such situations?

Yes, its called talking to people. Seriously. I can write this answer to so many threads in this subreddit.

Make it a point to start a conversation with literally everyone - person on the train, cashier, bartender, waiter. And most important of all, make the other person talk about themselves, ask questions.

The more you do this, the more you will become accustomed to what makes people laugh, where to lead the conversation, e.t.c and so on.

Your friends don't laugh because the shit-talk is funny. They laugh out of social compliance. You do to because you want to fit in. For example, I can make jokes to engineers that will crack them up, but if I told them to a girl they would just look at me like I'm a nerd. On the other hand, silly sex jokes will be ignored by engineers but will make a girl giggle.

The more you converse, the better you become at fitting into groups. The better you fit into your groups, the better you jokes will be accepted.

Don't over-analyze this. Just aim to be the most relaxed, friendliest person to everyone around you. Practice how to genuinely smile, not smirk, how to hold eye contact, and talk to enough people enough times that all nervousness goes away. This will change your stature and other people will pick up on it subconsciously and be more open to you.

DaddyMonster · 2013-08-21T19:53:05+00:00

The easiest way to increase your proficiency and saying funny/smart stuff is to just talk to people. Go out of your way to find new people who say those sorts of things. Pay attention to stuff they say that you find funny, and then adapt them to your own needs and your own style. You're not supposed to just copy others... Just find the kernel of the funny stuff.

It's kind of like building a library at first, and then reducing it to algorithms and concepts.

Also, watch stand up comedy on youtube.

A4m1n · 2013-08-23T16:18:27+00:00

Here's a few starters. Adapt as needed and use responsibly.

-- "Jeeesus! You kiss your mother with that mouth? I thought I tasted shit." -- "heh - That's intelligent... I'd expect no less from a <state of origin | sports team fan | alma mater>" -- "Oh! That must be a time joke! I'll laugh when I have a minute" then do something distracting (pull out your phone, grab a beer, etc.)

All the while, smile and shrug it off. They'll just knock on you harder if they know it gets to you.

NrwhlBcnSmrt-ttck · 2013-08-21T07:44:23+00:00

Um, it sounds like they are competing. Do you need to compete? Do they burn you like this in front of girls? That at least means they are threatened.

Sounds childish, if you ask me. If you wanted, you'd mention something personal that really hurt their feelings but said in a joking manner, but like I said, that's childish.

It's an attempt to AMOG (alpha male of the group).

It's similar to guys at bars trying to put you down to win the girl. It's a shit test, you have to express that you are used to it and not negatively affected.

Males try to compete with you all the time. I'm not sure if ignoring it will work like it does with girls. It's even harder when they gang up.

You're better than their whack ass lamer shit, is the best advice I can give, be above it in any number of ways.

They can't touch you. That's why they try. And if it isn't what I'm describing, what's it matter?

LumpyPUA · 2013-08-21T12:12:38+00:00

Improv.

The longer answer is that you care too much about having a "good reply" and that busts your flow. The first thing that pops into your head is exactly what you should say.

Improv is good because it trains exactly this reflex of spitting your shit as soon as it comes into your head, without judging it or trying to make it awesome. You learn through practice that it doesn't really matter if you say something "shitty", it's far better than locking up and not responding. Eventually, through practice and trusting your skills, you end up saying some pretty funny shit!

Deeper, you're getting caught up in ego bullshit that you need to be a guy with "good replies", which automatically puts you a rung below your buddies. They don't give a fuck whether their replies are good or not, and that DGAF attitude is super powerful.

A great comment by YaReally on getting rid of ego: http://heartiste.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/compendium-of-female-super-shit-tests/#comment-452271

Title	How to reply with smart answers?
Author	macardent
Upvotes	2
Comments	8
Date	August 21, 2013 5:11 AM UTC (12 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/1ksbs6/how_to_reply_with_smart_answers/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/how-to-reply-with-smart-answers.138209 https://theredarchive.com/post/138209

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