Everybody wants to look smart covertly and overtly. But how much a person appears smart may be judged from other people perspectives. To be smart is the inner desire of everybody, as it enhances the self-image, self-prestige, self-concept as well as self-esteem. It is a part of one’s personality. By wearing ornamental and costly clothes does not mean that an individual has become smart. Smartness includes that a person is active, has good mannerism, objective outlook towards life, takes initiative in every walk of life and leads a healthy life style. He deals with other people in an affectionate and loveable way and he can impress others with his conversation, verbal and non-verbal i.e. with his gestures, manners, movements and gait etc. He may also interact with others nicely, so that others may say that he possess a magnetic and charming personality.

A charming and attractive personality is when a person possesses a well-integrated personality, which means that he is physically fit, mentally alert, emotionally balanced and socially adjusted. It is quite obvious that a well-adjusted person possesses a good personality. Social adjustment depends upon how much a person is emotionally matured and balanced. An emotionally matured person may, quite possibly, be mentally alert and a mentally alert person has good physique and may be physical fit.

Smartness includes both intra-active and interactive relationships. The intra-active relation means a person’s relation with his own self so that he may harmonize with his desires, motives needs and thinking according to his immediate environment. By intra-personal relation is meant for understanding of self, access to one’s own feelings, emotions as well as understanding of one’s own cognitive strengths, styles and mental functioning. It consists of self-expression, language, music and other forms of expression. Such a person has the tendency for tension reduction, conflict resolution and stress management as early as possible. By interactive relationship means a person’s relation with other persons in his environment i.e. his parents, family members, friends, peer mates, class fellows, colleagues as well as co-workers. These relations should be harmonious, cordial and desirable. Such a person is said to have high social intelligence.

Social intelligence is a part of one’s personality.  Intelligence is an overall ability-a general mental ability that is complex in character and underlying a great many different functions e.g. (i) the ability to make adjustment or adaptation of the individual to his total environment (ii) the individual’s ability to learn or benefit from experiences and (iii) the ability to carry on abstract thinking. According to this concept; intelligence is of three types (i) abstract,(ii) concrete and (iii) social. Abstract intelligence is the ability to understand and deal with verbal and mathematical symbols. It consists the ability to solve problems presented in form of symbols, words, numbers, formulae and diagrams etc. Concrete intelligence is the ability to understand and deal with things; as in skilled trades and scientific appliances.

Social intelligence is the ability to understand and deal with persons. It is the ability to adapt or adjust with people. It is the capacity to behave effectively in social situations. The diplomats, salesmen, the ministers, politicians, teachers, psychotherapists and religious leaders must have this type of intelligence. The socially intelligent person has the knack of getting along well with people, as he is an extraverted man. The extraverted individuals are outgoing, impulsive, uninhibited, involved in-group activities, sociable, friendly, craving for excitement and having many social contacts.

According to a well known psychologist Thorndike of early 20th century who gave the concept of intelligence referred social intelligence to the person’s ability to understand and manage other people and to engage in adaptive social interactions or it can be said that social intelligence refers to the individual’s fund of knowledge about the social world. He also says that “By social intelligence is meant the ability to understand and manage men and women, boys and girls-act wisely in human relations.” Another psychologist, Wechsler says that it assesses the individual’s ability to comprehend social situations because, according to him, social intelligence is just a general intelligence applied to social situations.

To conclude it may be stated that to look smart or appear  smart to others, one must have high social intelligence. Social intelligence can be enhanced through learning, training and education. A child must be exposed to a good and congenial environment where he may grow, prosper and blossom, where he is able to express himself liberally, think freely and make decisions independently to solve his daily or day-to-day problems amicably. He should be given full freedom with some guided control by elders to work and learn to encounter difficulties in his early life.

For understanding social intelligence how to be smart, an individual should consider the following dimensions:

- Understands people’ thoughts, feelings and intensions well and also accepts others  for what they are
- Is good at dealing with people and is sensitive to other people’ needs and desires
- Has extensive knowledge of rules and norms in human relations
- Is good at taking the perspectives of other people
- Adapts well in social situations
- Is open to new experiences, ideas and values as well as displays interest in the world at large
- Thinks before speaking and doing
- Makes fair judgment about others
- Is frank and honest with self and others
- Displays interest in the immediate environment.

Every individual can become smart in his life by increasing his social intelligence.

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