# How can I find smart people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904 "2015-08-26T01:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/21 "2015-08-26T21:27:05Z")
I met two wonderful, wicked smart people on a politics board. Both are ultra conservative while I’m ultra liberal, but all three of us derive great pleasure from arguing passionately about things with people who disagree with us. We keep our arguing gentlemanly and don’t overreach the bounds of politics, so our ‘discussions’ are actually a lot of fun. That particular board no longer exists, but there are others out there, I know. There are a lot of eejit boobs who like to holler about politics, but there are also a lot of very intelligent folks that do as well. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/22 "2015-08-26T21:39:08Z")
You live near some universities I see. Find a local watering hole - some, of course, will be frat boy central, but I’d bet that a few will be more relatively intelligent folks sitting around a bar, hanging out. Especially if said bar has a trivia night. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/23 "2015-08-27T13:10:31Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Before even beginning to help you find smart people, I would first of all ask if you know what your objectives are. For this question, friendships. Even one close friend would be great. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/24 "2015-08-27T13:11:42Z")
There are some really good ideas here. Thanks everyone! ---
**Author:** ![queenbeeatch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ebca7d/32.png) [@queenbeeatch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/queenbeeatch)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/25 "2015-08-27T13:50:23Z")
people are smart in different ways, smoke a joint with a “dumb” friend and just see how much your opinion changes. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/26 "2015-08-28T19:36:32Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > By the way, meeting smart people in real life is vastly over-rated. Based on past experience, most Dopers are best appreciated via text, and are selfish, spoiled twits in person (myself included.) Me, too. All of my boyfriends have been quite smart, and they were also royal pains in the _tuchus_. Could be why I never even thought of tying the knot until years after my friends did. (It could also explain why smart men generally marry women of average intelligence.) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/27 "2015-08-28T20:04:15Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Join the SDMB. I think he is aware of that site. > [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I read you said that you were were married. But, are you still married? Or, are you just looking for friendship or companionship? > > If you are still married, where do you see your wife fitting into your plans here? > > Whatever you are looking to do, I’m guessing your wife will expect to play a part in that. If you t think you can have a new romance or friendship that does not include your wife, then I’m guessing your new friendship or romance is headed for a rocky landing on some abandoned rocky harbour and your “ship” will be smashed to pieces. > > I think you may want to avoid that for sure. I disagree. I think his wife will be just fine with him having a new romance. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/28 "2015-08-28T20:07:06Z")
We’re avoiding you: > [@TGWATY](#): > > I’m a physics PhD dropout. Pleb. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/29 "2015-08-28T20:09:28Z")
> [@TGWATY](#): > > There are some really good ideas here. Thanks everyone! Another idea - if you went to a good college, see if there is an alumni group near you. If there isn’t, you can probably get help from your college to start one. They’ll send you a list of alumni who live near you. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/30 "2015-08-28T22:21:28Z")
meetup groups devoted to atheism seem to have intelligent people in them from what I’ve seen. In my limited experience, you get a far higher % of people who are educated (both academically and self taught in various areas) than you’d find in a random sampling of people. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/31 "2015-08-28T23:51:46Z")
> [@TGWATY](#): > > SNIP > I’ve been single now for 2 years. SNIP > [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I disagree. I think his wife will be just fine with him having a new romance. I wonder why you are asking us? Some of us can’t even read a message board post!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904/32 "2015-08-29T01:09:12Z")
Try NYC. Not that people there are generally smarter, but there’s not such a stigma against it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-find-smart-people/728904.md?page=1)