How can one change from being a smart ass and to be just smart?

Seriously, start by respecting yourself and others. Stop being a drama queen (or king). If you can do these two things, you’re on your way. Smart asses don’t have a clue about respect for themselves or other people, and they are big time drama queens.

Turn the other, err…cheek?

Don’t be an ass.

No need to give up being an ass, for gourd’s sake!

It’s the ‘smart’ you need to work on. With a clever turn of word or phrase, use of subtle nuance and base puns you can slowly turn that boring ‘smart’ in ’WISE”.

Nobody like a smart ass. But wise ass is a humorist, a comedian, a clever commenter on the human condition. Mark Twain and Will Rogers were famed wise asses, nee Humorists.

Proving yourself smart often entails claiming that another person is dumb. Proving yourself wise means seeing thing from a slight skewed perspective than others, making them believe you might be smart.

It’s ‘Slight of Mind’.

Your comment about the Castro girl wasn’t smart. Just socially awkward.

Why make a switch? I’m a smart ass. I got back-handed by my dad several times for just that. I was like four the first time I recall he told me “Don’t be a smart ass.” I KNEW before opening my mouth what would be the result. I said, “I’d rather be a smart ass, than a dumb ass like you!“WHAM! I couldn’t resist the comeback. It was worth the price. He loaded me for that comeback several other times. I didn’t trade, I just added smart, always responding only if I was more than a lunge away, preferably with witnesses around to laugh. I guess that makes me a smart smart ass. :D

Be sincere. Listen carefully. Look the other person in the eye. And most importantly, try not to fart while making your point….

This comment is given with respect and based on personal experience. Sit in a room for a while with someone you consider a smart ass, preferably a smart ass you drives you nuts. After a while you’ll know how your own behavior feels to others, and that may be the first step toward modifying your “smartassness.”

Don’t say hurtful things to people.

You just need an assectomy. It’s a simple operation where the doctor rips it out and tears you a new one. There are side effects, however. Not having one any longer, you’ll quickly wind up full of shit.

Translation, how the hell should I know? I’m obviously still a smart-ass.

Get their head out of their ass. No one needs a smart ass, merely an ass with intestinal fortitude, which is excramental to its efficiency.

Once the head has indeed been excavated from the deep, dark, catacombs of the ass, it must be run through the car wash. Only the pressure of their mighty jets can chip into, and break down the hardened sludge deposited in the kinks of the brain through the years.

Then its wax on, wax off. This lends a depth of wisdom and patience to the raw, exposed freshly cleansed brain kinks. Although it does tend to instill in one a strong desire for Kung Pao Chicken along with the urge to Roundhouse the next person you see to the ground.

Small price to pay for getting your head out of your ass.

Just shut up and listen.

Sorry, that ^^ was rude. There is a lot of heavy, vertical rain here. It brings out the grouch.

Be quiet and listen to what other people are thinking, not necessarily what they are saying in words. You can learn even from the crazy ones. Observe the world around you for a couple of years. It becomes a habit; a good one. An interesting and unintended side effect of being a good listener is people begin to think that you are more intelligent than you really are. It then becomes incumbent upon you to be give more intelligent responses to others. Small talk becomes a bore. You become known as a no-bullshit kind of person and opportunities come your way.

That right there is a great answer, EC.

A long time ago as an experiment I decided that whenever seated at a table with several people, I would say nothing and just listen carefully to what each person had to say. Without exception, someone would eventually say, “You’re very quiet….what do YOU think ?”

My reply was, “I’m just listening to some very interesting thoughts…..keep going…...”

I liked it, learned from it, and still do it whenever possible….