How to Confuse Someone

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Use long

   Prepare these in advance, so you can say them quickly as though they were part of a natural conversation.
   
   These sentences and words make sense, but many people will not be able to untangle the meaning.
   
   Here are a few that you can adapt to other subjects: "I wouldn't be talking to you about this if I didn't think that I wasn't alone in my views."(An unnecessary amount of negatives, meaning "I think we agree.") "The government plans to raise taxes were defeated." (The word "government" and the word "plans" can both be two parts of speech, and the listener must switch their interpretation halfway through.) "Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons."(A meaningless truth.)
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   Step 2: complicated sentences.

   For example, say "That reminds me of my father's ex-roommate's friend's dog." You can make up these connections, or trace actual paths to friends or family you know.
   
   If you want to trigger mild surprise or a laugh, this is a good tactic to choose. , Expand your vocabulary and practice slipping unnecessarily lengthy or obscure words into a conversation.
   
   This is more likely to work on people who don't know you well, and on people who don't have a larger vocabulary than you.
   
   Here are a few example sentences: "It's a good idea, but could you iterate on the excogitation?" (Could you think it through again in more detail?) "Velleity led me here, but I had a convivial experience." (I came here on a whim, but I had a pleasant time.) , When in a group conversation, choose one of the people you're talking to and act as though you both know an incredible secret.
   
   Occasionally, when a different person makes an ordinary remark, turn to the selected person and laugh, wink, or nudge them.
   
   This works best if the other person is in on the joke, but with practice and finesse you can keep a conversation moving fast enough that an unwitting target doesn't have a chance to deny the in-joke.
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   Step 3: Drop references to obscure connections.

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   Step 4: Use complex vocabulary.

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   Step 5: Pretend you have an in-joke with someone.

Detailed Guide

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