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(08-20-2015, 01:18 PM)LadyRochester Wrote:(08-20-2015, 01:14 PM)Leggerless Wrote: To answer the OP: Yes; a "genius" character can be roleplayed by the dumb.
Will you be successful at it? Depends on your BS skill level.
Take for example how easily someone can manipulate statistics to sound smart, presented below:
Quote:Out of a study of 125 tests measuring statistiscal validity:
15% of statistics are 10% true.
45% of statistics are 65% true.
7% of statistics are 13% true.
13% of statistics are 27% true.
20% of statistics are entirely false.
But see, someone has to possess wit in order to successfully fool others with their BS. If you're a very good liar or you can manage to throw people off-balance by making their logic spin and twisting it to your benefit, you are intelligent. Ignorant, sure, but intelligent. Twisting facts and bending them so they can seem true to those who are easily manipulated indicates that you are not dumb. People who believe you might be, but not you.
Yeah, more at issue is when you've got someone saying they're intelligent, then having them continually flabbergasted in logical conversation and unable to do basic problem solving. Â Having random statistical knowledge is one thing, but not having the personal mental speed to figure things out just isn't something you can get around besides telling the other players they have to take things as read. Â And that's just not something that can happen in open RP.
The thing is, a lot of people can give playing a genius a go, but in the case of RP the audience is all around you and are writing the scene with you. Â It separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Â Eventually it comes across that the character isn't really that intelligent.
I'm usually extremely conscious of character bleed, so I'm usually in the habit of making sure I'm coming across correctly. Â People who are constantly checking to make sure they're playing the character and not playing themselves are usually aware of their intrinsic limitations.