when you don't understand what a girl says, is it ok to make yourself look stupid, or do you just pretend you understood?

example: you ask her "where are you from" she say "Syria" you are like "where?" she says "Syria".
do you pretend you know where that is and just say "ok" or do you say "I have no idea where that is?" or do you make yourself look even more stupid and say "is that in Japan?"
which one is better?

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I have not failed 10,000 times. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. - Edison

Hey mate. I would advise against engaing in any topic of conversation with a girl that you can't add intelligent input to. However if you do find yourself in a situation like the one you mentioned there are ways out of it. I found myself in a similar situation a while ago. I asked a girl where her accent was from thinking she was of latin american decent. She replied with I am from wherever I had never heard of that country before had no idea where it was, so I replied with really I would have sworn you were from Colombia. She's like I get that a lot, but I am actually of arab decent. So there I knew she was from the middle east and could get back to an intelligent convo. Don't say something that makes you look stupid even if you mean it as a joke. If you do find yourself stumped ask her about where she's from like you're interested get her to tell you about her home country thatll make you look good having an intelligent convo about a different culture makes you look like a more well rounded person, and it'll make her feel comfortable with you. If you don't know I am sure she would be happy to tell you if you ask intelligent questions.

Gunfighter28,

see, I disagree. I didn't mention in my original post which response was my favorite. but my favorite is "where is that? is that in china?"
why? because the girl doesn't look chinese, so it makes things interesting. she will be wondering "what the hell? do I look chinese?"
Also: it shows you are not trying to impress her by your knowledge of Geography, it shows you dont give a fuck what she thinks, which is extremely sexy.
I really think it's better to say something that makes you look stupid, but maybe I am wrong.

_________________
I have not failed 10,000 times. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. - Edison

Why would you want to make yourself look like an idiot? I don't get it. If you want to be funny or joking, that's a completely different thing.

For example, last week I was on the street with a 2 set. We saw a black guy do a flip backwards. After he did it, I said to the girls, "whoa, now that was a blackflip!" Obviously, they both knew I was messing around. I was wrong, but that didn't make me 'look like an idiot'. It was just a funny comment.

I can't see it ever being a good idea to convey to the girl that you're a complete moron.

So, to answer your question: no, it is not okay to make yourself look stupid.

Ok I'll give you 2 scenarios tell me which one you think a woman would find more attractive. I meet a girl happens to be from south america. We get talking and I tell her how I've been to the Honduras and worked on a team building a house for a family that lost theirs. Then I tell her how from there I went with my team and helped repair an orphanage that was damaged in a storm and the other things I saw and did while I was there.

You meet a girl from syria are you chinese?

Now keep in mind I am not just telling her all this we're having a convo about where she's from and I am adding my knowlege and my experiences of south america to the convo. Odds are its gonna be a rather in depth convo that will leave an impression.

Whereas yours ya you're showing you don't give a shit and you're not trying to impress her with your knowlege of geography, but your also not impressing her either, but if you delivered it properly you might get something going, but I would be surprised.

I think it all depends on the context, and how you us it. In some cases it might be better to add value to the conversation by adding your experience as it relates to the topic. I think (at least in my small amount of experience) that initially you have to be playful and teasing. So for me it would be better to make a so far out joke about something than to try to do what everyone else does which is add value. In my experience building rapor comes later, in comfort building maybe? I think both are good as long as they are used in the correct context.