Arnold Schwarzenegger came to America from Austria in 1968. While he was excited to pursue opportunities, he had only dreamed of as a child; it was tough to overcome the culture shock. L.A. was daunting, as it was the home of Hollywood, the capital of the entertainment world. While Arnie didn’t know it, he would help make L.A. the bodybuilding capital of the world as well.

However, the seven-time Mr. Olympia first had to learn the American way of living. Social interaction was the first challenge, as Schwarzenegger had to learn English and had a thick accent. Yet, the talented bodybuilder learned quickly. In his 2012 book, Schwarzenegger described what he learned from one of the most bizarre social interactions he had during his initial years. He learned to lie about it without causing harm.

Arnold Schwarzenegger learned the hard way

Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote about meeting a man named Irvin Zabo. Schwarzenegger and the man from New Jersey became fast friends. Schwarzenegger said he and his other friends often spend time at Zabo’s place,?“getting stoned”?and reading science fiction novels.?“To smoke a joint was so casual it was like drinking a beer,”?Arnie wrote in the book.

However, the bodybuilding icon said he learned to interact with people after spending time with Zabo. Arnie learned what people meant then that said phrases like,?“This is groovy,”?and?“This is cool.”?However, Schwarzenegger found he didn’t know everything about social interaction. While talking to a?“gorgeous girl,”?Schwarzenegger found?“astrology was a big deal.”

“You and I, it seems like we really belong together; we should go out for dinner,”?Arnie asked the girl. However, she rejected the Mr. Universe immediately. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what sign are you?” asked the girl. When the Austrian Oak replied he was a Leo, she said,?“That?s not for me. That?s really not for me. Thank you, but no thank you,” Schwarzenegger wrote in Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story.

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The woman left, and the following day, Schwarzenegger asked his friends for some advice.?“I?m still learning,”?said Schwarzenegger before narrating the story, and Zabo offered a solution.

Irvin Zabo’s solution worked perfectly

After Zabo heard Schwarzenegger’s story, he said Arnie needed to tell a harmless lie.?“Man, you got to say, ?I?m the best sign.? Try that,” Irvin Zabo told his Mr. universe-winner friend. Schwarzenegger wrote it took a few weeks before a situation arose where he could apply his friend’s advice. A girl Arnie was having lunk with asked,?“What sign are you?”

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Schwarzenegger asked which sign the girl thought Arnie was. When she couldn’t guess, Arnie said?“The best!”?The girl then asked if he was Capricorn, as it was her favorite sign. So the seven-time Mr. Olympia played along.?“It?s amazing because that fits so well with me,”?she said, and how Schwarzenegger learned to lie about his zodiac sign to go on dates.

While Schwarzenegger eventually learned every detail about the American way of life, his early experiences were memorable.