Ever wondered whether the person you’re interested in is a certified brainiac or just putting on a clever ruse to appear so?
Some signs of intelligence are obvious – you might expect the person to read a lot and ask insightful questions.
But now, psychologists have pinpointed a litany of qualities that highly intelligent people share – many of which may come as a surprise.
A new report featuring insight from some of the country’s top psychologists has revealed how to spot extraordinary intelligence.
Some telltale signs include an unyielding sense of curiosity about the world around them, a good sense of humor, the ability to recognize patterns, and being adaptable to new, strange situations.
If these cues sound familiar, odds are you’re dealing with a true intellectual.
Highly intelligent people often have good senses of humor, according to psychologists
1) They’re highly curious and inquisitive
Highly inquisitive people who spend their lifetimes in search of answers to their nagging questions are typically the most intelligent, according to psychologists.
Research has shown that students who are more curious get better grades. Curious people also retain information better.
Dr. Matthias Gruber, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Davis, said: ‘Curiosity may put the brain in a state that allows it to learn and retain any kind of information, like a vortex that sucks in what you are motivated to learn, and also everything around it.’
Studies have also shown that inquisitive minds are able to generate more complex ideas and solutions to problems than a person who subscribes to the notion that ‘ignorance is bliss.’
Dr Spencer Harrison, an expert on creativity and its role in corporate jobs, told Harvard Business Review: ‘Our data strongly suggest that curiosity helps employees engage more deeply in their work, generate new ideas, and share those ideas with others.
‘When feeling curious at work, 73 percent of individual contributors report “sharing ideas more” and “generating new ideas for their organizations.”’
Intellectuals prefer deep, substantive conversations to surface-level small talk. They also tend to be more open-minded and able to grasp complex problems to devise innovative solutions
2) They are highly self-aware
Highly intelligent people are not just aware of the world around them; they possess intimate knowledge of where they fit into it.
Self-awareness is the quality that allows people to see themselves clearly, and understand their own feelings, beliefs, and thought patterns and how those patterns affect people around them.
But higher self-awareness is a double-edged sword. It can translate to higher rates of anxiety and an over-focus on one’s character flaws.
A 2018 study by psychologists in Washington and Seattle found that people with a higher IQ also had higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder.
3) They have a healthy dose of skepticism
Smart people do not take everything delivered to them upon a silver platter at face value. They tend to understand better that, more often than not, nothing is quite as it seems.
Skeptics typically withhold judgments on issues until they get all the facts, choosing to critically analyze different facets without coming to a conclusion based on innate biases or emotions.
This has played out in several studies comparing the IQs of very religious people with atheists. One 2010 report found that intelligent people are more likely to have no religious beliefs – because they ask questions about statements that aren’t based on evidence.
Signs of a highly intelligent person span way beyond a person who is well-read. However, one common sign is curiosity
4) They recognize patterns that other people miss
The ability to recognize patterns in literature, data, nature, and more abstract or contradictory ideas is a hallmark sign of extreme intelligence, psychologists say.
Successful people like investing giant Warren Buffet and e-commerce titan Jeff Bezos have dominated their industries for years thanks to their preternatural ability to identify trends.
5) They have a good sense of humor
A quick wit and clever wordplay are often strong indicators of a high intellect.
Understanding humor and being a funny person require cognitive agility that allows them to think fast on their feet and quickly process information.
Intelligent people, who are typically more creative, are also better able to generate more innovative takes that lend themselves to being funny.
Researchers in Austria reported in a 2017 study that funny people, particularly fans of dark humor, have higher verbal and non-verbal intelligence.
They wrote that ‘intelligence, processing speed, aggression and mood not only influence the execution of the mental operations themselves but also facilitate the adapting of humor processing strategies in a quick and flexible way.’
6) They’re comfortable with not knowing
Yes, intellectuals often have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. But they also tend to be ok with and even take comfort in the fact that they will never know everything.
True intelligence means understanding that, no matter how many classes a person takes, books one reads, and stimulating conversations one has, they will never have all the answers.
Highly intelligent people are able to embrace the unknowns as drivers to learn and grow.
7) They are great at problem solving
Intellect and critical problem solving go hand in hand.
An intellectual approaches challenges with an analytical and even skeptical mindset, eager to work through a maze of scenarios.
Intelligent people listen carefully to the facts, break the problem down into smaller, more digestible components, consider facts objectively and without emotion, and determine possible solutions based on the weight of individual facts.
8) They’re adaptable and flexible
Adaptability is a sign of intelligence. Smart people can thrive in a variety of environments, whether it be a lab or a cocktail party.
They are also more likely to be open-minded and willing to consider contradictory opinions and new facts as they arise.
This is in part thanks to their boundless curiosity to learn about the people and world around them. That curiosity also makes it easier to embrace change as it comes.
Change is a fundamental law of the universe, and adapting to those inevitable changes is a major indicator of whether a person will succeed.
9) They’re comfortable with the grey areas
A highly intelligent person is not turned off by the grey areas. Not every problem has a single, clear-cut answer.
Accepting ambiguity, according to British and Norwegian psychologists, ‘infers that there can consider multiple, even contradictory or combinatorial, solutions to problems.
‘People with this mind-set could develop more sophisticated problem-solving techniques and interests, developing in turn higher fluid and crystallised intelligence.’
10) They prefer substantive conversations
The smartest people often hate small talk the most. They’re not nearly as interested in the weather or what sports teams other people’s kids are on. Many smart people simply get bored.
Instead, intellectuals favor meaningful, substantive conversations.
They possess the ability to introspect and reflect on their thoughts and feelings and are therefore drawn to those conversations that let them share those insights and hear others’.
