Albert Einstein writing on a blackboard.
There are some obvious ways to determine if someone is highly intelligent, like when you see them work out a complex trigonometry problem on a blackboard or when they can easily explain the science behind mRNA vaccines or dark matter.
But there are also those we meet at social gatherings who immediately make us think they are very smart. Usually, it isn’t because they are making a long-winded speech about the fall of the Roman Empire or explaining quarks. We know they are intelligent because of the way they interact with people and ideas.
A Redditor named SomethingAbout2020 asked people on the AskReddit forum to share the “non-obvious signs” that people are intelligent. Many of their responses centered around how highly intelligent people are open-minded, curious and don’t waste their time arguing with others.
Brilliant people are confident in what they know, consider other people’s opinions and readily admit when they don’t know the answer.
Here are 15 of the best responses to the question: What are the non-obvious signs of a smart person?
1. They know what they don't know
"They acknowledge areas where they lack knowledge."
2. They consider other people's ideas
5. They consider multiple intelligences
People who are super smart are probably familiar with Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. The theory suggests that people have more than just one type of just one type of intelligence, like being good at mathematics. Gardener says there are several, including musical, spatial, linguistic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and kinesthetic intelligence. This theory opens the door for people to appreciate different forms of intelligence that may not be of the academic variety.
6. They choose their battles
"When another person is not able to process something and, therefore, sticks with his opinion, after a few tries, the smart person just gives up. There is no use in trying to make someone understand something while they already have an uneducated opinion."
7. They speak to their audience
"They know how to explain concepts on just about any level, tailoring that level to their intended audience, and without coming across as condescending in any way."
"I heard a saying that went 'you have to be an expert to explain it simply.'"
8. They're confident in their intelligence
"Not constantly bragging about their intelligence. If they truly are smart, people can figure that out pretty quickly without them doing anything to show it."
"You generally only brag about things you're insecure about because you seek validation. If you are very comfortable with your intelligence then you may not care if someone misinterprets you and makes you look dumb or something. You have nothing to prove. That's not just for intelligence but for anything."
9. They're funny
"I think the smart people are even more funny than stupid people because smart people understand the complexity behind humor and can make their jokes reflect that."
Scientific studies show that people who are funny, especially those who have a dark sense of humor, are more intelligent than their not-so-funny peers. Researchers argue that it takes cognitive and emotional ability to make people laugh, and analysis shows that funny people have higher verbal and non-verbal intelligence.
10. They mind their own business
"This is a big one. They keep to themselves and deal with their own drama."
11. They aren't necessarily great students
"They actually listen to who they are talking to as opposed to waiting for their turn to talk."
"It really does seem to be one of the single greatest differentiators between average and smart."
15. Unattached to their opinions
This article originally appeared last year.
