Many of us like to think that we’re fairly smart. But it can be a very humbling experience when you’re in the presence of someone who actually has a vast intelligence and knows how to use it. And aside from feeling humbled, you might also feel slightly weirded out.
Folks took to an intriguing AskReddit thread to share the times that they’ve seen geniuses use their IQ in quite creepy ways. Their stories make for a fascinating read, and we’ve collected the best ones to share with you. Scroll down to check them out.
Discover more in “Made Me Feel Like My Brain Was Spaghetti”: 65 People Share The Creepiest Displays Of Intelligence They’ve Seen In Others
Click here & follow us for more lists, facts, and stories.
#41
Had a medical school professor have dozens of 6 feet tall stacks of magazines and articles.
we would see a patient, and (pediatric neurology) he would tell me about rare cases, and while speaking, he would pause, and direct me to the 3rd stack to my left, about half way down, and find the article of the same case we were speaking about. he would do that for each stack as my rotation went along.
we would see a patient, and (pediatric neurology) he would tell me about rare cases, and while speaking, he would pause, and direct me to the 3rd stack to my left, about half way down, and find the article of the same case we were speaking about. he would do that for each stack as my rotation went along.
Report
0points
#42
I have a friend who is insanely accurate at predicting human behaviour. Including people she has never met.
I was telling her about a guy telling me he’s not interested in me.
She predicted the EXACT day he would get back, and the exact sentiment he would express.
I almost felt like cheating in life having discussions with her. She isn’t very manipulative, but she can predict perfectly how to get what you want from people.
She is happily married by the way. Her husband treats her perfectly. Ironically, the husband’s ex wife says he treated her like [trash]. My friend has just trained him on every aspects she finds important.
I was telling her about a guy telling me he’s not interested in me.
She predicted the EXACT day he would get back, and the exact sentiment he would express.
I almost felt like cheating in life having discussions with her. She isn’t very manipulative, but she can predict perfectly how to get what you want from people.
She is happily married by the way. Her husband treats her perfectly. Ironically, the husband’s ex wife says he treated her like [trash]. My friend has just trained him on every aspects she finds important.
Report
0points
#43
Give a time and date from ww2 and my brother will tell you what happened. He’s autistic and special interest is, you guessed it, ww2.
I’m also autistic, but my special interest is in the animal world, especially behaviour. If you have en unruly dog, I just need to meet it once and I can tell what’s wrong. Took over my mom’s dog, because he pulled so much that both her and her husband had been pulled to the ground. I’ve survived a stroke so my grip is weak nowadays, so that was a no go. Couple months later I could have the leash on a finger with no pulling and he is way happier. Problem was stress. He needed more time to sniff and look and to just take his time exploring instead of just go go go. He’s mine now.
I’m also autistic, but my special interest is in the animal world, especially behaviour. If you have en unruly dog, I just need to meet it once and I can tell what’s wrong. Took over my mom’s dog, because he pulled so much that both her and her husband had been pulled to the ground. I’ve survived a stroke so my grip is weak nowadays, so that was a no go. Couple months later I could have the leash on a finger with no pulling and he is way happier. Problem was stress. He needed more time to sniff and look and to just take his time exploring instead of just go go go. He’s mine now.
Report
0points
#44
My husband’s brain and body.
My husband’s ability to read a room and tell me exactly what people are saying and thinking. He can memorize maps, and knows where he is at all times without one. He has a photographic memory and can explain every detail of something with just a glance. He reads voraciously and can put complex solutions together to something he has never done before. When he makes a mistake he knows exactly why and what mistake was made. He sits with his back to the wall everywhere we go and maps rooms, buildings, and exits at all times. In a crowd or on a crowded road he is able to find space to move that wasn’t there a split second before, it’s like he can read people’s minds. He has performed simple surgeries on himself to remove things from his body, then closes it up.
Like WTH? He’s very well educated, traveled a lot, comes from a well educated “old-line”family and I swear they were bred different. He dislikes people, doesn’t trust, until he trusts you. Then watch out! His loyalty is STRONG! He’s the person other people call, at all hours of the day or night. He’s the greatest man I’ve ever met.
It’s really difficult to be married to someone like him. ☺️😉😘 I LOVE it!
My husband’s ability to read a room and tell me exactly what people are saying and thinking. He can memorize maps, and knows where he is at all times without one. He has a photographic memory and can explain every detail of something with just a glance. He reads voraciously and can put complex solutions together to something he has never done before. When he makes a mistake he knows exactly why and what mistake was made. He sits with his back to the wall everywhere we go and maps rooms, buildings, and exits at all times. In a crowd or on a crowded road he is able to find space to move that wasn’t there a split second before, it’s like he can read people’s minds. He has performed simple surgeries on himself to remove things from his body, then closes it up.
Like WTH? He’s very well educated, traveled a lot, comes from a well educated “old-line”family and I swear they were bred different. He dislikes people, doesn’t trust, until he trusts you. Then watch out! His loyalty is STRONG! He’s the person other people call, at all hours of the day or night. He’s the greatest man I’ve ever met.
It’s really difficult to be married to someone like him. ☺️😉😘 I LOVE it!
Report
0points
#45

We know a guy who could tell you the day of the week for any date going back in time. Which is neat, but I guess there’s a system to it.
He could also tell you what he was doing that day and what he ate.
Which is bonkers to me that he remembers having a turkey sandwich for lunch and spaghetti for dinner 20 years ago on a specific date. Where he was and what he was doing that day.
If the cops asked me where I was last week and questions about time, I got nothing.
He could also tell you what he was doing that day and what he ate.
Which is bonkers to me that he remembers having a turkey sandwich for lunch and spaghetti for dinner 20 years ago on a specific date. Where he was and what he was doing that day.
If the cops asked me where I was last week and questions about time, I got nothing.
0points
#46
Not creepy, but my intellectually disabled son remembers everyone’s bdays, the year they were born and how old they would be in any given year. Not just people we know but watching tv and he’ll be like ‘oh that actor is 76 next month.’ And I always check and he’s always right.
Report
0points
#47

I heard the lawnmower stop so I jumped off the couch and started pretending to sweep since we were splitting chores. Bf walks in the living room and asked if I was about done and I said just finishing. He told me the condensation would have evaporated off the power button on the remote by now and my Snuggie was still decompressing.
0points
#48
I worked with a guy that had a mental profile build up around everyone we worked with. “Gary is late every other Thursday. Also did you see he changed his license plate? I wonder if he will eat ham or turkey today.” He did this with everyone, I feel like he could probably still recall my specs after 20 years.
Report
0points
#49
I realise these are explainable and maybe might seem easy to people but these are creepy to me because they make me realise how little my brain can do compared to others:
A friend that can always tell were the north is, even underground or inside.
Seeing my bf practice piano without a piano. He's practicing Scriabin in his head, like how??
The quickness with which my bf and sister can do complex math. Ask me what 8x3 is and I'll give you an answer the next business day.
A friend that can always tell were the north is, even underground or inside.
Seeing my bf practice piano without a piano. He's practicing Scriabin in his head, like how??
The quickness with which my bf and sister can do complex math. Ask me what 8x3 is and I'll give you an answer the next business day.
Report
0points
#50
I had a lady in my team who could calculate complex thermodynamic equations including the relationship between natural gas and steam using calorific values and enthalpy in her head quicker than I could with a calculator. We’re talking at least 5-10 variables being used in the right order and she was always within a few % points. Very clever lady.
Report
0points
#51

My son was 6 months old. He was on a blanket. I was trying to encourage him to crawl. I put a toy he liked on the other side of the blanket to encourage him to crawl toward it.
He stared at that toy. He didn't crawl. He grabbed the blanket and very deliberately, hand over hand, pulled the blanket toward him until the toy was within reach.
He stared at that toy. He didn't crawl. He grabbed the blanket and very deliberately, hand over hand, pulled the blanket toward him until the toy was within reach.
0points
#52
In college I had a friend who was always right. She was lovely and I am not saying it in a bad way. She was just always correct. We once walked up to a bank of 20 or so doors to the student union. We (a group) were walking towards one, and she said "nope" and opened another. It was the only one not locked. I have no idea. She was just always right. It was pretty awesome.
Report
0points
#53
I knew a guy who could tell what type of car was driving by simply by hearing it's tires and engine drive by outside. He did not sit near any windows, but there was a window by the water cooler and people in the office would test him often. It got to the point where if someone getting water started to say his name he'd just rattle off a make and model for them and smirk when they confirmed he was right. I still to this day am not sure how his brain did it.
Report
0points
#54
My wife can tell me what I'm thinking and feeling without asking me, and we have whole conversations without me saying anything. Blows my mind every time.
Report
0points
#55
Old friend of mine that I haven’t spoke with in over a decade was the smartest person I’ve ever met- full rides at his undergrad and eventually Yale Medical school, where he became a neurologist for several years until he taught himself how to code and founded a rather prominent website/company.
In HS he took all the most advanced placement courses that were offered- ones that made almost all the smartest students in the high school [complain] about workload, acing them all without hardly even opening his books. How do I know that? Because he was always out partying with us, so I know he never studied for a single exam.
There are some truly, scary, exceptional people in the world.
In HS he took all the most advanced placement courses that were offered- ones that made almost all the smartest students in the high school [complain] about workload, acing them all without hardly even opening his books. How do I know that? Because he was always out partying with us, so I know he never studied for a single exam.
There are some truly, scary, exceptional people in the world.
Report
0points
#56
I remember seeing a kid walk past a random rubik's cube that was just sitting on a table in Australia... he picked it up... paused to look at... solved it and set it back down.. might have been 5 or 6 seconds.. and then he just walked off like it was nothing.
Surreal to witness it in-person and completely out of context/without warning etc.
Surreal to witness it in-person and completely out of context/without warning etc.
Report
0points
#57
My mom quite literally never forgot a face. One time when I was little, we were at a Sam's Club and she was looking at the cashier. Then she just randomly asked him "Did you work at a Burger King? Eight years ago?" And he did. He was obviously shocked and asked her how she knew that.
She was aware that this hidden talent of hers could creep people out, but she thought it was funny. And we didn't even go to Burger King regularly, we were a McDonald's family, so it's not like she would have seen him often. She just remembered everybody's faces, including strangers.
She was aware that this hidden talent of hers could creep people out, but she thought it was funny. And we didn't even go to Burger King regularly, we were a McDonald's family, so it's not like she would have seen him often. She just remembered everybody's faces, including strangers.
Report
0points
#58

My office friend has predicted 3 resignation from our team months before they happened based on only observation. No data, rumours... That's impressive.
0points
#59
The most incomprehensible human ability to me is salesmanship. I worked at a bank for several months and witnessed how my senior manager could fulfill a month's plan in a single week. He didn't do anything that the average person couldn't, but his charisma, well-placed speech, and ease of communication gave him an edge.
Some people are born with a talent for sales, and I believe in it. You probably have a market in your city, and there are bound to be two people there selling the same thing, but their results will be completely different. I don't know how to explain it.
Some people are born with a talent for sales, and I believe in it. You probably have a market in your city, and there are bound to be two people there selling the same thing, but their results will be completely different. I don't know how to explain it.
Report
0points
#60
I have a friend who points out the most obvious stuff about people and they always get really freaked out by it as if it's like some kind of fortune teller stuff. sometimes they joke about her being "the seer." she's just really good at pattern recognition, and also articulating it.
Report
0points

