31 “Small, Low-Key Signs” That A Person Is Really Intelligent

Intelligence is a very difficult and touchy topic to cover. A ton of people have their own personal interpretations of what exactly being brainy means. Moreover, many of us also like to believe that we’re definitely above average when it comes to our skills and smarts (hello, our dear Dunning-Kruger effect, how have you been holding up?).

There’s a very sharp divide between someone who might be intelligent (i.e. book smart) and someone who is wise, experienced, relies on common sense, or knows when to follow their gut. What’s more, one’s understanding of intelligence doesn’t necessarily overlap much with emotional intelligence and the ability to empathize with and manage other people well. Don’t even get us started on the fact that just because someone is highly educated doesn’t automatically make them smart. We also have to consider whether or not someone is neuro(a)typical and figure out if we’re equating intelligence with IQ or not.

Internet users shared their opinions about the small and low-key signs that someone might be really intelligent in a very enlightening r/AskReddit thread. Check out their opinions below, Pandas. Though keep in mind, some of them have a far broader understanding of intelligence that borders on wisdom, empathy, social awareness, and perseverance (or, as we like to call it, the difference between 'intelligence' with an 'i' and 'Intelligence' with a capital 'I'). And if you’d like to share what you personally think indicates that someone is intelligent, be sure to drop by the comment section.

Bored Panda reached out to Steven Wooding, who is part of the Omni Calculator team and a member of the Institute of Physics in the UK, to talk about quantifying intelligence. Read on for our full interview with him.