CuriositiesFEB 1, 2022

People Point Out 30 Low-Key Signs Of A Highly Intelligent Person

More often than not, we notice the not-so-bright people walking around us, blaring their extreme opinions while being completely uninformed on the subject. It’s one of life’s great mysteries—those of lesser intelligence tend to overestimate how clever they are, while smart people do the exact opposite.

So when user blissfulhavoc posted “What is a subtle sign that someone is intelligent/sharp?” on r/AskReddit, fellow members quickly rolled up their sleeves. It seems that clever people might not advertise the fact that they’re smart but others sure do notice it. Hundreds started sharing their opinions about the tell-tale traits that prove someone is bright and sharp.

Find the best answers Bored Panda has collected from this viral thread right below, and share your thoughts with us in the comments. Psst! After you’re done, be sure to check out our previous post on even more signs that might prove you’re smarter than you think.

#1

When they don't know something they look it up immediatly. They can't stand not knowing because they are curious about it and want to know more.

s1mp_9

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293points

#2

People Point Out 30 Low-Key Signs Of A Highly Intelligent Person

I think there are so many different types of intelligence that it’s hard to narrow down one defining trait. Social intelligence, spatial intelligence, problem solving, etc.

I’m from a very rural area with a high poverty rate. I grew up working on a cattle ranch. One of the guys I worked with had to drop out of school in 4th grade to work full time doing agricultural work for his family. He had to work really hard as an adult to reach even a 6th grade reading level. He doesn’t read for pleasure, and by the standards of an educated, urban person, he’d be considered pretty ignorant. However, he can build anything. Fences, mechanical things, buildings, sprinkler systems, you name it. He’s funny as hell, and as a kid working around him I had no idea he was barely literate until his 30s.

One of my brothers is absolutely brilliant. Well read, follows world politics, works in IT at a high level. He’s the smartest person I know, easily, in terms of processing complicated information and retaining it in a useful way. He could absolutely build a computer, but put him on a horse and ask him to go get cattle off the back forty or repair a fence and… no way. He’s also good company, but not always the most socially adept, in that he has almost no street smarts and doesn’t understand concepts like flattery, or other mostly harmless ways that people manipulate those around them as a social lubricant.

Which one of them is smarter? Depends on what you need them to accomplish.

EO_Equestrian, pexels

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284points

#3

They ask questions. Smart people don't get smart by acting like they know everything.

Inner_Art482 , pexels

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241points

While intelligence comes in many forms, we all probably have a stereotypical image of a clever person in mind. You could picture them sitting in the library, surrounded by books. Perhaps they are wearing glasses and seem a bit socially awkward. Or maybe they always have fascinating facts on hand to keep the conversation going. The truth is, bright people have many different traits, and a high IQ test is not the only way to measure a person’s mental abilities.

“A highly intelligent person is one who is flexible in their thinking and can adapt to changes, they think before they speak or act, and they’re able to effectively manage their emotions,” Dr. Catherine Jackson, licensed clinical psychologist and neurotherapist, told Bustle. “In short, they possess several different types of intelligence, including but not limited to intellectual, social, and emotional intelligence.”

#4

They're willing to consider different viewpoints when presented with compelling evidence, and accept when they make a mistake.

QuantumHamster, pexels

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222points

#5

A willingness to learn

Dumb ppl think they know everything so they don't bother.

dramaandaheadache, pexels

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192points

#6

The ability to change their mind when presented with new information. Intelligence is, at its core, a constant reassessment of your own knowledge and the ability to acquire and apply more.

redheadartgirl, unsplash

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191points

One subtle trait that these people share is that they’re observant. “In a world where people talk to prove who they are, highly intelligent people are the opposite,” Jackson mentioned. Well, maybe you’re not exactly Sherlock Holmes, but noticing the little details and taking everything in can still suggest brilliance. Sharp people often refrain from loudly sharing their opinions and accomplishments. Instead, they prefer to remain quiet and observe their surroundings.

Also, understanding you can’t know it all is another low-key sign intelligent people have. “If they can’t do something, they don’t try and act as if they can,” the licensed clinical psychologist explained. “Instead, they know their limits and can admit it. This allows them to be open to learning more from others and/or situations.”

#7

They quite frequently explain things or answer questions with “it depends”. Intelligent people tend to have a hard time explaining something they know a lot about because it’s hard to boil any particular topic or object down to one portion of it or another rather than the way in which the whole interacts.

When they do provide a straightforward answer that only singles out one component as the explanation, it will be prefaced with a pretty non-committal phrase like “I could be wrong, but…” or “generally,”. This is less reliable than an “it depends” though.

OmniSkeptic

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165points

#8

They are aware of their limitations and just how much they still don't know. As a consequence they also tend to underestimate themselves.

Coffee_666, unsplash

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157points

#9

They have a look. Their eyes look AT things/people, not THROUGH things/people. And that doesn’t necessarily mean direct eye contact (because a lot of people with ASD for example struggle with eye contact), but you can tell they are constantly observing, consciously looking at the world, not just witnessing it passively.

LiAn_VeRa , unsplash

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136points

Next, they tend to go with the flow and don’t spend a lot of time worrying about things they can’t control. “Rather than being rigid about what must happen, they remain mentally flexible, open-minded and can easily adjust to life, no matter what gets thrown their way,” Jackson noted.

Andi Simon, Ph.D., a corporate anthropologist and an author of Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business, added that quick-witted people don’t ask questions for the sake of asking. They do so with purpose.

“Someone must have said this often-quoted line: ’Knowledge is having the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question,’” she said. “We forget that all of life is a conversation. Intelligent people recognize that others have information and insights that through a shared conversation will help both grow, expand their wisdom and enhance their intellect.”

#10

I mean at this point, just believing the earth is a sphere is good enough for me.

PlayerH8rsBallz

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131points

#11

They don’t immediately attack you for having an unpopular view that’s different.

Intelligence is being able to entertain an idea while not being convinced by it.

InfiNicty, unsplash

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125points

#12

They listen first and then speak or ask questions after understanding.

The bright/intelligent people I know have an unusual ability to digest a situation and then posit a question or frame a position that cuts through the noise and advances everyone’s thought process.

onstantlySlippery, pexels

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123points

So there are many ways to look at intelligence, but it’s clear that it goes beyond book smarts. Sharp people strive for lifelong curiosity and a never-ending thirst for knowledge. And if there’s one thing we can be sure of—their brain cells never seem to stop working.

#13

A very smart person once told me “if you walk away from any new challenge and didn’t learn anything, you weren’t paying attention”. Best advice I’ve ever heard.

Thepants1981, pexels

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115points

#14

Quick wit and humor

Longjumping_Sleep_12, pexels

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114points

#15

They listen instead of talk. A former CIA agent was asked this question and his answer was this because he said the quietest person in the room is listening to everything that’s being said which makes them the smartest and most dangerous.

samsonity, unsplash

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114points

#16

I’m an industrial technician troubleshooter supervisor, And sometimes I have to work with the electrical engineers. The head engineer is highly intelligent, and the way and the order that he asks questions so he can come to an understanding of the Issue forces me to think in a process that hurts my brain. I don’t know how they can handle it Day In and Day out.

Trek1973, unsplash

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108points