How can you tell if this person is truly smart? (3 photos)

They ask you questions and listen more. When you answer, they ask you more. When you start using big words, they ask for clarification. When they can't understand anything you say, they ask you to explain it to them. When you say something intriguing, they write it down in their notebook. These people are not naturally smarter - they just learn better, which makes them smarter.





2. They realize how much they don't know. The smartest people can admit that they are unfamiliar with a certain concept. Smart people are not afraid to say, “I don’t know.” If they don't know it, they can learn it: the less smart you are, the more you overestimate your cognitive abilities.

For example, in one experiment, students who scored the lowest on a test overestimated the number of questions they answered correctly by almost 50%. Meanwhile, those with the highest scores slightly underestimated how many questions they answered correctly. Smart people don't talk. More importantly, they know what not to talk about.

3. They have an insatiable curiosity. Albert Einstein said, “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.” Most ignorant people are always busy trying to prove that they are geniuses. Although smart people, instead of boasting about their intelligence, they doubt their abilities, they are always busy studying more and more. They are genuinely curious and ask questions modestly: “Explain this to me as if I were a five-year-old child.”

4. They are open. Smart people don't close themselves off to new ideas or opportunities. Psychologists say open-minded people—those who seek out alternative points of view and weigh evidence fairly—tend to score higher on intelligence tests.

At the same time, smart people are careful in choosing ideas and points of view: the intelligent mind really does not like to take things at face value and therefore does not believe until it provides sufficient evidence. Understand that once you stop asking questions, you stop learning. Once you stop writing down ideas, you forget them.

5. They read a lot. Indeed, many of the world's most successful people, including Bill Gates, say that they learn by reading everything they can get their hands on.



6. Their communication skills are so strong: when they speak, people will listen, when they write, people will read. The secret to their powerful communication is that they can present their point of view accurately and logically rather than argue aggressively. There is a brightness and curiosity in their eyes that shows that the mind behind them is working and sifting through everything that is perceived by their very senses.

7. They have high self-control. Scientists have discovered a connection between self-control and intelligence. In one 2009 study published in the journal Psychological Science, participants had to choose between two financial rewards: a smaller payout immediately or a larger payout later.

The results showed that participants who chose the larger payout later, that is, those who had more self-control, tended to score higher on intelligence tests. The researchers behind the study say one area of ​​the brain—the anterior prefrontal cortex—may play a role in helping people solve complex problems and demonstrate self-control while working toward goals.

8. They have a great sense of humor. One 2019 University of New Mexico study found that people who wrote funny captions for cartoons had higher verbal intelligence scores. Another study from the University of New Mexico found that professional comedians have higher than average verbal intelligence scores.

9. They know how to read people. In fact, you may feel like they can see right through you. They are very knowledgeable; they absorb their environment. Everyone in the room can feel their strong presence. They have a good understanding of people and situations and act accordingly.

10. They think outside the box. Smart means thinking differently. Very smart people question the status quo. They question old ways of doing things. They have unusual, unconventional and crazy ideas.

11. Finally, they have humility. They are so smart that they can grasp what most of us cannot - the enormity of everything that they do not know and will never know. Smart people don't brag about their intelligence or try to show it off because they understand its limits. In this sense, intelligence looks like good old common sense. Smart people understand the limits of their abilities and simply use them to the best of their ability. If a person is truly smart, he will accept mistakes when you point out a real mistake in his conversation or action. Even though they know they are better than most people, they don't remind people of this.

The hardest thing about becoming smart is not lying to yourself about how much you know. You have to be humble to ask questions. If you can do this, people will see you as smart too.