Even though there are many forms of intelligence, sometimes people exhibit a certain behavior or habit that signals they are super, super smart. So when we asked the BuzzFeed Community: “What do you believe is a ‘dead giveaway’ sign that indicates someone is A LOT smarter than they let on?” a handful of people shared their thoughts. Here’s what they said below.
1.
“They stay out of things until they have an understanding of what is going on, and only then do they share their opinion so that they don’t accidentally hurt someone.”
2.
“Intelligent people don’t get offended when their point is proven wrong. They seem eager to open up to new information they didn’t think of beforehand, instead of being salty because someone poked holes in their logic.”
—TrilingualMom
3.
“Smart people don’t brag about how smart they are. Because they know bragging won’t make them more successful.”
4.
“I believe being teachable and flexibility based on new information is sign of intelligence.”
—MessieB
5.
“If they can explain a complex subject simply. If they can’t, they either don’t understand it fully or only know the textbook answer. I love Denzel [Washington]’s line from Philadelphia: ‘Explain it to me like I’m a 2-year-old. He didn’t mean to explain it like I’m dumb, but break it down for me and simplify it.'”
6.
“Highly intelligent people have small egos and are not loud. They don’t have anything to prove.”
—lauragiped
7.
“It’s not true of everyone, of course, but a lot of highly intelligent people are listeners. They don’t feel the need to constantly be heard but when they do have something to say, you should stop and take note.”
8.
“An odd one that has always been true for every genius I have known; they tend to have low self-esteem. I asked one once why that seemed to be a common trait among them, and they said it likely is because they often see through empty words and see the true motivators behind people’s words and actions. Can you imagine being able to instantly and accurately assess the motivation behind every kind word that has ever been said to you? Basically, every kindness, every bit of dissembling, and every time someone attempted to spare their feelings in any way was utterly ineffective. That must be disheartening.”
—angrysinger626
9.
“They are able to come up with ideas and solutions that others don’t think of — and they do it quickly. A group will be talking about ways to approach something, and pretty standard ideas are pitched. Then that one person blows everyone’s mind with a completely new idea, and as soon as you hear it, you wonder why you didn’t think of it.”
10.
“Every person I know with ADHD is insanely smart. People assume that we just have trouble focusing and are hyperactive. Not true! People with ADHD are able to do multiple things at once, even while our brains are going a million miles a minute. We think differently from others, which gives us a unique perspective on the way things work. I think that we’re also incredibly socially intelligent. I’m sure this isn’t true for all folks with ADHD, but I’ve never met a dumb one!”
—Anonymous, 19, KY
11.
“I’ve met a lot of intelligent people, but one comes to mind who surpassed them all. I truly believe he was on the level with Einstein or another great thinker like that. He remembered everything he ever learned, and nothing trivial. If he read a book, he could recite passages word for word. If you told him what time a meeting was, he would surely forget.”
12.
“People who can code-switch effortlessly without instruction. That friend that you can take to an event with your parents and grandparents, to a fancy work gala, or to a night out with friends. They can speak to all different groups of people and mesh with any crowd they’re put in.”
—Anonymous,
13.
And finally: “When they encounter ‘closed-minded’ people, they don’t waste time arguing. They listen, maybe nod, then politely end the conversation and walk away. No hard feelings. Just two different levels that will never align. They know there’s no common ground, so why waste energy?”
Is there a dead giveaway sign that indicates someone is incredibly smart? Let us know in the comments or in the anonymous Google form below:
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