6 Surprising Signs That Show You are Actually Intelligent
It is natural to know the signs of being intelligent, especially if you doubt your capabilities.
Sometimes, we exhibit subtle traits that show how intelligent we are as a person, but because we do not relate these traits with intelligence, we tend to overlook them. In my childhood, I remember thinking passing examinations was the only criteria for being intelligent.
You are probably familiar with the Intelligence quotient (IQ) – a test of your aptitude and ability. However, there are various types of intelligence ranging from emotional intelligence to social intelligence.
In this piece, I’d be showing you signs of being highly intelligent using traits you possibly might have overlooked.
6 Signs of Being Highly Intelligent
1. You Have a High Level of Curiosity
A good sign of being highly intelligent is your desire to know more about everything and anything.
As children, we were born with a desire to try out anything without fear of the outcome. We are born with an innate desire to want to know things. As we grow, our experience begins to interfere with this innate desire and we suppress the desire for knowledge.
If you get fascinated with new things (like how I was with the concept of the metaverse) and find yourself looking things up constantly, that’s a pretty good sign of being intelligent.
According to a study, highly intelligent people are very curious people. They want to know more about a thing than the average individual. This also shapes how they think and refines their depth of knowledge.
Remember how Ben Carson sounded smart in class because he knew an answer no one in the class had an answer to? Look up “Gifted Hands” to know more about Ben. Did I just steer up your curiosity now?
2. You Adapt Quickly and You Are Flexible
Being intelligent and flexible is one of the signs of being highly intelligent. Intelligent people can thrive in any circumstance. Irrespective of the complications or restrictions placed on them, intelligent people always have a way of getting things done.
Being flexible and adaptable also means finding new ways of doing things. It means being creative in whatever you do. Life throws different circumstances at us and being able to navigate through these situations is a good sign of intelligence.
My mum used to ring my head with these words, “There is no one way of doing things.”
As humans, we love routines because they make us comfortable. Sometimes we stifle the genius in us when our routine changes and don’t adapt by finding solutions to it.
3. You are an Empathetic Person
One key sign of being intelligent is empathy. It is how well you relate with someone because you experience things from their perspective.
According to a study, one component of emotional intelligence is your ability to feel the needs and emotions of others and act sensitively towards those needs.
If you are an empathic person, it is most likely people would find you interesting to talk to and always want to take your advice. It means you can sense what a person is going through emotionally, usually through body language or behavior.
You can develop empathy as a skill. It requires you to be observant of people’s behavior and listen more. When people find you comfortable to relate with, you build a tower of intelligence in their eyes.
4. You Cherish Your Time Alone
Yes, I am about to drop a bombshell! Intelligent people love to have time in solitude for themselves, something I call an “alone” time.
If you are an introvert, I probably have you smiling sheepishly right now. Not to spoil your moment, but it isn’t shying away from people and the public that shows signs of being intelligent, it is what you do with your alone time that matters.
A lot of people hate to be alone. I love being alone, a lot. Not because I dislike the public, it is more of a productive time for me. You know that moment when you are alone and you fix up your chores, meet up with tasks you’ve postponed, find the infinity stones and then you can conquer Thanos.
The truth is the more time you spend socializing, the less time you have to think about your own interests and development. Intelligent people strike a balance between events and personal time. As long as you create time for yourself for personal development to recharge, it is okay to spend time with people.
5. Having a Good Sense of Humour
Highly intelligent people tend to have a good sense of humour. I mean, that is exactly what makes them approachable and friendly.
Once, I saw a tweet where someone said “Sarcasm with Nigerians is an extreme sport. I am tired of having to say ‘I’m sorry’ and explaining memes” and I could relate.
I love witty, cheesy, sarcastic, humorous (I might have run out of adjectives) people. Nobody likes to relate to boring people. It is the reason we all love to attend classes where the lecturer is prone to chipping little jokes to his teachings.
People with a good sense of humor have good social skill that draws people to them. Humor and friendliness is an essential skill for socializing. Then, when people find you as a safe space, you get to have an insight into what they are feeling and can offer help to them.
I had a dream last night! I was swimming in an ocean of orange soda. Turns out it was just a Fanta sea. (You should see my face right now). What’s your favorite cheesy pun? Drop some in the comment section!
6. Intelligent People worry a Lot about Things
Worrying about a lot of things is one of the signs of being highly intelligent. I might have finally found a trait that accommodates everyone except me.
I dislike worrying and having to overthink things. It just gives me unnecessary headaches. I have learned, the hard way, that worrying changes nothing. It is how I learned to be flexible and adapt to changing situations.
However, if you are an overthinker, studies have shown that you are more intelligent than you think. This is true because people who worry are always thinking about the outcome of things to come and trying to fix things before they happen.
However, this is not to encourage you to keep worrying about everything. A good way to channel your worries is by making plans with alternatives. It makes you prepared for any changes.
Don’t worry about things yet to happen- like how we all worry about what our future would be. Again, make plans with alternatives.
How to Increase Your Intelligence
How intelligent you are is determined by different factors. Intelligence can be inherited through genes from your parents. It can also be developed personally through the actions you take. Some of the ways to improve your intelligence include:
1. Sleeping Regularly
When you sleep, it gives your brain and body time to rest and allows enough time to process the information you have gathered while awake. It also gives your brain a fresh start to process new information when you wake up.
2. Exercising Frequently
Exercising helps stimulate brain functioning. The good thing is, you do not have to exercise vigorously to enjoy the benefits of exercising. A light walk daily can work wonders on your body.
3. Read Every Day
Reading stimulates your brain to keep information regularly. The more you read, the more you get to know about things. We learn every day. Reading gives you knowledge on things you do not know and expands your knowledge of things you know.
Fun Facts- According to Forbes, the top 4 countries with the most intelligent people are from Asia with Singapore topping the list.
Even after his death, Sir Isaac Newton still remains the most intelligent person in the world. Currently, Terence Tao is the smartest person alive with an IQ of 230. For context, I took an IQ test and I scored 141.
Conclusion
There are ways to detect intelligence in a person, and it goes beyond being book smart.
There are varying types of intelligence, and each has its own traits that can be identified in a person. An emotionally intelligent person would show signs of being intelligent through emotional self-control and empathy towards others, while a socially-intelligent person can light up a room with a smile and build networks.
Whatever trait you identify with, remember that as humans, we are naturally intelligent beings. It is the actions we take that build up the genius in us. (This my words of wisdom is not for free o).
FAQs
How to Increase Your Intelligence
How intelligent you are is determined by different factors. Intelligence can be inherited through genes from your parents. It can also be developed personally through the actions you take. Some of the ways to improve your intelligence include:
- Sleeping Regularly: When you sleep, it gives your brain and body time to rest and allows enough time to process information you have gathered while awake. It also gives your brain a fresh start to process new information when you wake up.
- Exercising Frequently: Exercising helps stimulate brain functioning. The good thing is, you do not have to exercise vigorously to enjoy the benefits of exercising. A light walk daily can work wonders on your body.
- Read Every Day: Reading stimulates your brain to keep information regularly. The more you read, the more you get to know about things. We learn every day. Reading gives you knowledge on things you do not know and expands your knowledge on things you know.
What country has the most geniuses?
According to Forbes, the top 4 countries with the most intelligent people are from Asia with Singapore topping the list.
Who is the most intelligent person in the world?
Even after his death, Sir Isaac Newton still remains the most intelligent person in the world. Currently, Terence Tao is the smartest person alive with an IQ of 230. For context, I took an IQ test and I scored 141.
What Are the Signs of High Intelligence?
A highly intelligent person would naturally show these 7 signs:
- Good problem-solving skills
- Good decision-making ability
- Creativity
- Good memory
- Good command of language
- Knowledge of general happenings
- Poor romantic ability
