Intelligence is a spectrum. There are many different forms of it, from emotional intelligence, to intelligence when it comes to things like maths and science. It might be that you’re very well-read, but have a memory that is below average.
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While a lot of intelligence comes from education, there are some types of intelligence that can’t be taught, you either have them or you don’t. This includes things like emotional intelligence or having a curious mind. Below is a list of various different factors that can often indicate a high level of intelligence.
They Took Music Lessons
It has been scientifically proven that people who have taken music lessons at some point during the course of their life tend to have a higher IQ than those that haven’t. This trend is most notable in children between the ages of four and six.
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Multiple studies have been done to investigate this. Scientists have come to the conclusion that learning an instrument can help you to have a more analytical mind and enable you to better interpret things. In fact, research has claimed that learning an instrument increases intelligence by 10 percent.
They Are The Eldest Sibling
Where you rank in terms of age within your family can often play a part in your level of intelligence. Being the eldest sibling can have a positive impact on this. (Sorry younger siblings!) This is due to the type of parenting that they experience.
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Older siblings tend to receive a lot more attention from their parents when they are first born, since for the parents there is more pressure to get everything right first time around. Their intelligence is also aided by the interactions that they have with their younger siblings.
They Are In Shape
There have been numerous studies which have revealed that people with lower BMIs are generally more intelligent. Working out can improve brain functions, such as the capacity to learn and the ability to form memories.
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It is also important to consider that more intelligent children tend to grow up to be more financially successful than less intelligent people, which means they can afford to better take care of their bodies. This includes having access to decent healthcare, a gym membership, and healthy food.
They Own A Cat
While the cats vs. dogs argument rages on, those on the cat side will be pleased to know that owning a cat can actually be a sign of higher intelligence. Dog owners tend to be more outgoing and extroverted, while cat owners are more often the opposite of that.
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According to a study conducted in 2014, “cat people” may display higher levels of cognitive ability. This is most likely due to them staying at home and doing things like reading the newspaper, reading books and other stimulating activities.
They Experimented With Drugs
In a 2012 study, researchers wrote that “in our large population-based cohort study, a high IQ at 11 years was associated with a greater likelihood of using selected illegal drugs 31 years later […] a high childhood IQ may prompt the adoption of behaviours that are potentially harmful to health in adulthood.”
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You would think that the intelligent people would be the ones who are smart enough to stay away, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. Often the intelligent ones are the ones with the more curious minds, therefore they are more inclined to want to experiment with drugs.
They Are Left-Handed
This is one that might seem bizarre, but research has shown correlations between intelligence and people who are left-handed. According to Maria Konnikova in a 1995 edition of The New Yorker, “Researchers found that the more marked the left-handed preference in a group of males, the better they were at tests of divergent thought….”
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In addition, there is evidence that intelligence correlates with the laterality of the cognitive skills of an individual. It has also been suggested that those who are left-handed are more creative. You’re never going to hear the end of it from people who are left-handed now!
They Are Tall
It has been suggested that height can also play a part in human intelligence. According to one study, height may say something about how smart a child is even if they are as young as three years old. To anyone who hates being tall, there is a silver-lining after all!
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Those who were taller as children and into adulthood have performed significantly better when taking cognitive tests. While we can’t categorically say that if you are taller, you are therefore more smart, height may well have some impact on intelligence.
They Ask Big Questions
Intelligent people don’t tend to be satisfied with asking questions about their immediate surroundings. They need to know more. They often think a lot and like to engage in conversations about the existential questions, such as the meaning of life and the existence of God or an intelligent designer of some form.
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While they know that they won’t be able to find a straight answer, they find enjoyment in discussing these topics at length and debating different philosophies and theories. This often leads to them doing extensive research and therefore reading more than most in order to try and satisfy their curiosities.
They Frequently Drink Alcohol
There is no clear explanation for this but there have been studies conducted on the subject, the results of which have highlighted a link between having high IQ and frequently drinking alcohol. According to evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa, British and American adults with high IQs as children or teens drank more alcohol when they grew up.
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This is in no way a suggestion that you should drink more. Drinking a lot of alcohol can have very harmful effects on your body, lowers your inhibitions and can lead to disaster. It is not worth the risk and this hasn’t even been conclusively proven.
They Started Reading At A Young Age
Those that learn to read at a young age tend to have a huge advantage over those who don’t read until later on in life. Reading is, without a doubt, one of the best things you can do in order to improve your intelligence so, naturally, there is a correlation there.
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In a 2012 study done using pairs of identical twins, those who learned to read earlier tended to score higher in tests of cognitive ability and the results showed that they have significantly better verbal and nonverbal skills.
They Are Frequently Anxious
Studies done in 2012 and 2014 showed that there is a strong correlation between anxiety and verbal intelligence, and that people with any form of anxiety disorder tend to have higher IQs. Those who are anxious score higher in verbal intelligence tests and those who aren’t effected by anxiety tend to score higher in nonverbal intelligence tests.
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A tendency to overanalyse situations often comes with anxiety which is what smarter people do. They can become easily troubled with existential questions or worry about issues and problems that are completely outside of their control.
They Have A Good Sense Of Humour
Having a good sense of humour often tends to be a firm indication that someone has a higher level of intelligence. To prove the validity of this claim, a study was conducted involving 400 psychology students. The aim was to put their abstract reasoning skills and verbal intelligence to the test.
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The students were asked to come up with captions for New Yorker cartoons. These captions were then examined and analysed by an objective group. The final results showed that the students who came up with the most amusing captions were those who also ranked highly in terms of their intelligence.
They Are Constantly Curious
This is a fairly obvious one. Intelligent minds are never content with simple answers, they always need to know more. They are curious to understand exactly how things work and why things are the way they are…
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According to Tomas-Prezumi, a professor of business psychology, “[Curiosity] leads to higher levels of intellectual investment and knowledge acquisition over time, especially in formal domains of education, such as science and art.” Put more simply, this means that those who are curious are always looking for answers and, as a result, acquire knowledge during their search.
They Are Disorganised
You might expect that people who are intelligent would be highly organised, but this is often not the case. Many very intelligent people actually tend to live a cluttered lifestyle, surrounded by mess. Mess has actually been linked to high levels of creativity.
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Albert Einstein himself was famous for having a messy look. He often appeared very disheveled physically and his work would be strewn all over the place. Messiness doesn’t necessarily mean laziness. It can simply be that the person doesn’t prioritise organisation. What is most important is that they get the work done.
They Don’t Believe In Luck
Apparently, very intelligent people don’t tend to believe in luck. They have a better understanding of how the world works than most, so luck doesn’t tend to have a place for them. What the average person would call luck, to them, is simply the result of hard work, planning, preparation and perhaps some level of coincidence.
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Think of it this way, a man or woman who wants to start a business will work tirelessly to make that happen. They don’t sit around and wait for a bright idea to materialise from somewhere else. Essentially, what it boils down to is that intelligent people make their own luck.
They Were Breastfed As A Baby
This is one that you wouldn’t consider as having any impact on intelligence, but science says otherwise. People who were breastfed when they were young reportedly have a higher IQ than those that weren’t. If you want your kids to have the best start in life, make sure you breastfeed them!
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This was proven in a 2007 study in which children who were breastfed scored a total of seven points higher in an IQ test, in comparison to children who were not. However, this only applies if they had one version of the FADS2 gene.
They’re Night Owls
Studies show that night owls and those who wake up later than their early rising counterparts are actually smarter and more creative. According to The Independent, they also have higher IQs. While sleeping late is often associated with laziness, night owls are often doing productive things late into the night and staying up gives them the opportunity to be alone with their thoughts without the distractions that normally occur during the day.
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Just because the standard work day is 9-5, this doesn’t mean that this is the best thing for everyone. Not everyone is built in the same way and night owls often have higher productivity levels later on. For instance, they might feel a lot more awake at 2am than 9am. They are still getting things done!
They Can Be Viewed As Lazy
You wouldn’t expect there to be any correlation between laziness and intelligence, but perhaps you aren’t looking at the definition of laziness in the right way. Laziness can simply mean not putting in extra effort, rather than doing nothing.
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If you look at it this way, then it makes sense since intelligent people tend not to need to put in extra effort because they are smart enough to solve a problem without it. This can also be linked to why intelligent people are unorganised, as previously mentioned. They might not need to spend time organising things because they get by perfectly fine without organisation.
They Aren’t Easily Distracted
Not being easily distracted can be a sure sign of intelligence. According to the 2013 journal Current Biology, Frank Zhu claims that “People who can focus for long stretches at a time and tune out distractions are highly intelligent.”
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Intelligent people have the ability to focus on one thing, which is something that a lot of people tend to struggle with. This means that they are more efficient at getting things done and have more time to do the things they actually want to be doing.
They Admit What They Don’t Know
There is a saying that goes: “The more you know, the more you realise you don’t know.” This can be applied to intelligent people, because they know so much, they know that there is also a lot that they don’t know and they aren’t afraid to admit that. This is a particularly humble trait.
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According to the academic Jim Winer, “”intelligent people” are not afraid to say ‘I don’t know’. If they don’t know it, they can learn it.” For intelligent people, not knowing something often sparks that curiosity of theirs and, more often than not, they will consequently set out to find an answer.
They’re The Silent Type
Intelligent people are often the more quiet ones. They are often introverts and, as a result can end up getting wrongly labelled as socially awkward. Of course, sometimes this is true. Other times, people are silent because they really don’t have anything to say.
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The smart, silent type often open up when you are alone with them, or when a topic during a conversation particularly resonates with them. They might sit back and assess the situation before they speak and then respond after some careful consideration.
They Welcome Challenges
Intelligent people aren’t afraid of a challenge. When they are confronted with difficulty, they often refuse to crumble under the weight of it. In fact, this will sometimes motivate them further. They are often good at prioritising and choosing to address problems one at a time.
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Doing things this way tend to keeps stress levels lower and allows that person to work on their problem solving skills. Intelligent people see challenges as an opportunity to learn. They are often good at planning a strategy with which to confront any obstacles that might come their way.
Their Friends Are Also Smart
This one can’t be conclusively proved. It is considered to be a general trend rather than a fact. However, there have been studies conducted into this which have shown that intelligent people, as a general rule, hang out with other intelligent people. They say that your friends are a reflection of you so, in this respect, it makes perfect sense.
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Additionally, if you socialise with smart people, you will likely have intelligent conversations which, consequently, furthers your own intelligence. We aren’t just talking about being book smart. Intelligence comes in many forms and friend’s that are, for example, incredible artists or musicians are most likely pretty smart.
They Are Perfectionists
Being smart doesn’t necessarily make you a perfectionist either. Smart people often present themselves in messy clothes and generally appear slightly scruffy. However, you can of course be a perfectionist and be smart. All those perfectionists out there need not worry!
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Perfectionists don’t tend to make many changes throughout their lives in order to achieve their goals. They don’t really need to, because things are always as they should be. They always have their life in order so they are ready to confront anything that comes their way.
They Constantly Question Themselves
If you constantly question yourself, this is often a sign that you have above average intelligence. This doesn’t mean that you lack confidence in yourself, it just means that you are open to the idea that you might have made a mistake or approached something in the wrong way. This is a very important trait if you are to progress in life.
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It is so important to be able to recognise your own flaws. Even people who are very intelligent possess a lot of faults, they are only human after all. What is essential is having a willingness to accept these faults so that you can try to work on them.
They Stay Up To Date With The News
Intelligent people like to be in the know with regard to current events. They don’t want to be out of the loop. While they tend to be more concerned about the bigger picture than what is going on at a certain point in time, having an awareness of what is going on in the world tends to feed into that bigger picture.
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Staying informed helps intelligent people to learn new things, things which could be of some importance to their lives. Being aware of worldly events also tends to lead to more enriching conversations and discussions concerning what the world could be doing differently.
They Have Several Projects
Intelligent people often have the ability to balance several different tasks at once. They might give off the impression that they aren’t doing a huge amount but really, they are solving ten different problems at the same time. If they aren’t physically working through problems, they probably are mentally.
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A smart person will never be satisfied with just getting one task done. Once one is done, they are keen to move onto the next as soon as possible. Even if said project isn’t particularly beneficial in the long-term, it might be emotionally fulfilling for them.
They Don’t Think They Are Smart
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a hypothetical cognitive bias which claims that people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. This, when applied to intelligence, means that those who aren’t particularly intelligent think highly of themselves, while those who are, tend to underestimate their abilities.
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An intelligent person might believe that they are not hugely intelligent, but this can make them even more so, since they know just how intelligent a person is capable of being. Just because they don’t believe in their own intelligence, this doesn’t mean that it is not there.
They Use Less Electronics
Intelligent people tend to want to avoid an information overload, therefore they use less electronic devices. This doesn’t mean they don’t own all of these things. They might own a smartphone, laptop, or tablet, they just won’t use them all at the same time.
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Unsurprisingly, a study conducted by Hewlett Packard concluded that workers who were overloaded on information were less productive and more easily distracted at work. The urge to check their personal email and social networks was more important than the urge to do their job.
They Base Their Opinion On Facts
Intelligent people, as already noted, tend to be very well read and also curious. They are, therefore, very well informed in a lot of areas. This means that, generally, whatever opinions they might have will be based on facts.
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When an intelligent person speaks, more often than not, they demand the attention of the entire room. Rather than just coming out with subjective thoughts, they are able to approach things with objectivity. Being able to employ a certain level of objectivity helps with long term growth and adaptability.
They Care About Others
Intelligent people tend to be empathetic, a lot more so than their less intelligent counterparts. This is an important factor when it comes to intelligence and often signifies that you are actually smarter than you might give yourself credit for.
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Emotional intelligence is, without a doubt, one of the most important types of intelligence. Empathy means that you care about the way others around you are feeling. If they are suffering, you want to know why and to help them get through it.
They Are More Internet Savvy
Since the internet is a dispenser of knowledge, people tend to believe that if you are an avid user of the internet, you are more likely to be smarter. This, in fact, could not be further from the truth. Studies have actually shown that people who spend too much time on the internet lack the skills to think deeply about things. Using the internet can be an easy option.
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Consequently, smarter people tend to be more internet savvy. They actually spend less time on electronics, since they know exactly where they need to go to get the information they need. They don’t waste time trawling through random articles on the internet. This, as a result, means that they have more time to learn and do other things.
They Have High Maintenance Minds
Intelligent people tend to have more high maintenance minds, since there is so much information stored there. They are in a perpetual state of digesting and analysing information, always wanting to learn new things, while at the same time, re-examining the old.
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Rather than just knowing a small amount about each topic, they like to know as much as there is to know about every topic. They want to be able to have solid opinions on things and talk intelligently and in depth about a range of topics.
They Learn From Their Mistakes
One of the most important traits in an intelligent person is their ability to learn from their mistakes. To them, loss is gain and you can always learn something. This is a sure sign of higher intelligence and is generally a good way to be.
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This means that if they are about to make the same mistake second time around, their brain will yell at them not to. They won’t allow themselves to mess the same thing up again. We should all strive to do this.
They Are Resourceful
Intelligent people are often very resourceful. While they are good problem solvers naturally, they also know that they have all the tools they need at their disposal, in order to find the right solution. They will always be able to figure it out.
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How do you go about solving any problems that you are confronted with? Are you someone who just follows your instinct or do you carefully analyse the situation and use any resources available to you to overcome it? In some cases, there is no solution and it is important to know when it is necessary to move on.
Smart Men Are Monogamous
Here’s an interesting one. For all those looking for love, intelligence can be the right way to go. Many are of the opinion that intelligent men tend to be monogamous. This theory states that intelligent men tend to do the opposite of what is considered most natural.
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Men are genetically wired to want to “spread their seed”, as it were, and thus pass on their genes to as many offspring as they possibly can. Intelligent men are generally less inclined to do this and like to settle for one partner. If you want a man that will stay faithful, it is advisable to try and find the smartest one you can.
They Curse More
This is the news that every foul mouthed person has been waiting for! A study has shown that intelligent people are actually much more likely to swear. They are also often more honest and have stronger verbal skills.
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Language Sciences conducted a study in 2016 that showed that people who curse more have a broader vocabulary than those who don’t. This study was actually done following one which tried to prove that the more you swear, the less intelligent you are.
They Make Riskier Decisions
Finland conducted a study into whether higher intelligence correlated with riskier decision-making. They concluded that there was a clear correlation between adolescents who make dangerous decisions and learning better decision-making skills.
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Images taken of the brains of young men during the study revealed major differences in what is known as “white matter” in their brain. “White matter” is the neural network that transmits signals in the form of nerve impulses and is associated with cognitive function. While taking risks might not appear to be too smart, these young people might surprise you with their intelligence later on in life.
They Trust Others
A study by Oxford University found that intelligent people are more likely to trust others. This might not make sense to you, but when we explain the potential reasoning behind this, you will be less confused. Hear us out!
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The explanation for this is that intelligent people tend to be a better judge of character. They choose their friends wisely, deciding to befriend someone if they think that they won’t end up being betrayed by them. They are good at analysing situations and recognising when there is potential for someone to not meet their side of the bargain.
They Lie More
While most of the previously discussed traits are positive, this one isn’t so much. It does make sense, though. If you have good verbal skills, you are more likely to be able to fabricate a full-proof lie. Better cognitive functions also mean that you are more likely to remember the detail of the lie you have come up with.
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Anyone is capable of lying, but it takes a certain type of person to be able to tell the lie with complete confidence. People with higher cognitive abilities are better and, consequently, much more effective liars.
And They Can Sense When They’re Being Lied To
On the flip side, they are also very good at knowing when they are being lied to. High intelligence comes with high emotional intelligence and this is what you need to be able to tell when someone is lying. Highly intelligent people will also be better at picking apart someone’s lie so that they can no longer stick to it.
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Intelligent people tend to be very perceptive, so they can often decipher what another person’s intentions, motivations and wishes are. If what the other person is saying doesn’t align with what the intelligent person knows to be their intentions, they will naturally come to the conclusion that they are lying.
They Hold In Their Emotions
It is understood that bottling up your emotions and letting them all build up until you eventually explode is not a healthy habit. However, there are certainly times when you need to put your emotions to the side in order to better get a job done.
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This is something that highly intelligent people are generally good at. Scientists have come to the conclusion that this ability comes from the part of the brain that is good at compartmentalising tasks. Highly intelligent people are good at separating work from emotions.
They Don’t Talk About Something They Don’t Know
Highly intelligent people know which areas they are most knowledgable in. They tend to be aware of what they don’t know, so they won’t comment on those things. This is definitely a positive trait. There is always one who likes to pretend they know everything!
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They like to know all the facts so they won’t voice an opinion on something unless they do. This is a very humble trait and should be exercised more often. Highly intelligent people don’t want to give the impression that they’re someone they’re not.
They Move Their Eyes Without Moving Their Heads
This might seem bizarre and is in no way a decider of intelligence but one Reddit user claims that this is a pattern that they have noticed over the years, as a teacher. This teacher claimed that the students who are the most self-aware “tend to direct their eyes without turning their whole heads.”
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Many believe that this could be down to the fact that the more intelligent students focus on things more intently than less intelligent students. This would be a difficult one to prove conclusively but it is certainly an interesting observation.
They Might Stumble Over Their Words
Some highly intelligent people have so many thoughts going on inside their head the whole time that they find it difficult to get their ideas out clearly. This can even sometimes lead to stuttering. Having a stutter doesn’t mean you are unintelligent!
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Any speech impediment in general could suggest intelligence. People can often stumble over their words because they feel that they have so much to say and they struggle to get the words out in a clear and succinct way.
They’re Clear And Concise
On the flip side, highly intelligent people tend to choose their words carefully when they do have control over them. This can even be linked to them having difficulty in avoiding stumbling over words, since they take the time to carefully craft what they want to say.
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You can be sure that a highly intelligent person means every word that they say, even if it does come out quite slowly. This is a trait that many attributed to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A lot of the success of her legal briefs can be put down to the power that every word she used had.
They’re Punny!
Unsurprisingly, considering that highly intelligent people are often funny, people who are good with puns are often very intelligent. They have access to a broad range of vocabulary and have sharp, quick minds, capable of mixing and matching words at the right time to create a funny quip or joke.
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While puns have often been labelled, along with sarcasm, as a low form of humour, or as “dad jokes”, they rely on a good grasp of language and analogies. This means that it actually takes an intelligent person to come up with a good pun.
They Need Time Alone
Some people absolutely thrive off being sociable all the time. This doesn’t tend to be the case for highly intelligent people. In fact, studies have shown that the the more time super smart people spend socialising, the less happy they report feeling afterwards.
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One study that followed people between 18 and 28 years old discovered that people who socialised more reported feeling significantly better, apart from those involved in the study who were highly intelligent. The study, which was published in the British Journal of Society, found that “[m]ore intelligent individuals experience lower life satisfaction with more frequent socialisation with friends.”
They’re Able To Delay Gratification
There is, reportedly, a correlation between self-control and intelligence. Pubmed published the results of a study that asked participants to choose between two rewards: a smaller one that came immediately or a larger one that would come at a later date.
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The results showed that the people who opted to wait for the larger payoff tended to score higher on intelligence tests. They concluded that this was more likely down to something called “delay discounting”. This is down to processing in the brain.
They Sometimes Think They’re Wrong
A lot of people say that those that are wise are also those who don’t know a lot. This might not make a lot of sense to you but if you think about it, when people come blundering into an argument without all the necessary facts, they usually come out worse for it.
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As previously mentioned, people who tend to say “I think” rather than “I know” are often smart cookies. They would usually rather find out what is actually correct rather than just hazarding a guess. This isn’t a bad trait to have!