When it comes to intelligence, perhaps it’s not what you know that shows, but how you think, listen, and respond to others.
Extreme certainty
Acting overly confident about complex, controversial issues is a well-known sign of low intelligence. Also known as the Dunning-Kruger effect in psychology, less intelligent people often do not know enough about a subject to realize just how complicated, how many variables there are, and how many other sides to the issue there can be.
They see the world in black and white and state their opinions as if they are undeniable facts. Smart people instinctively speak with more hesitance, conditionals, and intellectual humility.
Poor listening
Listening for a chance to talk instead of listening and processing what is being said. When people care way too much about seeming intelligent, they spend all their time in their own heads trying to come up with the next clever thing they want to say instead of listening to what others actually just said.
Not only do they not process what you’re saying, but they reply with something totally unrelated to what others were actually talking about.
Memorizing
Throwing around specific facts, figures, or quotations without understanding how to take the concept presented and apply it to a different situation is textbook memorization versus comprehension.
They can sound extremely intelligent when throwing around Constitution snippets or specific figures but unless they know why that figure is significant or how it contributes to a larger pattern, they’re just showing off trivia wins.
Superficial vocabulary
If someone uses big, obscure words in the wrong context just to sound fancy and smart, that’s a pretty good indicator that they aren’t actually that bright. Some people misuse jargon or construct convoluted sentences that obscure their actual point, trying to sound intelligent.
Smart people actually do the opposite. They know how to take extremely complex and technical concepts and communicate them in plain English that everyone can understand.
Constantly agreeing
If someone is agreeing with everything you say and steering clear of mental conflict at all costs, they probably aren’t smart but rather insecure.
A person who is acting smarter than they are won’t contradict a premise or ask questions because they feel questions imply stupidity. They will likely sit back and parrot what the loudest or the most authoritative person in the room says, just so they can fit in and maintain their image of intelligence.
Deflecting questions
Redirecting conversation when faced with a direct, uncomfortable question is another common way to maintain their charade of intelligence. Rather than just answer “I don’t know” to a question they cannot answer, they will typically change the subject, answer the question they want to answer instead of the one posed, or frame their reply in such a way as to make you feel stupid.
This avoidance comes from their misguided sense that their reputation as being smart will be completely obliterated should they admit not knowing something.
Blaming outcomes
When someone blames every mistake they make on things being out of their control or someone else being inadequate, this is a lack of critical introspection. People who lack cognitive flexibility often have an excuse ready when they believe nothing goes their way because they have an external locus of optimism. They tell themselves life is always conspiring against them.
Rather than looking at how they may have contributed to their own failure, they choose to point the finger elsewhere to avoid bruising their ego. Failure to learn from one’s mistakes is a sign of low intelligence.
Defensive reactions
If someone flies off the handle at the slightest constructive criticism, fact-checking, or alternate perspective thrown their way (abusing you with anger, sarcasm, etc.) then they lack intellectual confidence.
If one’s ego is completely wrapped up in being right all the time, having someone prove them wrong isn’t seen as a learning experience; it’s seen as an attack.
Rigid beliefs
Failure or refusal to change one’s mind when presented with new, concrete information is evidence of arrested intelligence. Those pretending to be intellectuals cling to their beliefs; to admit they’re wrong is seen as weakness.
But in reality, it takes a lot of strength to realize that you don’t know everything. Intelligent people accept when they’re wrong and change their minds accordingly. If someone doesn’t believe this, they’re stuck in their mind’s rigidity. They would rather believe that they’re right than seek the truth.
Performance dominance
Volume doesn’t equate intelligence or expertise. People who think this way often use dominance in social situations as a crutch for weak cognitive abilities. They feel as though by drowning out another person and talking as if their words are undeniable facts, they can end all discussion.
Intelligence works to find the right answer by listening to others, considering variables, and analyzing as a group when needed. When someone is more concerned about winning an interaction than finding the truth, you know it’s all an act.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.