15 subtle signs that a person is much more intelligent than they really let on — it is really on-point
These signs are really eye-opening and may change your perspective.
We have our ways of determining how intelligent a person seems to be. It is often from how they speak, the words they use, their thoughts and so on. Besides, other non-verbal or silent signs give an idea of a person's cognition. What many don't realize, however, is that there are people who withhold expressing their intelligence based on a setting or interaction. Chances are you're seeing only so much of a person than there actually is. It could also be that they are more intelligent than they believe and don't even realize it yet.
If you've noticed your friend or colleague is seemingly dull about certain topics but is surprisingly great at communicating in different settings, it could be that they're smarter or have a better thought process than they think. u/MysteriousAd-5451 asked people, "What’s a sign that someone is way smarter than they let on?" and received quite a few impressive responses. These 15 signs are something that may be common but are so subtle that they go unnoticed.
1. Acing the know-how of communicating with different groups
"I think people who meet you on your wavelength are smarter than most. They can talk about pretty much anything with anyone. They’ll shoot the sh*t with some people, discuss politics with others, listen as well as talk, ask questions but also will take time to explain things if they’re asked." -u/SassySugarCookie. "My father was an extremely intelligent man. Ridiculously smart and stupidly educated. He never treated anybody like they were less important or less intelligent." -u/purityskinco
2. Reading the room
"Intelligent people realize that effective communication requires reading the room. If the message isn't received, the words spoken are merely noise in place of opportunity. Intelligent people value their time and will not be inefficient like that. If the message isn't critical, they will move on to make an impression elsewhere to a more receptive audience. Intelligent people want to be questioned and challenged. This is what keeps the cycle of enlightenment and curiosity fueled." -u/0fox2gv
3. Humor in a mature way
"Very quick wit. You have to be smart to process and deliver." -u/Sarahclaire54. "Humor is the highest form of language. Robin Williams was a great comedian and he was also brilliant." -u/Labradawgz90. "I think you need to be emotionally intelligent and also have a good understanding of people. Like how they are perceived by others and society. It's important to be able to poke fun at people, but it's also important to know how not to make them feel embarrassed or put down at the same time." -u/tofufeaster
4. Breaking it down
"Someone who can explain a very complex topic to a room full of laypeople is usually pretty good at what they do." -u/lucidzfl. "It's one thing to understand something complex. It's another thing to understand it so well that you can explain it in easy terms." -u/texas_asic. "One of my favorite attendings in residency always said, 'If you can’t explain it to your grandmother, you don’t understand it well enough.'" -u/AnyPossibility_3964
5. The suspense
"The fact that they're not letting on how smart they are. 'It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.'" -u/901Soccer. "Some of the dumbest people I know are the ones who brag about how smart they are. I have a family friend who brags about a photographic memory (they definitely do not have one) and is always the loudest in the room." -u/AwkwardAd6567. "I've learned people absolutely hate when someone brags about how smart they are. And it's also very amusing to act like a fool to let others think you're dumb." -u/Fog_juice
6. Curiosity
"They tend to be interested in many different topics. They are naturally curious about many different things." -u/Labradawgz90. "This is a big one. The most intelligent people I know all demonstrate genuine intellectual curiosity, typically across a fairly wide range of topics. The dumbest people I know seem to have very little interest in anything outside their mundane day-to-day." -u/BD401. "...and open-mindedness. A lot of interesting solutions came from flipping the idea upside down and bringing a new perspective." -u/agumonkey
7. Admitting they could be wrong
"Actually taking a moment to contemplate an argument they disagree with rather than just reflectively dismissing it. Smart people are willing to have their assumptions challenged and reevaluate them."-u/Flurb4. "'The fool considers himself to be wise, while the wise man considers himself to be a fool.' - Shakespeare. Somebody who knows and understands that." -u/AlaskanSnowWorm. "Yes! Knowing what they don’t know. Not being afraid to say 'I don’t know' instead of just lying/making up an answer." -u/mvignoble
8. Understanding and perceiving humor
"One little thing I've noticed is intelligent people tend to laugh at jokes faster than the average person because they got it right away rather than having to process it and figure out why it's funny or laughing just because everyone else laughed." -u/mothwhimsy. "I realized this also the other day. I’m pretty bright when watching comics or SNL. I’ll often laugh seconds ahead of my husband and the audience." -u/techno_rabbit
9. Being attentive and quiet
"I've noticed that smart people also tend to remain quiet more and speak in measured, surgical sentences after listening to all the other people have to say. Pay attention to people who rarely speak over others and tend to concede to heated interjections. A smart person doesn't waste time and energy trying to achieve impossible conversions of opinion or perceptions. They listen, adapt and do their own thing quietly." -u/apHedmark
10. Having an introverted side
"Taciturnity. Many quite smart people that I know are 90% taciturn. They don’t want to share their thoughts in front of many people, but when you talk to them one-on-one, they share facts, knowledge and thoughts. You instantly think, 'Wow, I didn’t expect that from you.' Yes, in many ways they are just introverts." -u/AdditionalMail3406. "I feel that when people constantly have to show what they know in front of many people, it’s a sign of compensating because of lack of knowledge." -u/SiteHund
11. The way they respond
"If they begin their answer to most questions with something like, 'I don’t really know,' 'I don’t have all the details,' 'I’m sure someone more knowledgeable can enlighten you on this.'" -u/joyful_fountain. Or being willing to say. 'You know, I don't know that I'm the best person to talk to on this one.' The most intelligent people I know are always willing to admit when they don't know something, but happy to refer you to someone who might." -u/CreampuffofLove
12. Being open to correction
"People who can clearly define the boundaries of their own intelligence, are humble and learn by making mistakes and usually not all the time. They are more intelligent than those who lie, mask, use excuses or become defensive about what they perceive as a mental deficiency." -u/hobopopa. "An intelligent person will strive to find the answer when confronted with something they don’t know." -u/klippdigg. "Those who, when challenged on something they thought was correct, react by investigating that claim to see if there is some substance to it, rather than dismissing it straight away." -u/Neeeerdlinger
13. Choosing to be kind
"This is something I realized a few years ago and for every effort I make to be kind, it almost always results in a better situation for all. It's baffling. The hardest thing for me is to interrupt the conditioned action urges that come up to be unkind. Plus, being able to be vulnerable to admit you messed up if you act on the urge. I never thought about kindness as something one could go out and seek and achieve. As a skill of sorts." -u/samuraiseoul
14. Excitement over frustration
"Rather than getting frustrated when they don't know something, they get excited. I had a chemistry professor in college who was insanely smart, and when somebody asked a question she couldn't answer, her eyes lit up as she said, 'I don't know. Let's find out!' To her, not knowing something was just an opportunity to learn something new." -u/echoes122
15. Questioning one's intelligence
"Dunning-Kruger demonstrates that the smarter you are, the more likely you are to express doubts about your own beliefs, your own knowledge, and your own intelligence; you are also more likely to overestimate the intelligence of other people. They also show that the dumber you are, the more likely you are to show confidence in your own beliefs, knowledge. and intelligence. You are also more likely to underestimate the intelligence of other people." -u/SidMorisy