Most Telling Signs That Someone Is Smarter Than They Let On

Brains and smarts.

Those two things don't always go together.

Just because we have brains doesn't automatically mean everyone knows how to use them.

Then there are some people who are wicked smart, and they don't even realize it.

Like people who can solve a Rubik's cube... that thing is still the bane of my existence.

Redditor Mysterious-Ad5451 wanted to hear about the times people's secret intelligence was revealed, so they asked:

"What’s a sign that someone is way smarter than they let on?"

Curiosity

"They tend to be interested in many different topics. They are naturally curious about many different things."

- Labradawgz90

"This might be true for a specific type of intelligence, but as a mathematician, all of the genius mathematicians I've come across and worked with, they think about only one thing: whatever problem they are trying to solve. To the extent they are curious about other things, it's only through the lens of if it will help them solve their problem."

- yodel_anyone

Change of Mind

"Admitting they’re wrong. Reconsidering positions based on new evidence. Curiosity."

- Puzzleheaded_Gene909Yes, because their identity isn't fragile.

"Very smart people often have a great sense of humor that they don't turn on others but are willing to use generously to laugh at themselves."

"They also don't look for affirmations of their intelligence from others. It's pretty meaningless coming from most people and there just aren't that many people around from whom it would be meaningful."

- GiftToTheUniverse

Trying to Comprehend

"People who ask perceptive questions, which show a deep and considered comprehension of what's being said and meant, and how this interacts with the wider picture."

- Difficult_Falcon1022

"Next-door neighbor's 4-year-old son would ask me what I was doing and then ask why. I'd explain what I was doing and he'd continue to ask why. I'd continue to answer until he got the reason into his head."

"Next door neighbor apologized but I told him that his son is showing intelligence by getting to the root cause of his curiosity. I think a light clicked in my neighbor's head as I realized his loud hollering from their house has quieted down quite a bit."

- charlie2135

History

"No knowledge is useless. If you ever want to learn history truly, go visit people who have no visitors at nursing homes. And just let them talk. Take mental notes. When you go back, ask about things that they mentioned to get more detail. Learn it from who lived it."

"Sometimes it may take cards or checkers to get them talking. But it’s so much fun. I can not wait for my dog to be ready to visit places like this. A dog will open someone up really quickly. I used to take my childhood dog to the nursing home in my neighborhood. After visiting my great-grandmother, I would visit whoever wanted to talk. It’s very rewarding. And you learn just how much that you don’t know."

- Alycion

Separate Views

"It’s actually interesting to see how many different views on ‘intelligent’ people seem to have."

"If we talk about ‘logic’-smart then a subtle sign is worrying about obscure edge cases too much."

"Emotional-smart: bringing up stuff that reassures other people before they bring it up."

- CompactOwl

I See Data GIF by Star TrekGiphy

Teachers

"Someone who can explain a very complex topic to a room full of laypeople is usually pretty good at what they do."

- lucidzfl

"My husband's childhood friend is working on his Ph.D. in physics. I am not math-brained at all, but the way he describes math concepts in a way that is understandable, while not being condescending is incredible. He is of the opinion that anyone can learn advanced math as long as the teacher is motivated to teach. He was a tutor for some time, and I'm sure students probably fought over him for help."

- merriamwebster1

I Don't Know

"People who are confident in admitting they don't know something, often by saying they don't know or 'I don't know' when asked a direct question."

"People who can clearly define the boundaries of their own intelligence, are humble and learn by making mistakes and usually (not all the time) are more intelligent than those who lie, mask, use excuses or become defensive about what they perceive as a mental deficiency."

- hobopopa

LOLOL

"Good comedy. There are so many great comedians who play dumb and make jokes about how stupid they are, but I think you have to be quite above average intelligence in order to be a really great comedian."

- CassTeaElle

"It's actually a simple phenomenon. What makes you laugh is often something unexpected, something that's obvious when spoken out loud but not really thought of in that way."

"An intelligent and clever person sees things in a much broader way than most, able to find relations that are hidden from the majority."

"That's a great component of comedy right there."

- chiaplotter4u

I'm So Excited

"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."

- echoes122

90%

"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 and you instantly think, wow, guy, I didn’t expect from you that. Yes, in many ways they are just introverts."

- AdditionalMail3406

Following Patiently

"Anyone that can sit down and listen and doesn’t try to constantly lead the conversation, smart people are always looking to learn and understand not to teach and be understood."

- QuirkyAd1343

Interested Go On GIF by Schitt's CreekGiphy

Good People

"They're kinder. Kindness is just smart."

- DogAlienInvisibleMan

"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."

"A few years ago I was listening to a song in Japanese that has a line that roughly translates to 'I wanted to become kinder. So I became kinder.' which I thought was especially novel. I never thought about kindness as something one could go out and seek and achieve. As a skill of sorts. Eventually, your instinct becomes being kind. It's magical in a way in its simplicity as a concept!"

- samuraiseoul

Being Calm

"Honestly one of the most immediate signs of intelligence is controlling emotions, if you're looking for a more scientific answer."

"It's not to say emotionally unstable people can't be smart, there are lots of reasons people can be overly emotional (hormones are a great example), but statistically, if someone is unable to control their anger or fear, more often means their pre-frontal cortex is less well developed, which is also often the case for younger people just because it doesn't develop as quickly as the part of your brain that actually houses emotion."

"So someone who can keep their emotions in check and be less reactionary in their responses, meaning they can pause, let the emotion fade, and then respond, often has a more developed logic process in their brain."

- ljlee256

Self-Conversations

"They talk to themselves a lot but not in a mentally ill way. More like they’re processing stuff they learned to remember and later on apply it."

- Shack24_

Sam Smith Smiling GIF by Apple MusicGiphy

I talk to myself morning, noon, and night.

My own company is my favorite company.

So I must be Mensa-level brilliant.

I should start recording myself and then take notes.

That emotional control is a bigger issue.

But isn't that a universal theme for many of us?

Emotional control isn't everyone's way to a high I.Q.

What other signs of intelligence should we look for?