We’ve all thought it at least once during one of the many interpersonal situations we’ve found ourselves in — I am seriously the smartest person here right now. And, hey — just because we’ve thought this doesn’t mean we believe we’re superior to our peers. Sometimes it’s just obvious: we are the smartest person in the room.
Whether it be during a group project in high school, a meeting at work, or even just casual conversation at your local watering hole, you’ve probably come to the aforementioned realization once, twice, or a lot of times. It could be as simple as remembering the capital of Alaska (it’s Juno, btw). Or maybe a practical fundraising idea you came up with seems like common sense to you whereas others struggle to come up with any idea that holds water.
Whatever situation you’re in, a few signs can point to you being the brainiac in any given scenario. So next time you zoom out and compare and contrast hypothetical IQs, you can use these hints to actually tell when you — or perhaps someone else — is giving off the vibe of intelligence.
But remember, nobody likes a snobbish know-it-all. Even if you think you’re the smartest person around, do your best to stay humble and use your brain to help others. Anyway, let’s get down to it. Here are the signs to watch out for:
1. You don’t always try hard to achieve success.
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This certainly doesn’t mean you don’t work hard or lack motivation to achieve your goals. But unlike others, your intelligence makes it so you don’t have to strain yourself to do good things. In fact, those who procrastinate are oftentimes more intelligent because they take more time to weight options, ruminate, and finally feel confident about doing a task or making a decision.
2. You’re not on your phone all the time.
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In 2017, the University of Texas-Austin conducted a study to see how distracting our phones really are. Researchers gave 800 subjects one of three instructions: leave all belongings in a separate room before entering the test area, place phones facedown on their desk during the test, or leave their phones where they normally carry them (in a pocket or purse, for example). All were told to turn their phones to silent mode.
Subjects who left their phones in a different room performed better on the task at hand than their peers. Researchers noted that having our phones near us makes it more difficult for us to remain focused without feeling the constant need to check our devices. They concluded that our phones are dumbing us down and draining our abilities to stay present.
3. Phone, or no phone, you remain focused.
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A 2013 study that tested a connection between intelligence and “sensory discriminations,” found that, when asked to focus on a certain image, individuals with high IQs were slower to recognize changes in that image’s background. These individuals were more tuned in to the task at hand and more often refrained from picking up on menial distractions.
4. You ask a lot of questions.
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Curiosity may have killed the cat — but that cat probably had a high IQ. Unsurprisingly, smart people love learning new things. They’re often more open to asking questions that lead to larger, deeper discussions. If you find yourself being the person who wants to know more, you might just be the smarty in the group.
5. You’re open-minded.
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When in an argument or debate, you’re unafraid to view things from the other side of the aisle. You’re willing and able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Even though you still may not agree with the person you’re debating, you can see how they have formed their opinion and can better understand where they’re coming from. You can even use this knowledge to educate the person further — or you can back down from the fight and admit defeat (which is totally okay).
6. Speaking of which: You accept when you’re wrong and/or accept that you lack knowledge about something.
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When you come off as a know-it-all, you might dupe some people into believing that you’re really smart. But more often than not, those who can admit to their shortcomings are the more intelligent ones. Per Reader’s Digest, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that, when asked how they think they did on a test, students who scored lower had overestimated their grade. Yet the humbler students actually scored higher.
7. You make jokes.
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During a 2010 study, researchers had 400 psychology students take intelligence tests that rated their verbal intelligence and reasoning abilities. The researchers then had the students write captions for New Yorker cartoons, which were then reviewed and rated by outside sources. The smarter students ended up coming up with the funnier captions. If you’re quick-witted and enjoy making others laugh, chances are you’re a smart cookie.
8. You’re a lefty.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz told Oprah back in 2006 that left-handed people are, in a certain way, smarter. “Left-handed people can deal with more incoming information that doesn’t come in an organized way,” Dr. Oz said. And this has to do with how our brains developed in our mother’s womb. “The left brain normally controls your right side, which is really powerful,” he said. “[In left-handed people], it allows the other side, the right brain, to become an equal partner.”
Being able to tap into both sides of the brain easily, allows lefties to be able to multi-task and process information more effectively.
9. You’re creative.
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Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Katie Davis told INSIDER in 2018 that being a creative person shows intelligence because, similar to being open minded, you’re able to shift your thinking and view things from several different aspects.
Davis said, “I think executive functioning and intelligence are both highly important for creativity because part of executive functioning is thinking flexibly and being able to shift and think outside of the box and kind of change your patterns of thinking from one way to another way and I think that’s crucial for creativity as well as high level of abstraction.”
Everyone is smart in different contexts and some people have more knowledge about specific things compared to others. So, although you may be the smartest person in this room, you could find yourself clueless when entering another. Remember that there’s always space in your brain to learn more from others and get smarter.
