25 things people mistakenly interpret as signs of intelligence, as people online pointed out
Sometimes we think of someone as smart and intelligent just because they can do things we can’t. They may have a good memory and not have to study so much for the test, or they may be able to play chess, but you can’t figure it out because you aren’t smart enough. I think.
A person who can do one thing you can do is not necessarily a genius. In fact, people on Reddit have listed some signs that we consider to be indicators of intelligence, but they don’t necessarily mean it.
Do you think there are other qualities that we think belong only to smart people? Do you agree with the ones listed in the Reddit thread? Let us know in the comments.
More information: reddit
I’m a PhD student and I really get offended by the use of academic jargon and lengthy jargon. Knowing a few fancy words that most people don’t doesn’t mean you’re smart. This is usually the opposite sign. I once said in an undergraduate class that “If you can’t explain something to a 10-year-old, you’re not smart.”
f**k_korean_air says:
Confidence!
Sauerteig added:
Definitely confident/arrogant. One incident I can cite is someone answered (yelled at) me with confidence many years ago. Embarrassed because he didn’t. Yes it was political.
BubblesMagic18 says:
Go to the Ivy League.
Almighty Dora
It just shows you are connected. If you went to MIT, it’s safe to say you’re smart. you have to go in
“good memory”
Often a sign of intelligent people, but not a guarantee of intelligence…
Many children just memorize and write on exams to get good marks, but they are unable to apply it in practice.
know many facts.
I have friends who are well versed in many things (not just what we might consider “trivia” such as geography and history), and I have a rich vocabulary and a career in the sciences, among other things of the intellect. have a marker He’s worldly, handsome, and yes, he wears glasses. Mutual acquaintances have commented on how smart he is, usually citing his impressive storehouse of facts.
I know him better than they do, and he’s stupid as a box of rocks. He has no critical thinking skills. His imperviousness to logic is astonishing. He believes in some of the strangest things, even in science. (Note that I discovered this long before any covid related stupidity came along, luckily he’s not an anti-vaxxer)
Narfu187 says:
Be good at chess.
Frank_Woodford added:
Being good at chess is a sign of being good at chess. Most good chess players are not significantly smarter than average.
Begin all online articles with “Science says”. There’s a lot of BS out there that isn’t based on science at all, but they use it to make it look more factual than it really is.
throwaway3132710 said:
school grades
Added No_Instance_1851:
They may reflect intelligence, but they are definitely a sign of competence. Good, you’re doing your homework and concentrating in class. Grade inflation is ridiculous. My daughter has some friends whose GPA’s are well above her 4.0 and miraculously she can’t even break triple digits on the SAT (I know, I know standardized tests are also problematic in this area).
Simply put, politeness. Well-spoken, quiet, and polite people are almost always perceived as smart to some extent, even if they aren’t. A well-mannered person indicates a good upbringing, perhaps a good education, etc.
robb911 said:
Calm down.
SvenBubbleman added:
Some people keep quiet because nothing is happening.
Professional-Salt-31 says:
British accent.
Gibonich:
Honestly, people have to get over our accents.
Of all the things they imply, intelligence is at the bottom of the list, if at all.
For us they are all local and social landmarks. that’s it.