While we all like to believe that we possess high levels of intelligence, deciphering the competence of our brain power can be tricky. Many people turn to IQ Tests, which use tasks to measure various areas of intelligence, including:
- Short-term memory,
- Analytical thinking,
- Mathematical ability,
- Spatial recognition.
However, there are other subtle qualities highly intelligent people tend to share that aren’t found in test results. Having knowledge in a variety of subjects doesn’t necessarily mean one is of a higher intellect, sometimes it comes down to how our brains work.
Here are 10 signs that you are highly intelligent.
1. Having an insatiable curiosity. Those with a hungry mind generally have higher levels of intellectual investment and knowledge acquisition over time.
Curiosity tends to lead to answers and it takes brains to question the status quo. “Intelligent people let themselves become fascinated by things others take for granted,” Bayesian rationalist Keyzurbur Alas said. “Their minds are constantly saturated with probing questions about the world around them.”
2. The tendency to worry. The saying that ignorance is bliss may have some scientific validation as a study proved that intelligent people are more prone to worrying.
Psychologist Alexander Penny surveyed over 100 students at Lakehead University, Ontario, Canada and asked them to rank their levels of worry. Results showed that those that scored higher on a verbal intelligence test were more worrisome.
3. The tendency to forget things. While forgetfulness might seem like a contradictory quality to intelligence, it’s actually a highly evolved form of it.
After conducting a word memory test that involved similar options, Stanford University’s Brice Kuhl concluded that brain discards akin memories in order to conserve space for memories that matter.
4. Humor. According to multiple studies, being inclined to comedy has been linked to having above-average intelligence.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico conducted a study in 2011, which measured the verbal intelligence and abstract reasoning ability of 400 psychology students. The test subjects were then asked to write captions for New Yorker cartoons. Those who scored higher on the cognitive ability tests were more likely to create funny captions.
5. Enjoying reading. Researchers discovered that children who have achieved a good reading ability by the age of seven are more intelligent in later years.
Considering reading is one of the greatest tools we have for mental expansion, it should come as no surprise that bookworms are more likely to have higher intelligence than those who don’t read.
6. Being messy. Many famously intelligent people throughout history have been known to be notoriously messy, a correlation that even science backs up.
Studies have concluded that visual and mental clutter forces the brain to focus and comprehend more clearly. A sense of chaos has been shown to fuel creativity in individuals contrary to the popular belief that messiness correlates with mental disorganization.
