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It is said that one should never argue with an idiot because they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. And often, it’s the ones with the lowest intelligence that will argue the hardest and loudest.
We aren’t talking intelligence in terms of exam marks, IQ tests, or acing pub quiz nights. What we are referring to is the kind of blunt brainpower that shows up in everyday behavior: rigid thinking, zero curiosity, immunity to evidence and the uncanny ability to be so completely and confidently wrong while flat-out refusing to reflect on it for even one second.
Someone recently asked, “What is a sign of very low intelligence?” and more than 12,000 frustrating replies came flooding in. From not listening, to being loud, and ironically, always having an answer, it was like a massive spotlight went on to reveal the least sharpest tools in the shed.
Bored Panda has put together the best responses, as well as some psychology-backed signs that scream someone was last in line when intelligence was served.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Being anti-vaccine.
Daisydaisy 1 month ago
They're called "sovereign citizens" here. Clogging up the courts with their nonsense, and occasionally ki-lling police officers
It's funny how often, the ones with the lowest intelligence are actually the ones who think they know the most. That's because a glaring sign of sub-par brightness is a lack of curiosity or willingness to learn.
Intelligence isn't about high IQs, acing tests, or flying through trivia. It's the ability to derive information, learn from experience, adapt to the environment, understand, and correctly utilize thought and reason. That's the definition, according to the American Psychological Association.
Many of those lacking in intelligence will, quite ironically, see learning as a waste of time and it's unlikely they'll get this far down this article.
"They don’t have the intelligence to see how learning can benefit them. They stop learning when they graduate," explains the PsychMechanics site. "On the other hand, high-intelligence people accept that learning is a lifelong thing."
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#2
Be blinded by religion.
Sam Trudeau 1 month ago
By contrast, putting religion on a list of red flags regarding friendships or so. Saying every Christian is the same, for example, is like saying everybody from every country in Europe is the same.
#3
Making fun of other cultures or disrespecting and discriminating against people because of their ethnicity.
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
They're so afraid of what they don't know about others' ethnicities or cultures that they decided to insult and hate instead. Definitely low IQ.
Curiosity makes the world go 'round, and a lack thereof keeps people with low intelligence stuck exactly where they are... with just enough knowledge to barely get by in an ever-changing world. And that's why these folk struggle to adapt if or when things suddenly shift, which they ultimately do.
"Adaptability is critical to problem-solving and survival," notes the site. "When their problem-solving methods no longer work because things have changed, people with low intelligence struggle with adapting to new circumstances. They get too comfortable with their old ways of thinking and doing things."
#4
This has been clinically proven. If you are a MAGA supporter you are likely of low intelligence.
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
Cheeto said he likes the uneducated, so... But then again, he's one of them.
#5
Bragging about how you aced a cognitive exam.
#6
Confusing 'being loud' with 'being right.' The loudest person in the room is rarely the smartest.
#7
Treating politics like rooting for a football club.
Andy Frederick 1 month ago
That means, among other things, that you shouldn't think every foul called on your team is BS, and that your opponents are committing uncalled fouls on every play. Occasionally ask yourself "what has my team done that I disagree with?" If your answer is "nothing," you have blinders on.
#8
Believing anything they see on social media.
Rick Murray 1 month ago
...and preferring a random Facebook post to the advice of an actual expert.
#9
Immediately resorting to insults upon disagreements.
#10
Bragging that you haven’t read a book since high school.
Daisydaisy 1 month ago
I've heard parents say to their little kids "You're like me: I hated school too!" and "I was no good at reading either". Way to go, parents!
Glen Ellyn 1 month ago
They hated school because they didn't know how to read. Good reading skills take practice, for Pete's sake!
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NetworkMan 1 month ago
I want to defend some people here. I honestly haven't finished a book, cover to cover, in a very long time, probably over 10 years now. I do, however, read a lot of reports, articles, Wikipedia pages, and books were just something I couldn't learn from; it didn't work for my way of learning. I'm not agaisnt them, they just arent for me.
roddy 1 month ago
I can understand this. I read constantly, over 100 books a year, but I have a hard time staying engaged with videos and movies. Other people may be visual learners; some like print, but in interesting bites, like short stories rather than massive tomes. It’s only those who feel that having your head in a book means you are somehow a loser, who lack the breadth of experience (even if vicarious) and the awareness of how other people live and think that reading brings.
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Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
Or bragging you only read one type of fiction. I dispise the science fiction fan that never reads anything else.
roddy 1 month ago
I’m an omnivorous reader, but many people have their favourite genres and that’s ok. My mil read nothing but romance novels and I would read some just to please her. Though if people reject certain genres out of snobbery I think that says something about them. I know people who claim to read only memoirs, for example, and despise anything fictional. That’s sad.
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Ghostchaplain16 1 month ago
More than 25 years ago, Publishers Weekly noted the average American male never read another book after they finished high school (or college if they attended.) I'd imagine that statement is at the very least still true given the distraction of Internet, 24 hour television, video games, etc., and only slightly mitigated by audio books. The connection between reading and literacy is unyielding, and the less we read the less able we are to assess the masses of information coming at us in society today. Basic literacy begins with the ability to read and comprehend, and it's vital to push it forward into the whole of culture. While there are some who "learn by other means (visually, etc.), the reality is there's no real replacement for being able to explore in depth the information we need to survive and thrive than having the ability to read and comprehend. Followed closely by the curiosity to use those tools.
#11
Usually the words "do your own research" coming out of their mouth is a pretty good indicator. .
#12
Lack of curiosity.
Thinking they know it all.
MystyMoonShadow 1 month ago
Curiosity is one of my favorites here at BP. I love many panda who contribute their knowledge on different topics.
#13
Lack of curiosity. No sense of humor. Can't understand sarcasm. Unwavering insistence that complex problems will have oversimplified solutions while conversely attaching complicated, conspiratorial explanations to rather straightforward events. .
Daisydaisy 1 month ago
It seems to be a thing, that stupid people have zero sense of humour and are especially unable to laugh at themselves. Not always, but a lot of the time
#14
Electing a sociopath and expecting your life is going to improve.
#15
Refusal to learn, grow and change your views from evidence provided.
StrangeOne 1 month ago
The most moronic thing I've heard someone say. "I don't believe in science. Science is a religion. It's theories. There's no proof science exists. Where? Where is there science?" I still question if this person actually paid any attention in school, or if they bothered to go to school, at all.
#16
When presented with an statement that generalizes something, they will use an anecdote as a counterexample and think that it completely refutes the statement.
Example: travelling in an airplane is generally safer than in a car
"Actually that's not true, I know someone who perished in an airplane crash".
Alexia 1 month ago
That sounds like a former friend of mine. I'd mention I was planning a vacation somewhere, and she'd immediately rain on my parade: "You will be disappointed! I was there 3 years ago and I didn't like it!" Mind you, I had extensively researched that place and was dreaming to visit it for a long time. But she genuinely believed if she hated it, then everyone else must hate it.
#17
Anyone listening to all Red Pill Alpha Male podcasters.
Phantom Phoenix 1 month ago
As a fan of The Matrix, I hate that these people have appropriated the red pill metaphor. As if their misogynistic and far-right ideologies are The Difficult Truth that they've woken up to. And I'm confused because I thought "woke" was a bad thing to these tools
#18
Bigotry. i've never in my life met a bigot who was actually genuinely intelligent. intelligence tends to come with a curiosity for the world and a more open mind as a result.
Mary Kelly 1 month ago
NO...i was taught that intelligent people could not be racist...then i went to graduate school and law school....i've also lived in the north and the south...racists are everywhere...!!!
#19
Start shouting you down when they can't win the debate with reason and facts. Turn to vicious insults instead. This happens pretty quickly too, which also shows me that such people have low distress tolerance.
#20
Ironically, Always having an answer.
Phantom Phoenix 1 month ago
The problem lies more with their level of certainty about their answer. It's not so bad if they're willing to have their answer challenged, and listen to conflicting evidence
#21
Idolising politicians.
Snazzy Smurf 1 month ago
The amount of 47 merch sold is wild. Making that person the foundation of one's life is baffling to me.
#23
One move chess player.
This is like an analogy to how some people think and act and vote. A good chess player is thinking 3 or more moves ahead. a bad one is playing one move ahead only.
When people say things like "Why should I pay school taxes if I don't have any kids!?" they are playing one move without thinking ahead. Better schools means a more educated populace means less crimes and more economic opportunity for your area, thus it benefits everyone whether they have kids or not.
Nikki Sevven 1 month ago
"Why should I pay taxes for someone else's health care?" Because we're all healthier when we're all healthier.
#24
Not realizing that everything has nuances.
#25
Celebrity worship.
Doctor Strange 1 month ago
The only celebrity I 'worship' is Robin Williams. He is one of my few role models. The world would be a better place if more people tried to be like him.
#28
Not questioning anything. Like when they see something on a social media platform, not questioning its authenticity or validity. The same when watching the news or listening to a podcast. They take what is said without actually researching it. Without questioning the person or what was presented.
Also, a lack of empathy. This shows they're not able to think of others. They're incapable of putting themselves in others shoes. They see everything as black and white. They can't understand the reasoning behind something or do even try to.
#29
Not being able to understand or engage with hypotheticals. It is a meme online but that is actually a sign of low intelligence. "Individuals with IQs under 90 often struggle with conditional hypotheticals—such as "How would you feel if you hadn’t eaten dinner?"—responding with factual rebuttals like "But I did eat dinner.".
StrangeOne 1 month ago
This reminds me. I was telling someone in my family about an interesting show. I started to explain the concept, and mentioned the name of the show 'Drain The Oceans'. She immediately cut me off, asking "What? What do you mean "Drain The Oceans" That sentence doesn't make any sense. How do you drain the oceans?" So, I had to tell her again that 'Drain The Oceans' is the name of the show and it's a hypothetical observation about what lies on the bottom of the oceans, and what we would see if the water was drained. She still couldn't comprehend this was all hypothetical, how the show used CGI and radar mapping. She got irrationally upset, too. So, I let it go.
#30
Watching videos on your phone without headphones in public.
#31
Never thinking about the consequences.
Laserleader 1 month ago
Or, even worse is when they know, and have experienced the consequences before, but refuse to consider making another choice, usually out of fear.
#32
Texting and driving. scrolling and driving. Doing anything on with their phone in their hand while driving.
#33
An inability to listen.
Rick Murray 1 month ago
"I hear what you're saying but...", said quickly enough that it is clear that the only thing they heard was a gap in the conversation.
#34
Not having self awareness of how you come across to others even after years and years.
#35
An inability to show empathy. A lack of compassion.
#36
Bragging about IQ scores.
#37
Being obsessed with AI.
Stardust she/her 1 month ago
I will forever hold a grudge against all my classmates from my previous school who used AI to complete a ridiculously complicated project in a few days and got better grades than I who had to painstakingly research each individual subtopic to avoid coming off as inaccurate. In the process of doing my own research I understood the topic far better than those who used AI. If you asked them about the topic, they wouldn’t tell you in their own words
#38
Can't think for themselves. Always repeats whatever their peers tell them without questioning.
#39
Getting all your news and life events from Reddit.
#40
Saying things like "It's not that deep." It means "I'm not capable of thinking about this with any complexity or nuance".
#41
Random shopping carts in your yard.
What do you think ?
Apatheist 1 month ago
Constantly posting spam adverts for impossible earnings on BP and expecting people to fall for it.
Unicorn 1 month ago
And BP won't delete them. Would it help if everyone were to downvote them, or even report them?
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Sian E 1 month ago
There's an older gentleman on my bus route who for many, many years was extremely opinionated and 'always right'. He would get extremely worked up and aggressive. Problem was that he had similar interests to me so I knew exactly when he was talking out of his rear end because I bother to check sources. Since his massive heart attack a few years back he's thankfully learned to keep his mouth shut as getting in an argument is likely to cause a fatal heart attack now.
David Paterson 1 month ago
I can think of at least twenty more. Like "not hiding when being shot at", "hurting yourself in order to hurt someone else more", "centering your life around fear and hatred", "not calling for help when you need it", "being swayed by emotional language", "swearing unnecessarily", "missing the obvious", "not considering the consequences", "lying and then falling for your own lies", "endless repetition".
Nikki Sevven 1 month ago
Frequent swearing is positively correlated with higher intelligence, verbal fluency, and honesty. Other than that, I agree with your list.
Load More Replies... Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
Merely because you have a high measure IQ does not make you smart. Openness to life makes you smart.
RomanceRadish 1 month ago
In addition, there are different kinds of smart. Emotional intelligence, communicative intelligence, mechanical intelligence, just some examples.
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Sarah Suelzle 1 month ago
An underrated sign of low intelligence is being unable to discuss anything without dragging in the same political enemy. Obsession isn’t insight.
R Dennis 1 month ago
As long as you're not conflating politics with morality...
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DB 1 month ago
Anyone claiming that their hands are registered as deadly weapons. Anyone claiming to have street smarts. People who really do have street smarts don't brag about it.
CP 1 month ago
Part of street smarts is people thinking you are dumb and surprising them.
Load More Replies... Apatheist 1 month ago
Constantly posting spam adverts for impossible earnings on BP and expecting people to fall for it.
Unicorn 1 month ago
And BP won't delete them. Would it help if everyone were to downvote them, or even report them?
Load More Replies... Sian E 1 month ago
There's an older gentleman on my bus route who for many, many years was extremely opinionated and 'always right'. He would get extremely worked up and aggressive. Problem was that he had similar interests to me so I knew exactly when he was talking out of his rear end because I bother to check sources. Since his massive heart attack a few years back he's thankfully learned to keep his mouth shut as getting in an argument is likely to cause a fatal heart attack now.
David Paterson 1 month ago
I can think of at least twenty more. Like "not hiding when being shot at", "hurting yourself in order to hurt someone else more", "centering your life around fear and hatred", "not calling for help when you need it", "being swayed by emotional language", "swearing unnecessarily", "missing the obvious", "not considering the consequences", "lying and then falling for your own lies", "endless repetition".
Nikki Sevven 1 month ago
Frequent swearing is positively correlated with higher intelligence, verbal fluency, and honesty. Other than that, I agree with your list.
Load More Replies... Lee Gilliland 1 month ago
Merely because you have a high measure IQ does not make you smart. Openness to life makes you smart.
RomanceRadish 1 month ago
In addition, there are different kinds of smart. Emotional intelligence, communicative intelligence, mechanical intelligence, just some examples.
Load More Replies... Sarah Suelzle 1 month ago
An underrated sign of low intelligence is being unable to discuss anything without dragging in the same political enemy. Obsession isn’t insight.
R Dennis 1 month ago
As long as you're not conflating politics with morality...
Load More Replies... DB 1 month ago
Anyone claiming that their hands are registered as deadly weapons. Anyone claiming to have street smarts. People who really do have street smarts don't brag about it.
CP 1 month ago
Part of street smarts is people thinking you are dumb and surprising them.
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