25 Signs That Make Us Believe That A Person Is Smart But Members Of This Online Group Believe They Are An Illusion
Sometimes we consider someone smart and intelligent just because they can do something we can’t. Maybe they have a good memory and they don’t need to study as much for a test or they can play chess, but you can’t figure it out and think it must be because you’re not smart enough.
A person being able to do one thing that you can do doesn't necessarily mean they are a genius. Actually, people on Reddit listed some of the signs that we consider indicators of intelligence but they don’t always mean that, and you realize it only after talking to the person a bit more.
Do you think there are other qualities that we consider to belong only to smart people? Do you agree with the ones that were listed in the Reddit thread? Let us know in the comments.
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Using Academic Jargon And Long-Winded Terminology
I’m a PhD student and the one that really irks me is using academic jargon and long-winded terminology. Just because you know a couple fancy words — that most do not know — doesn’t mean you’re intelligent. It is usually an indication of the opposite. “If you can’t explain it to a ten year old, you’re not that clever” is what I’ve told undergraduate classes before.
my dear associates in The Jaded Ailuropoda Melanoleuca, with much debate, I have come to the conclusion that I Thomas Howard Bentley, am superior to all others due to my mammoth intelect, and higher up bringing. thank you and good day.
Education
Education. Just because you managed to get one is not a reflection of your innate intelligence
As someone with a PHD (from University of Shitheads), I believe that you are wrong and that I really am very intelligent
Confidence
f**k_korean_air said:
Confidence!
Sauerteig added:
Confidence/arrogance for sure. One incident I can give is someone years ago who confidently replied (yelled) to me he knew what confirmation bias/cognitive dissonance was in a disagreement.. asked him to explain them for the group, since they may not know.. he almost dissolved in embarrassment because he didn't. Yes it was political.
Going To An Ivy League University
BubblesMagic18 said:
Going to an Ivy League.
Allmightydohllah
That just shows you're connected. Now if you went to MIT, then it's safe to say you're smart. You have to be to get in.
Good Memory
"good memory"
Often a sign with intelligent people but doesn't guarantee inteligence ...
Lots of kids just memorise and then write in exam and get good marks but they just can't apply it in real life
why, thank you for confirming my suspicions that, due to my ability to remember, i will not be cursed to consider how i could have responded better on the 31st of december, 2015, at precisely 0807 Am to my sister who called me, by text 'a single celled amoeba brain fart'
Having Money
Money. “I have it, you don’t. You should listen to me”
A great man once said 'Money cannot buy intelligence. In fact, it mostly make you dumber.'
Knowing A Lot Of Facts
Knowing a lot of facts.
I have a friend who is knowledgeable about a lot of stuff (geography and history, for example, not just things we would think of as “trivia”) and has other markers of intelligence, like a big vocabulary and a career in the sciences. He’s worldly, handsome, and yes, wears glasses. Mutual acquaintances have comnented about how smart he is, usually citing his impressive storehouse of facts.
I know him better than they do, and he is dumb as a box of rocks. He has zero critical thinking skills. I marvel at his imperviousness to logic. He believes some of the weirdest s**t - even in the field of science. (Note that I discovered this long before covid-related idiocy came along. Fortunately he’s not an anti-vaxxer)
I know so many things that I have no business knowing and that I don’t need to know. If I forget something people stare at me in shock. Having a good memory doesn’t make me bright (although I am apparently). Having a good memory makes me a freak show in some places and a popular choice for a pub quiz team in others.
Lack Of Empathy And/Or Hating People
Lack of empathy and/or hating people.
"Everyone is a bastard" does not deserve a Nobel Prize.
Speaking Fluent English In A 3rd World Country
From a 3rd world country here. Speaking fluent English increases your value 10 times more than usual
Being Good At Chess
Narfu187 said:
Being 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 more intelligent than average.
I would imagine that great chess players need to have advanced spatial perception skills. But then so do dentists. (It's part of the exam to get into dental school. Would you want someone with lousy spatial perception skills to be poking a buzzing drill in your mouth?)
School Grades
throwaway3132710 said:
School grades
No_Instance_1851 added:
They can be a reflection of intelligence, but they're definitely more a sign of competence. Great, you do your homework and pay attention in class. Grade inflation has gotten ridiculous. My daughter has a couple of friends that have well over 4.0 GPAs and miraculously don't even come close to breaking triple digits on their SATs (I know, I know, standardized tests are problematic in this realm, as well).
I did very well in school, sure not proud of how my life has turned out 🤷🏼♀️😓
Having A Youtube Channel
The simple fact that somebody has a YouTube channel, they are seen as an authority on a subject…
Politeness
quite simply, politeness. A well spoken, silent, polite individual will almost always be perceived as somewhat intelligent even if he or she isn't. A polite individual shows a good upbringing, perhaps a good education etc. Be polite!
Being polite is the most basic form of intelligence I have observed, but it has to be taken with many different factors to give a good indication of intelligence.
"According To Science"
Starting every online article with "according to science". So much bs out there that isnt according to science at all but they use it to seem more factual than they really are.
Citing Reporting From Fox News
Citing reporting from FOX News
I was at a car dealership a few weeks back and it was on. The anchor was going off about how poor people can't make decisions to eat healthy food (not because it's expensive). How food stamps need to be regulated so the poors don't waste their money on soda to get fat and cost the healthcare system more money. Literally panned over to him drinking a coke. He said it's different because he's drinking a small one cause that's the size it used to be and it's fine. Thought it was the onion at first
A PhD
A PHD.
Too many people who have no clue about real-life also have a PHD.
Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge. A PhD requires the completion of course work (acquiring knowledge) and an original dissertation (application of knowledge). You cannot obtain a PhD without acquiring knowledge and application of that knowledge.
British Accent
Professional-Salt-31 said:
British Accent.
Gibbonici:
Honestly, people need to get over our accents.
Of all the things they denote, intelligence is at the bottom of the list, if it's on the list at all.
All they are to us are regional and social markers. That's it.
Quietness
robb911 said:
Quietness.
SvenBubbleman added:
Some people are quiet because there is nothing going on inside.
Being Articulate
Being Articulate. Not all who speaks eloquently are smart.
Did they deliberately blend the singular and plural to somehow prove their point?
Being Able To Quote Random Greek Or Latin
Being able to quote random Greek or Latin…
Having A Disorder
The presence of a personality, social, or communication disorder or serious mental illness.
Nothing means you are intelligent. Apparently, intelligence has no definition and no measure.
I mean I think that's the point. Intelligence has no one measure.
For one thing, intelligence is the capacity to learn, not the product of having learned. Most of these false signs of intelligence AND their rebuttals mistake intelligence for learnedness.
Scoring high on an IQ test. IQ is what the IQ test measures. It's not necessarily a viable measure of intelligence. Up to today, we do not even have a valid, universal definition of intelligence that scientists truly agree on. And a high IQ can be an indicator of great intelligence, but so far it's biased and not the ultimate tool to measure intelligence. It's just like a BMI without a muscle to fat ratio analysis, just a number that can be indicative but also worthless without context
Aristotle said something along the lines of "the sign of an intelligent mind is somebody who able to entertain ideas without accepting them"
That's a great citation. I like it
But according to this list, Aristotle probably wasn't intelligent.
Oh yeah I forgot he had one of those stupid educations. Why would you go learn stuff to get smart, what a joker. Disregard my citation lol
I really expectedd to see IQ on the list. I've got a high IQ and I'm dumb as hell to be honest.
IQ tests only measure your ability to take IQ tests. You can practice and get better so it's not an accurate measurement Drs don't use them any more as theyre leaning closer to pseudoscience than actual science. How'd I do? Is that ok for an entry
IQ tests are very good predictors of how you’ll perform on future IQ tests. People try to use IQ as a proxy for, well, for whatever measurement would actually be useful (but which they haven’t bothered to consider)
There is a difference between knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. Sometimes you need to know something to be effective. Sometimes you need to know how to apply it to be effective. Sometimes you need to know whether to apply it to be effective. I know the 1970 Egyptian built VW Bug can use a log to replace its rear axle. I can figure it out how to do it to get back civilization in an emergency. However, I'm not going to replace my broken axle with a log just to avoid paying for the parts to fix it for real.
>"There is a difference between knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom." < Also skill. I'd a childhood friend, a very amiable sort with seemingly little brainpower, whose hands skillfully worked on small machines. Norm was skilled, but little more. Or maybe wise, for not trying to over-extend himself.
Nothing means you are intelligent. Apparently, intelligence has no definition and no measure.
I mean I think that's the point. Intelligence has no one measure.
For one thing, intelligence is the capacity to learn, not the product of having learned. Most of these false signs of intelligence AND their rebuttals mistake intelligence for learnedness.
Scoring high on an IQ test. IQ is what the IQ test measures. It's not necessarily a viable measure of intelligence. Up to today, we do not even have a valid, universal definition of intelligence that scientists truly agree on. And a high IQ can be an indicator of great intelligence, but so far it's biased and not the ultimate tool to measure intelligence. It's just like a BMI without a muscle to fat ratio analysis, just a number that can be indicative but also worthless without context
Aristotle said something along the lines of "the sign of an intelligent mind is somebody who able to entertain ideas without accepting them"
That's a great citation. I like it
But according to this list, Aristotle probably wasn't intelligent.
Oh yeah I forgot he had one of those stupid educations. Why would you go learn stuff to get smart, what a joker. Disregard my citation lol
I really expectedd to see IQ on the list. I've got a high IQ and I'm dumb as hell to be honest.
IQ tests only measure your ability to take IQ tests. You can practice and get better so it's not an accurate measurement Drs don't use them any more as theyre leaning closer to pseudoscience than actual science. How'd I do? Is that ok for an entry
IQ tests are very good predictors of how you’ll perform on future IQ tests. People try to use IQ as a proxy for, well, for whatever measurement would actually be useful (but which they haven’t bothered to consider)
There is a difference between knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. Sometimes you need to know something to be effective. Sometimes you need to know how to apply it to be effective. Sometimes you need to know whether to apply it to be effective. I know the 1970 Egyptian built VW Bug can use a log to replace its rear axle. I can figure it out how to do it to get back civilization in an emergency. However, I'm not going to replace my broken axle with a log just to avoid paying for the parts to fix it for real.
>"There is a difference between knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom." < Also skill. I'd a childhood friend, a very amiable sort with seemingly little brainpower, whose hands skillfully worked on small machines. Norm was skilled, but little more. Or maybe wise, for not trying to over-extend himself.