When it comes to what makes up a truly intelligent person we all have our own opinions. Some people think common sense things are more important and others look to science for answers but just what does all of this entail?
Well, after looking over Reddit it seems there are actually a lot of things that we can agree on in regards. Below I am going to go over some things that Reddit users have noted as being signs of true intelligence. Whether you agree with all of them or not chances are some of them will be quite clear in your own mind.
How many of these do you agree with and which ones would you take off the list if you could change things up? I for one think these are all quite accurate. True intelligence is not as easily defined as we tend to think it is or make it out to be.
18 Things People Believe Make Up An Intelligent Person:
1. Being persistent and reliable overall.
Some people believe that being persistent and reliable is a sign that someone is intelligent. This is because they are able to regardless of what they are going through continue to face the odds and get through things. Even when situations are rough, they come out on the other end properly.
2. Not letting the words or thoughts of others control your life.
In a world where we let other people control us and bring us down far too often, I have to agree with this one. Intelligent people do seem to know how to work through this on a more proper level than most. They are in charge of their own lives, period.
3. Not letting emotions get in the way of logic.
While smart people have emotions just like everyone else it does seem that they are better at regulating them in some cases. Perhaps they can look at things logically rather than from an emotional stance. What do you think?
4. Making fast connections between new and old information.
Intelligent people are usually able to connect things within their minds relatively quickly. They are able to link up things they already know with things they’re just now learning. This is because they can see the bigger picture in much better detail than others.
5. Being able to explain your choices properly and having reason behind your actions.
This is something that a lot of people struggle with myself included sometimes. I could see how intelligent people would be much better at overcoming this and being able to explain their choices as they tend to think things through more properly. We all do the things we do for different reasons but being able to explain those reasons is not always easy.
6. Having proper critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking skills are very important. By working to use facts to form their judgments they are not being illogical. They are looking at things in the best way possible in most situations. Just because something seems one way doesn’t mean it is actually that way, you’ve got to break things down, right?
7. Knowing your own limits.
We all should work to better understand our own limits and I agree that intelligent people do usually know their own limits better than most. Because they set proper boundaries and remain true to themselves they fair better when it comes to this kind of thing. However, this is a skill we are all capable of developing more properly if we’re willing to work at it.
8. Being able to second guess yourself.
When it comes to being truly intelligent I also agree with this one. You have to be able to second guess yourself. We are only human and sometimes we make mistakes. Being able to go back and make corrections to things is important.
9. Being willing to learn the things you do not know.
Intelligent people are willing to admit that they do not know everything, and they will usually go out of their way to learn new things. These kinds of people are always working to better themselves, wouldn’t you agree? Even though they may be the smartest in the room, they know they can still learn from the people around them.
10. Being open and honest with the people around them even when it’s hard.
Smart people know how important it is to be honest with the people around them. While only one Reddit user mentioned this one it was well worth putting on the list. Intelligent people work through hard moments by doing what needs to be done. Sure, this is more-so emotional intelligence but it is still intelligence, nonetheless.
11. Being honest about not understanding something.
Sometimes we don’t understand the things we’re being taught or being told and that is alright. Something the smartest people in this world, in my opinion, have in common is that they can speak up when they need something explained better. This is something a lot of people struggle with, big time.
12. Being able to remain humble throughout life.
This one really spoke to me. When you think of smart people or intelligent people overall do you think about whether or not they’re humble? Perhaps you should if you’re not. All of the humble people in my life were and still are quite intelligent.
13. Being curious about different things in life.
Curiosity is a very important part of being intelligent. Without curiosity why would you learn anything at all? This one goes hand in hand with intelligence.
14. Reading for pleasure.
While not everyone reads for pleasure I can agree most of the people I know who do are very intelligent. They are able to resonate with the emotions of others on a deeper level and are much better at problem-solving, in my opinion. There is a reason why those bookworms are able to come up with such creative ideas.
15. Being capable of hearing others out.
Being able to listen to the people around you versus closing yourself off is a serious sign of intelligence many people on Reddit agreed to. This meaning you are able to listen rather than forcing your voice to be heard over the voices of others. While you will say what needs to be said, you know when to stop talking and how deeply you need to hear others out.
16. Being open-minded as a whole.
I would definitely agree that open-mindedness is important for intelligence as a whole. You can’t expect other people to understand you if you’re not willing to understand them. This allows you to remove yourself from a given situation and see things from an outside perspective.
17. Being able to understand the emotions of others.
Emotional intelligence is important for each and every one of us. Those who are able to understand the things people are feeling and why they are feeling them are some of the smartest people we will ever have the luxury of meeting. They might not be smart in all the ways you would want them to be, but they are capable of doing so much in this world.
18. Being able to admit when you’re wrong.
Admitting when you are wrong is very important and not everyone is capable of this. Only those who have overcome the ego can accomplish as such. Being able to apologize to others is something a lot of people will agree could be seen as a sign of intelligence.
How do you feel about all of these things? Do you think intelligence is the right word for all of this? I for one think that it fits quite well. We are all intelligent in our own ways.
Sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/82yxzk/what_are_some_signs_of_intelligence/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/b8p50u/what_are_the_subtle_signs_of_high_intelligence/
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