Some traits can instantly tell us if someone is smart, while other actions can instantly tell us if someone is not as smart. Here are 20 tell-tale signs that can indicate that the person you are dealing with has low intelligence or low IQ.
1. Impulsiveness
Some people make hasty choices without thinking about how they will affect others when they don’t have enough foresight. They don’t think about how their acts affect other people, which can cause misunderstandings or tense relationships.
2. Lots of Qualifiers
When they talk, people who aren’t sure of how smart they are often use a lot of words to keep from making mistakes. This can make what they say sound unsure and show that they’re not sure of what they know or what they really want to do.
3. Pointless Discussions
Being smart means being able to tell the difference between a useful conversation and a pointless fight. But people who have trouble with this often see criticism or corrections as attacks on their person, which shows how low their self-esteem is and makes it hard for them to participate in a useful way.
4. Claims To Be An “Alpha Male”
Many times, flexing about being the “alpha male” can actually show that you don’t know what real confidence and leadership look like. This kind of behavior usually covers for insecurities and a need to control or rule others, not a real sign of strength or support for those around them.
5. Easily Influenced By Others
People who aren’t very smart tend to believe everything they hear without question, and they lose track of what’s real. They might get lost and be more likely to be misled or even tricked if they are this open.
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6. Talking More Than Listening
Low-IQ people often don’t want to listen but instead, take over talks to hide how little they know. Because of this, they don’t listen well and aren’t aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings.
7. Lack of Self Awareness
People often forget how self-aware they are, which makes it hard to properly judge their own skills. Because they are stubborn and have a hard time looking at themselves, they may hold on to views that don’t make sense, even when they know they are wrong.
8. All or Nothing Mindset
Smart minds are able to bend and change to new situations. When people only see things as either right or wrong or black or white, it can be hard for them to deal with life’s challenges and adjust to new situations.
9. Problems With Educational Concepts
Being smart in books is one thing, but being able to use what you’ve learned in real life is something else entirely. People who have trouble using what they’ve learned in real life usually aren’t flexible or good at handling problems. These are two traits that set people with a high IQ apart from people who have a low IQ/low intelligence.
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10. Being Overconfident
Most of the time, people think they know more about a subject than they actually do, especially when it comes to subjects they’re not pros in. This is exactly what the Dunning-Kruger effect says: the skills you need to do a job well are the same skills you need to judge how good you are at it. To put it more simply, if you’re not good at something, you might not even know how hard it is for you.
11. Ignoring Criticism
Some people close themselves off to other points of view because they believe they know all the answers. As a result, smart people know how important it is to listen to and consider different points of view in order to become even smarter.
12. Easily Scammed
A scam can be seen from miles away by smart people. But people who aren’t as smart can be easy prey for scams and cheats. They are in a tough spot and are more likely to fall for something shady.
13. Struggles With Hypothetical Situations
A big problem with cognitive flexibility is having trouble with abstract ideas like imagined situations. This problem makes it harder to imagine different outcomes or try out different methods, which are important skills for making good decisions.
14. Using Insults In Arguments
A smart person knows how to use proof and well-thought-out arguments to back up their claims. On the other hand, calling someone names during a fight usually means you don’t have a good case and shows that you lack emotional intelligence and understanding.
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15. Not Interested In Learning
People who are interested in learning always look for new things to find out. But some people stop learning too soon because they think they know enough. If you’re really smart, you’re always willing to learn more, not just when it suits you. As the saying goes, you can always learn more.
16. Thinking They Are Better Than Everyone Else
Some people like to think they’re better than others, but saying that all the time usually doesn’t make it true. Some people are too sure of themselves because they don’t fully understand themselves. This makes them think they’re the best when in reality, they probably suffer from a low IQ.
17. Pointing Fingers
Not being able to take blame for your mistakes is a clear sign of low emotional intelligence. People who have trouble in this area often think they are perfect and can’t see their own flaws. This makes them blame others for their mistakes instead of taking responsibility for them.
18. Gossiping
Glimmers of chatter may look like harmless small talk, but they’re often not what they seem to be. It may be a sign of low emotional intelligence to enjoy talk. Smarter people, on the other hand, prefer to talk about ideas and positive topics instead of gossiping about other people.
19. They Don’t Admit To Their Mistakes
If someone can’t even say they’re wrong, it usually means they have a low IQ. These people tend to think they know more than they actually do and find it hard to accept changes because they don’t want to admit when they’re wrong. On the other hand, an intelligent method means admitting when you’re wrong and trying to learn more.
20. High Scores on Online Tests
People who don’t know much often brag about getting high scores on online tests. The bad news is that these tests aren’t always based on good science principles. A lot of websites offer these tests more to get people to visit and make more money from ads than to give correct evaluations.
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