From when we're little, we're told that it is important to be smart. And while our society seemingly values the typical academic knowledge the most, actually, there are many more ways someone can be intelligent, sometimes in a non-obvious way.

Yet, there are signs that give away their smarts. That's what we're going to focus on today — ways to tell someone is way smarter than they let on. All of the examples you're going to see were suggested by folks under a viral Reddit thread, so it comes from human experience, not only our imagination.

More info: Reddit

#1

"Smiling woman in a classroom making a peace sign, possibly a sign of intelligence." Rather than getting frustrated when they don't know something, they get excited. I had a chemistry professor in college that was INSANELY smart, and when somebody asked a question she couldn't answer, her eyes lit up as she said "I don't know. Let's find out!" To her, not knowing something was just an opportunity to learn something new.

echoes122 , Product School Report

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UKGrandad
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That teacher was even smarter than the OP realised. 'Let's find out' is an excellent way of getting students to learn things for themselves. Just giving the answer teaches them nothing whereas getting them involved in working it out gives them a sense of achievement once they find the answer and encourages them to have more confidence in their own problem-solving skills.

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    #2

    "Good Comedy": 36 Dead Giveaways Of Someone’s High Level Of Intelligence Dunning-Kruger demonstrates that the smarter you are, the more likely you are to express doubts about your own beliefs, your own knowledge, and your own intelligence; you are also more likely to overestimate the intelligence of other people.

    They also show that the dumber you are, the more likely you are to show confidence in your own beliefs, knowledge, and intelligence; you are also more likely to underestimate the intelligence of other people.

    In other words, the person saying: "You're all stupid. I'm the smart one here," is more likely to be less intelligent than the one saying, "We're all intelligent people here. I might be wrong. What do you think?"

    In general, over-confidence is valued more than intelligence. That suggests that, in general, people prefer dumbshits.

    But, you know, I could be wrong. ;).

    SidMorisy , Anna Shvets Report

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    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell, philosopher and mathematician

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    #3

    A woman wearing glasses, holding an open book, showing signs of intelligence in a thoughtful pose. Admitting they’re wrong. Reconsidering positions based on new evidence. Curiosity.

    Puzzleheaded_Gene909 , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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    El Cucuy
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For me, this is more about maturity and self-confidence rather than smarts. I know a lot of very intelligent people who have great difficulty admitting they were wrong about something because they feel it makes them appear weak or less smart.

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    It’s no secret that it’s helpful to be smart in life. To acquire these smarts, we go to school from when we’re little until we’re grown and even then, some folks choose to continue their education. So, usually, when we’re told to imagine a smart person, we think of someone in academia – a professor, a researcher or anything similar, someone with a high IQ. 

    But what if we told you that academia or IQ levels are not the only ways to be smart? As Bored Panda's interviewee, professor Maurice Elias from Rutgers University, pointed out, American developmental psychologist Howard Earl Gardner suggested a theory of “multiple intelligences.”

    #4

    Man in glasses holding a microphone, wearing a striped shirt, standing against a dark background with neon designs, indicating intelligence. Good comedy. There are so many great comedians who play dumb and make jokes about how stupid they are, but I think you have to be quite above average intelligence in order to be a really great comedian. .

    CassTeaElle , zaid mohamme Report

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    #5

    A person in a floral headscarf and black shirt admiring vintage cameras on wall shelves, hinting at hidden intelligence. They tend to be interested in many different topics. They are naturally curious about many different things.

    Labradawgz90 , Elif Gökçe Report

    #6

    Two women smiling outdoors, suggesting hidden intelligence through cheerful demeanor. Very quick wit. You have to be smart to process and deliver.

    Sarahclaire54 , Daniel Xavier Report

    He identified 8 different types of intelligence. The first is the “visual-spatial” type. These people are good at visualizing things, so often they’re good with recognizing patterns easily, reading and writing for enjoyment, solving puzzles, drawing and interpreting visual stimuli. 

    The second is “linguistic-verbal” intelligence. Just as the name suggests, it’s people who are strong verbally, whether it comes to writing, speaking, or learning new languages

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    Then, “logical-mathematical” smarts follow. Again, the name kind of gives it away – these folks have an easier time than others dealing with mathematical operations – analyzing, thinking about numbers, solving complex math problems, thinking about abstract concepts, and things like that.

    #7

    Man writing on a whiteboard, possibly showcasing signs of intelligence, as another person observes attentively. Someone who can explain a very complex topic to a room full of lay-people is usually pretty good at what they do.

    lucidzfl , Antoni Shkraba Report

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    jonathan
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If someone can summarize or state things differently than what they were taught, it means that they understand the topic. If they can only say what someone else taught them, they just memorized their work.

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    #8

    Three men discussing something on a tablet, possibly sharing signs of intelligence in a casual setting. I agree with most of the replies here, but I’ll add my two cents.

    I think people who meet you on your wavelength are smarter than most. They can talk about pretty much anything, with anyone. They’ll shoot the s**t with some people, discuss politics with others, listen as well as talk, ask questions, but also will take time to explain things if they’re asked.

    SassySugarCookie , katemangostar Report

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    keyboardtek
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They find a way to draw people out and find a common interest to talk about.

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    #9

    A child in a blue shirt examines a magnifying glass, hinting at hidden intelligence in a forest setting. Endless curiosity...

    popejohnsmith , freepik Report

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    Daria
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is no shame in not knowing something. The shame is in not being willing to learn.

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    The fourth type of intelligence Gardner distinguished is the “body-kinesthetic” type. This one might be a tad harder to understand solely from the name. It refers to people who have an ability to use physical skills with perfect timing along with mind-body union skills. 

    As an example, you can think of athletes, dancers, surgeons – basically, people whose every move is strictly calculated and comes from years of experience or, in other words, “body-kinesthetic” intelligence. 

    The fifth is musical intelligence – those who have a strong appreciation for music and are usually good at musical composition and performance. 

    Then there's “naturalistic” intelligence. Basically, it’s when a person is good at observing, identifying, and understanding natural elements in other ways. 

    #10

    A thoughtful person in glasses and trench coat, seated on a sofa, deep in concentration suggesting intelligence. Actually taking a moment to contemplate an argument they disagree with rather than just reflectively dismissing it. Smart people are willing to have their assumptions challenged and reevaluate them.

    Flurb4 , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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    #11

    Woman laughing joyfully, showcasing signs of intelligence, with confetti on her shoulders. Tina Fey said that you could tell which people in a crowd were smart by what they laughed at. I've found that to be true.

    GreenElementsNW , Rodolfo Quirós Report

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    #12

    Woman in striped shirt with glasses, pondering with pen in mouth, illustrating signs of being subtly smarter. The fact that they're not letting on how smart they are.

    "It's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.".

    901Soccer , lookstudio Report

    The last two types Gardner suggested were interpersonal (a person with it is good at understanding and interacting effectively with others – whether verbally or not) and intrapersonal intelligence (when a person is very in tune with their emotions, thoughts, and motivations.) Our interviewee said that usually, these two intelligences are associated together as part of emotional intelligence.

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    He described emotional intelligence (or EI) as "a set of skills that lead us to care for others, show them compassion, support them in times of need, and not expect something tangible in return for doing so."

    Our interviewee also noted that it's important for all of us to practice emotional intelligence. In fact, he suggested that we should be teaching it at schools, just like we do with other types of intelligences, like cognitive.

    #13

    A person giving a presentation to a group, possibly showing signs of intelligence. People who ask perceptive questions, which show a deep and considered comprehension of what's being said and meant, and how this interacts with the wider picture.

    Difficult_Falcon1022 , fauxels Report

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    Zaach
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is often said that you need to know most of the answer before you can ask a good question

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    #14

    Person with a thoughtful expression, seated against a red curtain backdrop, subtly indicating intelligence. I feel like a lot of people confuse charisma with intelligence.

    Omnealice , RDNE Stock project Report

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    #15

    Three people posing; one with a clown nose, one with glasses, another smiling, suggesting hidden intelligence. “The fool considers himself to be wise, while the wise man considers himself to be a fool.” - Shakespeare

    Somebody who knows and understands that.

    AlaskanSnowWorm , pressfoto Report

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    Skara Brae
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "The fool considers himself to be wise..." Who does that remind me of? https://apnews.com/article/2bb960fda0264c488d454632628cb193

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    Speaking of all intelligences together, Maurice Elias said that "None of them are inherently better or more important than others." Rather, they're just "areas of competence that we all possess, to a greater or lesser degree, and that we develop based on our genetics, our opportunities, and our environments."

    So, basically, depending on many factors, some people might be more intelligent at one thing, and others at something different. To add a few practical examples to this whole theory, we created this list. All of the items on it aren’t something we just made up – they were submitted by various netizens on Reddit. 

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    So, what do you think – which type of intelligence fits you the best? Share with us in the comments along with your take on non-obvious signs of intelligent people!

    #16

    Person thoughtfully engaged with a laptop, showcasing signs of intelligence in a bright room. If they begin their answer to most questions with something like: “I don’t really know…. I don’t have all the details…. I’m sure someone more knowledgeable can enlighten you on this….

    joyful_fountain , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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    Igor914624
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is the difference between being "smart" and being truly intelligent. Smart is being an expert on something. Truly intelligent is knowing that you may be an expert on something does not make you an expert on everything.

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    #17

    Two women laughing together, seated in a cozy cafe, showing subtle signs of intelligence through their expressions. One little thing I've noticed is intelligent people tend to laugh at jokes faster than the average person, because they got it right away rather than having to process it and figure out why it's funny, or laughing just because everyone else laughed

    Edit: people are trying *so hard* to discredit me here when I didn't say people who don't laugh quickly are stupid, so why are you offended?

    mothwhimsy , Bryllupsfotograf Forevigt Report

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    keyboardtek
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Humor also depends on one's worldly experience and general knowledge. People who have gone through a lot of s**t will understand sarcasm and political humor much faster.

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    #18

    A person browsing a large bookshelf, possibly indicating intelligence through a keen interest in books. Taciturnity. Many quite smart people that I know are 90% taciturn. They don’t want to share their thoughts in front of many people, but when you talk to them one-on-one, they share facts, knowledge and thoughts and you instantly think, wow, guy , I didn’t expect from you that . Yes, in many ways they are just introverts.

    AdditionalMail3406 , cottonbro studio Report

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    rainy_days (fae/faer)
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    don't remember where but i read that "gifted" people actually develop in the opposite order than neurotypical people, they get curious about the world first and only after having learned about it do they get curious and discover themselves and other people, so when they arrive at their stage of development when they learn to socialize, most other people are done learning that and expect them to already know it, so they have no one to learn it with. It might be an explanation for this.

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    #19

    Man in glasses and a suit pondering documents, showcasing signs of intelligence. I used to know a guy that was very smart, and whenever he said “ I could be wrong, but...” You know he was 100% positive and 100% correct.

    AngelicTinkerbell , Andrea Piacquadio Report

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    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a friend who would know his argument was incorrect, but quote me "You said you could be wrong!" As if that proves his opinion was correct.

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    #20

    For me, it is your ability to ask insightful questions.

    During my PhD - I noticed that the really smart people could listen to a lecture on a topic that was tangential to their research and ask really insightful questions. I strove to be able to ask really good questions when presented with a topic that I was not an expert on that really pushed the lecturerer on their knowledge/ideas.

    Juls7243 Report

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    jonathan
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't focus on how to ask a good question. Understand the concept deep enough, so that any questions that you have are good ones.

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    #21

    Three people discussing a project with papers and a laptop, displaying signs of intelligence in a collaborative setting. They are the one person in the room that hasn't opened their mouth yet.

    sincerelychrissyy , PICHA Stock Report

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    #22

    Group discussion in a modern office setting, highlighting signs of intelligence among diverse professionals. They say what you wanted to say but much simpler and direct, without really using complicated words.

    Brief-Resident-Dewon , Dani Hart Report

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    Robert Benson
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people use complicated words to help them sound more self-confident than they truly are. While they may or may not truly understand the topic, they may be trying to express the depth of their understanding to boost their self-esteem. Confidence and intelligence are "orthogonal" traits. The amount you possess of one, does not really correlate to an amount of the other, even if it seems like it "should". I'm not even talking about Dunning-Kruger here ... just people being people.

    #23

    Two people discussing a concept at a whiteboard, indicating intelligence and collaboration. They can explain a new concept to you in a way that is easy to understand yet not condescending.

    Sekshual_Tyranosauce , ThisIsEngineering Report

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    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think it was Richard Feynman who once said something like 'if you can't explain your theory in such a way that the average person can understand it, you don't understand your own theory'. And before anybody tries to correct me, no, I'm not talking about the 'don't worry if you don't understand quantum physics: nobody understands quantum physics' quote.

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    #24

    Two people having a thoughtful conversation at a table, highlighting signs of hidden intelligence. They actually listen and ask questions.

    gc23 , Christina Morillo Report

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    #25

    Humility + good listener.

    beepbooplootsnoot Report

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    #26

    Woman holding a dog in a garden, showcasing hidden intelligence in her expression. They're kinder. 


    Kindness is just smart. .

    DogAlienInvisibleMan , Valeria Boltneva Report

    #27

    They talk to themselves a lot but not in a mentally ill way . More like they’re processing stuff they learnt to remember and later on apply it.

    Shack24_ Report

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    #28

    A group of people in a living room, discussing with laptops, showcasing signs of intelligence. They don't feel the need to contradict everyone's comments and prove themselves.

    Pickledili , Athena Sandrini Report

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    Robert Benson
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Umm... you're wrong ... because ... I'm smart! /s ... But seriously, people can be jerks AND smart, or jerks and NOT smart. I think the nicest way to correct someone, is in a non-public space (unless the correction is useful/important for others to observe)

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    #29

    They don't take the bait when someone tries to engage in gossip with them.

    Cinna41 Report

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    Savannah Newman
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If that person you wanna talk about didn't give me this information directly, they don't want me to know. I do learn a lot of secrets though because all my people understand that if you want to unload with someone who will never repeat it to anyone, tell Savannah. Secrets are safe with me.

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    #30

    Man in plaid shirt and cap sitting by a fence, thoughtful expression, showcasing signs of subtle intelligence. After I complimented a very smart and successful farmer on his operation, he replied, “All it takes to be a farmer is a strong back and a weak mind”.

    Ruin_Nice , cottonbro studio Report

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    Roxy222uk
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Woah, watch Clarkson's Farm - this is miles away from the truth

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