If you have these traits, you’re more likely to be intelligent

A psychologist, William Stern, created IQ tests to measure a person’s level of intelligence. However, IQ tests can only measure fluid and crystallised intelligence. Many experts have now concluded that emotional intelligence is just as important. 

• Fluid intelligence: The ability to “read between the lines”. It refers to the ability to detect meaningful patterns, decipher abstract concepts, and solve problems. 
• Crystallised intelligence: Also known as “book smarts”, the amount of knowledge and information that fills your brain, including your vocabulary and acquired skills.
• Emotional intelligence: Refers to the understanding of how to read and respond to one’s own feelings and those of others. 

So, when do you think of intelligence, who are the people that come to your mind? Perhaps you might be thinking of Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, or Bill Gates. Each of them had a different life story and left a distinct and extraordinary legacy.  

Are you curious about the traits that most people with high intelligence have in common? Let’s delve into them below: 

1. You understand how much you don’t know. 

“One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.”

(British philosopher Bertrand Russell)

Do you remember the last time you admitted you weren’t sure of something? When was that little voice in your head saying it’s OK not to know everything?  Intelligent individuals can better appreciate their cognitive blind spots. Rather than living in denial, it dawns on them that ignorance can be invisible and that their minds aren’t as precise as they would like to believe. On the other hand, if one considers that they are more intelligent and more proficient than they really are, they portray a perfect example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, a type of cognitive bias described by social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. 

2. You are insatiably curious.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries to comprehend only a little of this mystery every day.”

(German physicist Albert Einstein)

Do you ask lots of questions, seek new ideas, and search for surprises? Have you been curious about the lives and experiences of others? Simple explanations are probably never sufficient for you. You ask insightful questions that get to the heart of a problem, explore a new passion, or take things apart to understand how they work. According to a meta-analysis of 200 studies performed by the researchers von Stumm, Hell, and Chamorro-Premuzic, curiosity does have an impact on academic performance. It had about the same effect as conscientiousness. Engaging in questions keeps your mind active and alert. In other words, the pursuit of curiosity leads to discovering new possibilities; without it, our world would not be the same as we know it today.

3. You are highly adaptable. 

Let’s think of that moment during your life when the stakes run high, and you are in a stressful environment. What are your feelings at that time? Do you feel overwhelmed like everyone else, or do you remain calm, adapt yourself to the environment, and rise to the occasion? If you find yourself highly adaptable and flexible when you are exposed to a new environment or ways of thinking, you are more likely to be intelligent. Many behaviours that make someone “adaptable” are closely linked to the personal competence side of emotional intelligence (EQ). Working on your EQ strategies and developing good habits will make it easier to navigate all the curveballs life throws your way.

4. You are a voracious reader. 

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” 

(Dr. Seuss)

Do you like to educate yourself by reading books? Do you feel the tremendous excitement while diving into a page-turner? A study published in the journal Neuron, which investigated 72 children ages eight to ten, revealed that reading creates new white matter in the brain, which improves communication within the brain. Reading can boost all three types of intelligence: crystallised, fluid, and emotional intelligence. For example, reading fact-filled non-fiction books can expand your vocabulary and equip your brain with many interesting facts, strengthening your crystallised intelligence. Furthermore, when you read a book, engage in the story and track the narratives and themes, you expose yourself to different scenarios and issues, enabling you to improve your fluid intelligence. Finally, reading can boost your empathy and teaches you to understand another person’s point of view. According to research published in Science in 2013 by Kidd and Castano, reading literary fiction improves a person’s Theory of Mind, or ability to understand another person’s mental state. Theory of Mind is related to emotional intelligence and plays a fundamental role in creating and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. 

5. You have high self-control. 

Can you avoid temptations and control your behaviours to achieve your goals? Do you find yourself capable of delaying the gratification of your urges and waiting to get what you want? A 2014 study by Vigil-Colet and Morales-Vives demonstrated that the less impulsive a person is, the higher their level of intelligence. Intelligent people have high self-control, which means they are able to change and regulate their responses to steer clear of undesirable behaviours, increase desirable ones, and accomplish long-term goals. They possess the willpower to resist unwanted behaviours while working towards their goal. 

6. You have a great sense of humour. 

Has your friend ever described you as a “class clown” who has a witty sense of humour? Your jokes are perfectly timed, and you seem to be able to make people laugh everywhere you go. If you do, there might be a high chance that you have a high level of intelligence. A study that investigated a sample of 217 middle-school students revealed a connection between a wonderful sense of humour with the trait of high intelligence in children. A researcher, Feingold (1983), proposed that humour ability is related to crystallised intelligence while humour comprehension is associated with fluid intelligence. 

Final thoughts 

Intelligence does not come only in one shade. To this very day, psychologists and researchers have debated the topic of intelligence. Some hold the opinion that intelligence is a general ability, while others believe that intelligence includes particular talents and skills. Some argue that genetic factors largely influence intelligence, whereas others believe that intelligence is nurtured. Even though there are myriad ways to define and measure it, humans’ overall intelligence as a species makes us incredibly unique.  

References 

Arslan, D., Sak, U., & Atesgoz, N. (2021). Are more humorous children more intelligent? A case from Turkish culture. HUMOR, 34(4), 567-588. https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2021-0054

Feingold, A. 1983. Measuring humor ability: Revision and construct validation of the humor perceptiveness test. Perceptual & Motor Skills 56(1). 159–166.

Kidd, D., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind. Science, 342(6156), 377-380. doi: 10.1126/science.1239918

Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121-1134. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1121

Legg, T., & Raypole, C. (2022). 11 Surprising Signs of Intelligence. Retrieved 17 April 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/signs-of-intelligence#curiosity

Vigil-Coleṭ, A., & Morales-Vives, F. (2005). How Impulsivity is Related to Intelligence and Academic Achievement. The Spanish Journal Of Psychology, 8(2), 199-204. doi: 10.1017/s1138741600005072

von Stumm, S., Hell, B., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2011). The Hungry Mind. Perspectives On Psychological Science, 6(6), 574-588. doi: 10.1177/1745691611421204