6 Signs You’re Smart for Your Age

We’ve all heard before that some people need to “act their age”, or maybe that others need to start acting their own age. Occassionally, you may not exactly fit in with others your age, or find yourself with different habits or interests that other people may find boring or dull. While this can sometimes be attributed to varying types of personalities, it can also be a sign that you’re well ahead of your age in intelligence! Being smart can mean plenty of different things, but depending on your age coupled with how you process emotions, difficult situations, and even your hobbies and relationships can say a lot about how smart you may be.

Before the list begins, please note that this article is for educational purposes and is based on personal opinions. This articleis not a substitute for professional advice, but general guidance. We advise you to always listen to your intuition and always do what is right for you.

Well then, just so you don’t miss it, here are 6 signs you’re smart for your age!

1. Bursts of energy and focus!

Do you find yourself able to zero in on something that you’re super focused on? Almost like someone would have to shake you back and forth to break you out of your trance? Or do others tell you that you’re super passionate or driven for a project you really love? This may be a sign of intelligence for your age! While children are generally praised for their ability to focus and feel determined to complete projects or their own personal goals, the same goes for most ages as well (Characteristics and signs of giftedness)!

When compared to your friends or family, do you feel like you’re able to focus on something you really want? Maybe when everyone around you quits, you find yourself still excited and focused on something you truly want. Having an independent mind and focusing on what you enjoy with lots of enthusiasm can be a sign of smart habit forming behaviors, both for now and in your future!

2. Your time means everything, including what you do with it

Tick, tock, tick, tock. Do you find yourself hyperaware of what time it is? Maybe you always feel as though you should be doing something else, something more important, or that you have somewhere to be. Not only can this be an excellent sign of organization, it can also be an incredible sign that you’re always looking for something to do! .

The results of these small habits are a craving to be doing something satisfying. This can mean intellectually, emotionally, or meaninfully. Being aware of your time and finding ways to spend it that make you happier and smarter as a person shows a reflection of how smart you really are. Trading small time wasters such as scrolling through boring social media or twiddling your fingers for more stimulating activities demonstrates a desire to learn (Liu, 2021).

3. It feels good to learn

Have you found that some subjects just… weren’t your forte? Maybe drawing and writing isn’t so much your speed, and you’d rather be surrounded by technology, numbers, more hard skills as they’re sometimes referred to. Or, maybe you feel like a modern day Shakespeare, or find yourself more handy with creativity than anything else. Either way, you feel hungry to learn more. You can’t just stop at one lesson, or one concept. You can find yourself feeling motivated by yourself to pay attention to things that you love.

In a recent analysis conducted by Ruiz-Fuster F from the University of Navarra of an old study from M. B. Arnold, he concluded that the idea that finding ways to encourage students (and people in general) that the desire to learn was something that we all have inside of us. There is reason to believe that the basis to self improvement and the desire to climb higher for ourselves can improve our desire to be smarter (Ruiz, Fuster, 2019).

4. You come up with creative solutions

“I… never thought of it that way.” Have you ever heard someone say this to you? Being able to encourage someone to think outside of the box can be a very strong sine of intellectual intelligence, or even emotional intelligence! Everyone has their own values, thoughts, and ways of thinking. Sometimes it’s easy to picture that we have everything figured out, but it can be very special to have someone admit you suggested something that had simply never crossed their mind before.

In the same way that everyone has different lives growing up with different experiences and stories, we also have a lot to share with one another. If you find yourself surprising others with new perspectives, ideas, and solutions to problems they may be having, especially with a wide variety of people, it can show a very strong ability for critical thinking!

5. Looking into who someone is, not what they look like

Do you try to resist making snap judgements about others? Maybe you give others the benefit of the doubt, not quick to assume someone’s behavior or personality until you get to know them first. Although it can be easy to make an easy assumption about someone based on what they’re wearing, or how they portray themselves, you want to know what they’re like, their moods, their emotions, and more!

You tend to see the deeper side of people, and try to talk and probe into what kind of person they are. Maybe you find yourself admiring someone who’s usually a bit of an outcast, just from how others see them at a glance. Having an ability to treat people for who they are on the inside, rather than how they look on the outside, is a deep sign of both kindness, and emotional intelligence.

6. You harness your emotions, both good and bad

Don’t get carried away! Look before you leap! Don’t celebrate too early! All of these sayings are impertinent to helping those with emotional coordination, especially if it’s not… the best. Sometimes we can get overexcited, angry, or otherwise very emotional, and let them take charge of our actions or feelings. Those who are smart for their age may recognize that acting purely on emotion can get them into trouble that they aren’t necessarily ready to deal with (Xinyi, 2021). Have you ever avoided a misunderstanding by keeping your cool, when you really just wanted to explode with anger? Maybe you’ve dodged a bullet by trying to think about how your words would affect someone else, and choosing them carefully instead of snapping back at someone.

All of these emotional impulsive reactions can be put under control when you start being able to tame your emotions, and help utilize them in calm, rational, and mature ways. Although it’s always good to express how you feel, sometimes the difference really does lie in how you say something. People that are smart for their age may realize this before others around them do.

Concluding Remarks

So, did we hit the nail on the head? Maybe you noticed that for your age you may be a little bit more aware or conscious of yourself than others your age, or even older than you! Our experiences as humans can differ greatly based upon so many different factors throughout our lives, from where we live, to our families and friends, even the food that we eat. Realizing the ways in which we’re growing, learning, and maturing alongside one another, including personal development can help us grow perspective. Do you have any signs that you noticed in yourself or others that make you feel smart for your age? Or something you really admire about others that you noticed about yourself? Feel free to share down below in the comments!

Thank you so much for reading, Psych2Goers. Your visit to our site, articles, videos, and all of our content helps support us to make psychology more accessible to everybody all around the world. A humble thank you from us here at the Psych2Go team for your continued love and support. Until next time!

Further viewing:

References

Liu, X. (2021, November 19). 6 Signs You Are More Mature Than Others (Wise Beyond Your Age). YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzUhzbpSeTY?hd=1

PV Schools. (n.d.). Characteristics and signs of giftedness. Paradise Valley Unified School District. Retrieved from https://www.pvschools.net/academics/academic-programs/gifted-programs/gifted-education-parent-resources/characteristics-and

Ruiz-Fuster, F. (2019). The Desire to Know: Arnold’s Contribution to a Psychological Conceptualization of Academic Motivation. International Journal of Educational and Pedagogical Sciences, 13(5), 630-634.

Xinyi. (2021, December 11). 7 signs you’re more mature than others – youtube. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m9K7eW8_jk