7 Common Traits of Highly Intelligent People
7 Common Traits of Highly Intelligent People
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Intelligence has been a prized human trait for centuries. The concept of intelligence goes far beyond the ability to navigate highly complex math problems. In fact, it's really very difficult to measure intelligence. Generally speaking, ‘intelligence’ is thought of as having the ability to perceive information, the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, creativity, and possessing the ability to problem solve.
Overview
The traits of highly intelligent people break down into seven parts:
They are deep thinkers;
They are flexible;
They are teachable and curious;
They value people and are empathetic;
They don’t give up easily;
They are foresighted;
They enjoy a peaceful life.
Let’s dive in!
1.) They are deep thinkers
This is where most highly intelligent people are misread. Others believe that they suffer from loneliness, or that they are so shy that they can't relate to many people, but ultimately this is incorrect. They simply enjoy pushing their intellect to new heights.
When we need to make decisions or solve problems, we use two types of thinking.
The first is subconscious, fast, and intuitive thinking.
The second is conscious, analytical, and deliberate thinking.
Most of us use both; however, those that are highly intelligent, deep thinkers are people who engage in a lot of slow, rational, and analytical thinking. And this type of thinking breaks things down into specific components.
Deep thinking is a higher cognitive process, one that involves the use of newer brain regions like the prefrontal cortex. This brain region allows people to think things through and not be at the mercy of the emotional reactions of the older limbic system of the brain.
Those that are highly intelligent understand that it’s tempting to think that intuition is irrational compared to analytic thinking, but that’s not always the case. They respect and develop both their intuition and analytic thinking process.
2.) They are flexible
Those that are highly intelligent are adaptable. They are able to always thrive in different settings.
This means that, irrelevant what type of restrictions they face, irrelevant of what complications they face, they show others what can be done. Life to them means planning ahead and finding options in order to reduce the occurrence of things catching up with them unawares.
Interestingly enough, psychological research actually supports this idea. Intelligence depends on being able to change our own behaviors in order to cope more effectively with our environment or make changes to the environment we're in.
Highly intelligent people ask themselves questions such as,“What can I do if this is no longer available?”.
And most of the time, those that are highly intelligent plan ahead, which ultimately allows them to identify options and reduce the likelihood of things catching them off guard. They foresee possibilities and plan for change.
When we think about the human species and our ability to sit at the top of the food chain, it isn't because we are the strongest or can produce the best tools. It’s because of our ability to adapt.
And if this is the case, then being highly adaptable should be recognized as an extremely critical skill. Those that are highly intelligent have recognized this and ensure they are able to pivot at any given moment.
3.) They are teachable and curious
Those that are intelligent think of themselves like a plant — they need soil, water, and sunlight to truly thrive.
And let's not get this confused with just reading books all the time. Of course reading is extremely beneficial to building our intelligence, and it’s a great indicator of curiosity, but it’s only one part of a larger equation.
Those that are highly intelligent understand this, and they’re extremely curious. They are curious about anything and everything. They engage in their passions and continually ask themselves ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what if’.
They enjoy learning about other people, industries, history, cultures, and the world in general. And these amazing things lead them to be extremely open-minded and teachable.
This means that, irrelevant of the situation and whether or not they may have a solution in mind, they put it aside and listen to what others have to say. They don’t ‘brute force’ their way forward just to show others what they know.
Instead, they engage in active listening, taking in the thoughts and ideas of others, which means that they are able to absorb new information. After this absorption, they then provide their thoughts and ideas.
Highly intelligent individuals are most often not the loudest individuals in the room. Instead of bragging about their accomplishments or arguing and telling others how “right” their opinion is, they're usually quiet and observant.
When we have the ability to take everything in, we can see things that others missed, like subtle patterns. This poses a major advantage.
4.) They value people and are empathetic
There's a powerful connection here, as there’s a direct correlation between high emotional intelligence and high IQ.
This has been proven in psychological assessments, which have shown that a person who scores higher in traits of empathy will often score higher in traits of effective verbal comprehension.
In other words, empathy, which is part of emotional intelligence, and comprehension, which is part of cognitive intelligence, are directly linked.
It simply boils down to this: if we lead with our heart, there’s an extremely good chance that we also lead with our mind.
Those who are highly intelligent also consider people to be a long-term investment. When they find a group of people that share their ideals, they try to keep them together. When they have a genuine disagreement with a friend, they take the time to express themselves with love.
Whether they know someone or not, they treat them with respect. They understand that their remarks can provide hope to those who are lost. They also have a remarkable ability to deal with stress and pressure without channeling aggression toward others.
5.) They don’t give up easily
Those that are highly intelligent have acknowledged the fact that some failures will result in success. They give themselves hope.
This hope drives their ability to keep going, irrelevant of the situation. They realize that failure isn't the end of the world, and most importantly, they continually recognize that it's never too late to try again.
These behaviors — never giving up and never letting off the gas — inspire a lot of people around them.
What's interesting is that most of the time they don't see any reason not to do something, even if someone else has already tried and failed. They have a strong sense of perseverance in difficult conditions.
They understand that with enough time, the right approach, and out of the box thinking, everything becomes possible.
6.) They are foresighted
Those that are highly intelligent have a tendency to notice what leads to what.
When they're about to make a big decision, their imagination will sometimes warn them, and these attributes keep them in check. This prevents them from succumbing to temptations and taking action that they may come to regret later.
Before making a final decision they consider both the positive and negative aspects of a scenario.
Interestingly, scientists have actually found a link between self-control and intelligence. In a study back in 2009, participants had to choose between two financial rewards — a smaller payout immediately, or a larger payout at a later date.
Results showed that participants who chose the larger payout at a later date, i.e. those who had more self-control, generally scored higher on intelligence tests.
The researchers behind that study say that one area of the brain, the anterior prefrontal cortex, might play a role in helping people solve tough problems and demonstrate self-control while working toward goals.
Those that are highly intelligent demonstrate this type of self-control.
7.) They enjoy a peaceful life
Highly intelligent people try to avoid living a crowded life as much as possible.
Disputes, especially pointless disputes, are their turn-offs, which is why they try to spend their time with people who they enjoy being around. They most likely enjoy music and find fulfillment in lyrics that reflect their values and life experiences.
Even in crowded places they can be absent while still being present. Actually, recent research actually suggests that smarter people tend to derive less satisfaction than most people do from socializing with friends.
In the end, the interesting thing about personality traits is that even if they are not in us naturally, they can be practiced and embedded to make us a better individual.
Conclusion
There you have it — seven common traits of highly intelligent people. I hope the examples and definitions in this guide help you promote your unique self while developing a good aura of intelligence.
I’d love to hear from you:
Which of these traits do you already identify in yourself?
Which of these traits are ones you’d like to start developing in yourself?
Have a wonderful week, all.
Much love to you and yours, Scott (@motivatedscott). ❤️
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