13 Unexpected Traits You Will Only Find In Intelligent people!

13 Unexpected Traits You Will Only Find In Intelligent people!

Did you meet someone who left you wondering after a meaningful conversation? Whether you have been talking to a human version 2.0 of some sort of super computer all along? Or why something that you have absolutely no interest in fascinates them? Some people just seem to have Albert Einstein as their guardian angel.

Or, as Keyzurbur Alas puts it, "intelligent people let themselves become fascinated by things others take for granted." Research published in 2016 suggests that there's a link between childhood intelligence and openness to experience — which encompasses intellectual curiosity — in adulthood.

Below are traits common to intelligent people that might help you single out the individuals with the highest I.Q. 

 1. Intelligent people understand how much they do not know

An intelligent person is never afraid or ashamed to admit to not knowing a particular thing or concept. This is because even if they do not know, they can learn it.

2. Intelligent people are highly adaptable

A recent study shows that, intelligence depends on an individual's ability to change his/her behavior or environment to cope with the demands of the moment. Intelligent people are highly adaptable as they can flourish in any environment regardless of the limitations or complications. 

3. Intelligent people are curious

If curiosity killed the cat, then intelligent people must have 18 lives because this is one group of people who eat, live and breathe curiosity. A study published in 2016 suggests that there's a link between childhood intelligence and openness to experience. Scientists followed thousands of people born in the UK for 50 years and learned that 11-year- olds who'd scored higher on an IQ test turned out to be more open to experiences at 50. The great scientist Albert Einstein was reported as saying, “I have no special talents, I am just passionately curious.”

4. They like their own company

Misery, they say, likes company but intelligent people love their own company. Here, “going solo” is the keyword and if you know one or two highly intelligent people then you must have figured out by now that most of them shy away from socializing as they derive less satisfaction from it.

5. They're open-minded people

The next time you are in a room packed full of people, spot the intelligent ones by looking out for those who seem open to new ideas, opportunities or people. Psychologists say that open-minded people —those who seek out alternate viewpoints and weigh the evidence fairly — tend to score higher on the SAT and on intelligence tests. They are also very selective when it comes to choosing the ideas or perspective they adopt. 

6. They have high self-control

They don’t often succumb to their impulses as they overcome it by carefully planning, strategizing and considering the consequences before nose-diving into anything. A 2009 study that had participants choosing between two financial rewards: a smaller payout immediately or a larger payout at a later date, showed 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.

7. Intelligent people are pretty funny

Just in case you were wondering if all highly intelligent people do is frown and walk around with a serious face and wrinkled forehead all day, you are mistaken. Smart people have got some laughter in their lives too. One study found that people who wrote funnier cartoon captions scored higher on measures of verbal intelligence.

8. Intelligent people can see and connect the not-so-obvious patterns 

This, according to journalist Charles Duhigg, is the hallmark of creativity which can arguably be linked to intelligence. He further buttresses his point by using the Disney blockbuster, “Frozen,” saying that the movie seems clever and original because it "takes old ideas and pushes them together in new ways."

9. They are the champions of procrastination

Unfortunately, just as they rank high on the intelligence scale, most highly intelligent people also rank well on the procrastination meter. They can even delay their appointment with death to find meaningful work. At times they may procrastinate because they are working on more important things. Psychologist Adam Grant suggests that procrastination is the key to innovation, and that Steve Jobs used it strategically.

10. They contemplate the big questions

Intelligent people tend to be susceptible to anxiety because they are naturally curious and wonder a lot about things and ponder questions that seek to ask about the universe and meaning of life. This particular problem, which is termed the ‘existential confusion,’ is also related to their natural curiosity, thirst for experience and open-mindedness.

11. They learn from their mistakes

“The once bitten, twice shy” rule is always applicable in their lives. Yes, we all make mistakes but intelligent people learn from their mistakes, and they learn quickly. They do not need to repeatedly make the same mistake before they learn to jump the porthole.

12. They surround themselves with other smart people

Steve Jobs may have been a control freak, but he made sure the eight or nine people on his leadership team were the most talented he could find and taught them to do the same with their teams. Evil company corrupts good manners and nobody understands the importance of this statement as much as the intelligent folks as they always surround themselves with people of their kind.

13. They are resourceful

Intelligent people are the most resourceful people on the planet as they generally are more adaptable and creative in the way they make use of their surroundings to achieve results. Even when they are in a fix, they always tend to find solutions within their surroundings