Probably each of us at least once in our lives wondered, how to distinguish a stupid person from a smart one. There are certain criteria in society that allow us to do this. Let's try to understand this difficult issue.
“Am I smart or stupid?” - such a thought inevitably comes to the mind of a thinking person. People often confuse the concepts of “smart” and “educated”. Having a higher education, reading a lot of books, an academic degree - all this does not guarantee that a person is smart. Encyclopedic knowledge will make you an erudite, but not an intellectual. Intelligence is, first of all, the ability to navigate new conditions, quickly work with a large flow of information and choose only what is necessary. Intelligence is the ability to notice details, analyze what is happening and come up with something new. But perhaps the most important feature of an intelligent person is a constant desire for development and constant renewal. A polymath accumulates knowledge; the intellectual knows how to use them rationally.
As for stupid man, then everything is not so clear here. Often we attribute this epithet to someone we simply don’t like (or his actions do not fit into our ideas about the world). Of course this is wrong. Based on what has already been said above, a stupid person never gives himself “food for thought”: the information he already has is enough for him. Pasternak wrote: “In everything I want to get to the very essence.” This is not about a stupid person. The inaction of the mind leads to the inability to live.
It is common to think that it is better to be smart. Is this true? Partly yes. The mind helps to cope with many difficulties on the path of life. On the other hand, it is more difficult for smart people to adapt to conditions in a team - this is a fact. Independence and independent thinking can be very difficult. In fact, sometimes it’s worth looking at the world more simply, not evaluating every object and phenomenon, but simply enjoying life.
In any case, before asking yourself the question “Am I smart or stupid?”, it is worth understanding that the abilities of each person are individual. And finally, it is impossible to know everything in the world: the catchphrase of Socrates “I know that I know nothing” describes this process perfectly.
Ivan Maslyukov
Director, entrepreneur. Creator of the international network of urban games Encounter.
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1. An intelligent person talks with a purpose
In a meeting, by phone, in chat. Conversation is a tool to achieve a goal.
Stupid people talk for the sake of talking. This is how they indulge their laziness when they are busy. Or they struggle with boredom and idleness in their free time.
2. Feels comfortable alone
A smart person is not bored with his thoughts. He understands that important events and discoveries can occur within a person.
Stupid people, on the contrary, try with all their might to avoid loneliness: being left alone with themselves, they are forced to observe their own emptiness. Therefore, it seems to them that important and meaningful things can only happen around them. They follow the news, seek out companies and parties, and check social networks a hundred times a day.
3. Trying to keep balance
- Between outside experience (films, books, stories from friends) and one’s own experience.
- Between believing in himself and realizing that he could be wrong.
- Between ready-made knowledge (templates) and new knowledge (thinking).
- Between an intuitive hint from the subconscious and precise logical analysis of limited data.
Stupid people easily go to one extreme.
4. Seeks to expand the range of his perception
A smart person wants to achieve accuracy in sensations, feelings, thoughts. He understands that the whole consists of the smallest details, which is why he is so attentive to details, shades, and small things.
Stupid people are content with average clichés.
5. Knows many “languages”
An intelligent person communicates with architects through buildings, with writers - through books, with designers - through interfaces, with artists - through paintings, with composers - through music, with a cleaner - through a clean yard. He knows how to connect with people through what they do.
Stupid people understand only the language of words.
6. A smart person finishes what he starts.
A fool stops as soon as he begins, or in the middle, or almost finishes, based on the assumption that what he has done may turn out to be unclaimed and will not bring any benefit to anyone.
7. Understands that a huge part of the world around us was invented and created by people
After all, a shoe, concrete, bottle, sheet of paper, light bulb, window once did not exist. Using what was invented and created, he wants to give something of himself to humanity in gratitude. He is happy to create himself. And when he uses what others have done, he gladly gives money for it.
Stupid people, when they pay for a thing, a service, an object of art, do it without gratitude and with regret that there is less money.
8. Maintains an information diet
An intelligent person remembers facts and data that are not needed to solve current problems. At the same time, studying the world, he strives first of all to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between events, phenomena, and things.
Stupid people consume information indiscriminately and without trying to understand the relationships.
9. Understands that nothing can be appreciated without context.
Therefore, he does not rush to conclusions and assessments of any things, events, or phenomena until he has analyzed the totality of all the circumstances and details. A smart person very rarely criticizes or condemns.
A stupid person easily evaluates things, events, phenomena, without delving into details and circumstances. He criticizes and condemns with pleasure, thus seeming to feel superior to what is the object of his criticism.
10. Considers as authority the one who has earned his authority.
A smart person never forgets that even if everyone has the same opinion, they can be wrong.
Stupid people recognize an opinion as correct if it is supported by the majority. It is enough for them that many other people consider a certain person to be an authority.
11. Very selective about books and films
It doesn't matter to a smart person when and by whom a book was written or when a movie was made. The priority is content and meaning.
A stupid person prefers fashionable books and films.
12. Has a passion for self-development and growth
To grow, a smart person tells himself: “I’m not good enough, I can become better.”
Stupid people, trying to rise in the eyes of others, humiliate others and, thus, humiliate themselves.
13. Not afraid to make mistakes
An intelligent person perceives it as a natural part of moving forward. At the same time, he tries not to repeat them.
Stupid people have thoroughly learned once and for all the shame of making mistakes.
14. Able to concentrate attention
For maximum concentration, an intelligent person can withdraw into himself and be inaccessible to anyone or anything.
Stupid people are always open to communication.
15. An intelligent person convinces himself that everything in this life depends only on him
Although he understands that this is not so. Therefore, he believes in himself, and not in the word “luck”.
Stupid people convince themselves that everything in this life depends on circumstances and other people. This allows them to relieve themselves of all responsibility for what is happening in their lives.
16. Can be hard like steel or soft like clay
At the same time, an intelligent person proceeds from his ideas about what he should be like under different circumstances.
A stupid person can be hard as steel or soft as clay, based on the desire to meet the expectations of others.
17. Easily admits his mistakes
His goal is to understand the actual state of affairs, and not to always be right. He understands too well how difficult it is to understand all the diversity of life. That's why he's not lying.
Stupid people deceive themselves and others.
18. Mainly behaves like an intelligent person
Sometimes smart people let themselves go and act stupid.
Stupid people sometimes concentrate, show willpower, exert effort and behave like smart people.
Of course, no one can act wisely all the time and everywhere. But the more of an intelligent person you are, the more... The more stupid, the stupider.
They are incredibly inquisitive and have a great sense of humor. And smart people don’t always consider themselves smart enough...
A person’s intellectual level is determined not only by his obscenely high IQ level. Such people have a whole set of qualities, including incredible curiosity and an excellent sense of humor. And smart people don’t always consider themselves smart...
So, here are 11 personal qualities inherent in every highly intelligent person:
They adapt quickly
Intellectuals are quite flexible and tend to survive in the most different conditions. Donna F. Hammett writes: “They adapt quickly, thereby showing what can be done despite challenges or limitations.”
And psychologists confirm this idea. Intelligence is associated with the ability to change behavior to interact more effectively with the environment or to change the environment itself.
They realize there is a lot they don't know
The smartest people are able to admit when they don’t know something. Jim Weiner writes that intellectuals are not afraid of the phrase “I don’t know.” If they don't know something, they can learn it.
Weiner's observation has scientific support from the work of Justin Kruger and David Dunning, who found that the lower your intelligence level, the greater your tendency to overestimate your own cognitive abilities.
For example, in one experiment, students who scored the lowest on a law school admissions test overestimated the number of answers they got correct by almost 50%. And those who entered the category with the highest results, on the contrary, underestimated themselves.
They are incredibly curious
Albert Einstein allegedly said: “I don’t have any special talents, I’m just extremely curious.”. Or, as Keizurbur Alas writes, “Intellectuals allow themselves to admire things that others take for granted.”
Research published in 2016 in the Journal of Individual Differences suggests a link between mental abilities in childhood and openness to new experiences (that is, intellectual curiosity) in adulthood.
Scientists studied thousands of people born in the UK over the past 50 years and found that smart 11-year-olds with high IQs at 50 were more open to new things.
They read a lot
According to Cheikh M. Diop, curiosity turns smart people into avid readers. Indeed, many of the world's most successful people (Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, for example) say that they increase their knowledge by reading everything they can get their hands on.
They have a broad outlook
Smart people don't close their minds to new ideas or opportunities. Intellectuals are always ready to expand their horizons with other points of view and are open to alternative solutions.
Psychologists say that open-minded people (those who seek out alternative opinions and evaluate facts fairly) score higher on intelligence tests.
At the same time, intellectuals are quite careful about the ideas and points of view they accept.
The developed mind is endowed with a strong immunity against accepting something only on external grounds, and therefore will not believe it until it receives sufficient evidence.
They like to be alone with their thoughts
A 2016 study published in the British Journal of Psychology found that smarter people tend to enjoy being with friends less than most other people.
They hold their own well
Zoher Ali writes that smart people know how to avoid impulsive decisions by "planning, clarifying goals, exploring alternative strategies and identifying possible consequences even before they appear."
Scientists have discovered a connection between self-control and intelligence. In 2009, the journal Psychological Science published the results of a study in which participants had to choose between two financial rewards: an immediate small reward or a large payment in the future. Those who chose the second option (increased levels of self-control) scored higher on the IQ test.
They are really funny...
Highly intelligent individuals have an excellent sense of humor. And scientists agree with this statement.
Thus, in a 2011 study conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico, it was found that people whose cartoon names were the funniest had excellent IQ scores. Another study from the same university found that the verbal intelligence of professional comedians is much higher than that of other people.
...and love dark humor
In 2017, a study was conducted that found that people who score high on tests of verbal and non-verbal intelligence like “dark humor” more than others. But they don't react to him aggressively.
They are sensitive to other people's experiences
Some psychologists argue that compassion, and acting on those needs, are key components of emotional intelligence.
Individuals with a high level of emotional intelligence tend to love talking to strangers and learning new things about them.
They think outside the box
Being smart means thinking outside the box.
Highly intelligent people “are opponents of the status quo. They question old ways of completing tasks. They always have some unusual or even “crazy” idea in stock.
In fact, sticking with the status quo can undermine your chances of success. Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, says that successful people (like successful companies) always ask themselves the question: “What if we did things differently?”
Each of us secretly dreams of being the smartest, or at least smarter than other people. It is important to be able to identify an intelligent person in order to learn to distinguish a fool from a wise man and a strong mind from a weak one.
Smart people are distinguished by inner strength. This includes self-confidence, the ability to control oneself and much more. That is why the mind can be felt even by those who do not know the secrets of psychological analysis.
Sign one: a smart person does not mock the weak
A person with a high enough IQ is able to put himself in the shoes of others, so he will never just do something bad to someone. Of course, revenge and the thirst for justice can take over, but an intelligent person will not allow himself to mock someone without a reason, because people with increased “productivity” can simulate in their heads the state of an offended, weak person.
Sign two: a smart person wants everyone around them to become smart too
This is not even due to the absence of envy, but to the fact that it is always easier for a smart person to communicate with a smart person. Stupid people make a strong-minded person lose a lot of energy into nowhere, so the desire to see people around you who want to learn is common sense, and not excessive demands. Because of this, one can identify another sign of an intelligent person - the desire for solitude. Many have probably heard about our great contemporary, who refused the Nobel Prize in mathematics. He lives with his mother. Although he was many years old, he did not go out into the world. His loneliness is completely justified and accepted by himself.
Sign three: smart people are calm
Problems for people with high intelligence are nothing more than an ordinary coincidence of circumstances, a consequence of wrong actions. Such people learn very quickly because they see everything from the right angle. Problems are things that come and go. Smart people know that failure makes us stronger.
Sign four: smart people always have time for everything
This is the honest truth, because smart people always manage to do everything. They rest on time, work hard, and have time to take care of themselves. Of course, there are unique people who cannot afford anything other than work, but this is a separate topic for discussion. If a person is not stupid, he will not complain that he does not have time.
Sign five: they are smart, but they do more than they say
Intelligence is not only erudition, which any person with increased intelligence has. He knows a little bit of everything and is a true genius in his industry. That is why such people can and do a lot without wasting extra time talking. An excellent example is Anatoly Wasserman. He did not have the goal of becoming an erudite and a person who knows everything. At first he was a programmer, but then he delved deeper into the knowledge of other industries.
Sign six: desire for neatness
An intelligent person may not be fashionable, old-fashioned, or may even deny fashion as such, but he always looks nice. Smart people don't like to spend extra money on things they don't need. Despite the collectedness in terms of image, smart people have an eternal mess in their apartment, but it is very structured. A smart person always knows where his personal belongings are.
Sign seven: a smart person listens and remembers
Smart people are very, very good communicators. They don't talk about themselves unless asked to do so. Smart people like to listen and remember more. By the way, speaking of memorization, smart people have a very “narrow” memory. They can forget simple things, but remember complex ones. An example is names and dates of birth, which are poorly remembered by people with high intelligence and a large store of knowledge. This is why smart people are not afraid of mistakes. She's just trying something new and learning the consequences.
Sign eight: good sense of humor
This is not direct evidence of a great mind, but in most cases it speaks, at a minimum, of his originality. The fact is that humor requires a lot of energy from the brain. Brain activity in those who make friends with humor is very high. This does not mean the presence of knowledge, but it does mean intelligence in general.
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To determine how smart a person is, it is not necessary to test him for IQ. It's enough just to watch how he behaves.
We are in website We have selected for you 10 signs of an intelligent person, thanks to which you can immediately figure out your interlocutor. Also suitable for self-reflection.
1. You feel when you are being lied to.
You feel when they are trying to deceive you and rarely fall for it. In addition, you subtly grasp the intentions, motivations and desires of other people - these are all signs of developed emotional intelligence.
2. You are self-sufficient
You, of course, love your soulmate. But don’t get hung up on it, because you have something and someone to be interested in: work, loved ones, hobbies. And even if creating a couple is only in the plans, you consider yourself accomplished now, regardless of the relationship.
3. Your home is a mess.
Everything in your apartment is not always perfectly clean. Moreover, it may often be a mess. After all, you, as the owner, have more important and urgent things to do than cleaning.
4. You are not fooling yourself.
And first of all - in relation to yourself. Lying takes a lot of energy, but someone will still have to deal with the consequences. You will not engage in self-deception, which means you will not suffer from its consequences.
5. You know how to restrain your emotions where necessary.
As a person with an extraordinary mind, you will not suppress or hide sincere feelings. But you will not become a professional sufferer, you will not savor losses and grievances. We felt it, let it go, and move on.
6. You plan your day and always come to conclusions.
In matters that are important to you, you prefer real and honest plans to dreams. Analyze the situation and clearly calculate your options.
7. Sometimes you like to be lazy
