15+ False Signs Of Intelligence That Aren’t What They Seem

Everyone likes to feel smart. However, sometimes what people think are signs of intelligence are, well, not so smart characteristics after all.

People took to a Reddit thread called “What is definitely NOT a sign of intelligence but people think it is?” to discuss the number one misconceptions that people have about being intelligent.

We gathered over 15 of the most popular ones for you to brainstorm–and here they are!

1. Always having an answer to everything

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Redditor Aalkhan wrote that a false sign of intelligence is, “Having an answer to every question, never saying ‘I don’t know,'” which received 8,600 likes from fellow Reddit users.

There’s a difference between being a know-it-all and actually knowing it all. When people don’t have the self-awareness to admit to not knowing something, it may be a red flag.

2. Identifying as a nerd

There’s a difference between looking smart and actually being smart. For user CEOofBitcoin, someone who leans too far into adopting the persona of a cliche nerd are usually more into the branding than the brain.

They wrote, “Being in “nerdy” things. Plenty of stereotypical nerds are idiots,” which received a whopping 19,000 likes. Apparently, people are not impressed by the wannabe nerds.

3. All or nothing logic

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Some people believe that every question has one right answer and everything else is wrong. For some this may seem smart, but the reality for many is that this is very limited thinking, highlighting the logical fallacy of refusing to embrace numerous answers to one question.

“Conclusive answers to subjective questions,” User Regular_throwaway_83 wrote, receiving 15,000 likes.

4. Being a good public speaker

Some people are amazing speakers with every word as smooth as butter with layers of emotion, great timing and all that good stuff. Yet, when you really focus on their actual words – they make zero sense!

“Public speaking. Some people can sound like they know what they’re talking about, but really don’t have a clue,” Upstairs-Net-6118 wrote, scoring a huge 23,000 Reddit likes.

4. Confidence

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Many of us have seen at least one person walk into a room with utter confidence as they seem like the most self-assured and smart person ever. Or as the Gen Z’s say: they have “main character energy.” However, when they actually go to convey an idea, which sounds pretty good, it quickly falls apart.

“I think a lot of people misconstrue ‘confidence’, quick speaking and a loud voice with intelligence. It’s almost always a show,” Redditor AppropriateFishing33 wrote, receiving 4,600 likes.

5. Excessive wordiness

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Using lots of big “fancy” words in a row isn’t so impressive when it doesn’t actually mean anything.

“Indubitably, It is, without a shadow of a doubt, an undeniable truth that manifests itself most clearly and unmistakably when an individual chooses to employ excessively wordy, elaborate, and prolix language, replete with an abundance of unnecessary and superfluous verbiage, in order to articulate and convey their intended point or message,” a Reddit user comedically wrote, getting 2,100 likes.

“Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?” they added.

6. Memorizing facts

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Many people enjoy some fun random trivia, but memorizing facts doesn’t necessarily equate to an understanding of them or an ability to critically think.

“The ability to memorize. Having a good memory does not reflect true intelligence,” hongio_peery wrote, scoring 1,800 likes.

7. College Degrees

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For many, having a college degree is a sign of a highly educated person. Yet, some people find there’s a difference between being “book smart” and “street smart” that is key for some when evaluating intellect. Basically, a degree doesn’t mean someone is necessarily smart.

Signal-Beyond558 wrote, “Expensive degree,” which gained 870 likes.

8. Being overly critical

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There are many norms that are worth questioning, but it may not be a promising sign if someone finds a fault in everything without having a logical reason as to why.

“People whose entire personality is based on being contrarian and/or overly critical,” MaterialMuncher wrote, scoring 500 likes.

“Taking issue with everything under the sun doesn’t add any weight or make you seem profound,” they added.

9. A high IQ score

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A high IQ score is the number one sign of intellect for many, but others don’t think that those scores are truly linked to being a smarter person.

“I love it when people post their IQ showing they’re in the top 80-90% and think that’s good,” onemoretwat wrote, receiving 360 likes.

10. Being good at chess

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Known as the ultimate game of logic and strategy, being a good chess player is often associated with being one very smart cookie. With that said, nothing is set in stone.

“Being good at chess. A lot of people associate good chess players with intelligence, but in reality being good at chess has A LOT to do with memorization and pattern recognition,” DecucingYourMind wrote, gaining 263 likes.

“Even the top chess players in the world admit that their ability to play chess at a high level isn’t an indicator of their true intelligence,” they added.

11. Working for an impressive company

Landing a high profile job at a top notch company can be a sign of someone who knows a lot–or not! Looks and titles can sometimes be deceiving.

“Jobs at famous or large companies,” Redditor pokemonandgenshin wrote, receiving 188 likes.

12. Solving a Rubik’s cube

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Most of us have experienced the frustration of trying for hours to solve those things, just for that one friend to solve it in minutes. Does that mean they’re smarter? Not necessarily. Especially because a lot of people simply memorize the steps.

“A very specific thing: I learned how to “solve” a Rubik’s Cube and there would be people that literally thought I was a genius because I was able to pick up one at someone’s house or party or whatever and “solve” it on the spot in a minute,” GoatUnknown wrote, getting 101 likes.

“If you learn the basic way to do it, it’s just memorizing steps, it has nothing to do with puzzle solving or intelligence,” they added.

13. Socioeconomic status

People who are “well off,” and have a ton of privilege are sometimes assumed to be smarter than others because it’s safe to say they’ve been afforded the best education, resources, housing, etc. in the world. Howevver, being socioeconomically stable doesn’t always equate to having brains.

“Socioeconomic status. Spelling. education,” asspatsandsuperchats wrote, receiving 86 likes.

14. Having a British accent

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This one is definitely on the funnier side, but it’s true – some people think that having a British accent is a sign of intellect versus other accents because it sounds refined and dignified. But we’re pretty sure we don’t need to tell you that this one is more about perception than practical logic.

“Having a British accent. Seen many people say that when they hear it they think that the person is smarter,” Lt_Ghost141 wrote, gaining 28 likes.

15. Using Reddit

Clearly, some people have no issue with poking a little fun at the irony of this discussion. A few Reddit users mentioned that using the popular social discussion website is sometimes mistaken as a sign of intellect, especially when not everyone on the platform can exactly call themselves Einstein.

BerryTea840 wrote, “using reddit lol.” We’re pretty sure that level of self-awareness gets them a few extra smart points.

16. Using the word “intelligence” without defining it

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Some people in the Reddit thread were ready to press the pause button on this discussion when it became clear that no one was actually defining what intelligence means, and really only looking at it from one lens. Now, that’s a pretty sharp observation in our book!

“I think we need a concrete definition on what intelligence is before we answer this question. Lol,” TTYY200 wrote. Even though they only scored 15 likes for this one, a few others posed the same concern throughout the thread.

Did we miss any?

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While this was certainly a lively Reddit thread, let us know in the comments if there’s a false sign of intelligence that we missed!