Intelligence can mean different things to different people, but in general, someone who has the ability to perceive and process information, has the capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, creativity, and possesses the ability to solve problems is considered intelligent.
When you are very intelligent, you are thought to have a big brain and people assume that you must have had a high level of education.
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We believe that people are very smart if they can solve difficult math problems in their heads or create machines to save the world.
But in reality, some of the characteristics of high intelligence are generally not associated with having high intellect.
Here are 8 unusual signs and personality traits of high intelligence.
1. Mental illness
In the movie (based on a true story) «A Beautiful Mind», the main character, John Nash, is a brilliant mathematician dealing with schizophrenia.
The link between mental illness and intelligence is highly controversial, but some of the most talented minds in history, like Edgar Allan Poe, Jackson Pollock, and Amy Winehouse, were bipolar.
The specific reason for this link is unclear, but one study found that a certain protein associated with memory and curiosity in mice was also associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in humans.
Another study suggested that the ability to decipher complex mathematical equations and process information quickly may also put people at risk for mania.
2. Curses and oaths
If someone curses at you, it may seem like they’re not super smart, but science says otherwise.
A study published in Language Studies found that people who swear and curse have a larger vocabulary (a trait associated with high intelligence) than those who don’t.
3. Assumption of risks
A recent study from Finland found that people who are open to new challenges and aren’t afraid to take risks tend to be smarter.
The study used a driving simulation and found that participants who made riskier decisions during the test had more white brain matter, an area of the brain associated with cognitive function.
4. Sloth
A Florida Gulf Coast University study found that smarter people are lazier because they have longer attention spans.
People with big brains don’t have to be constantly doing something; they can sit back and think while their brain grows even bigger.
5. Birth order
Everyone knows that the oldest child in a family tends to be a top performer because they get the most attention from their parents.
One study found that older children tend to have more rules to follow and more intense parental supervision, especially when it comes to homework and grades.
6. Anxiety
A study in SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York found that people with anxiety had a higher IQ than those without anxiety.
Makes sense if you suffer from anxiety. You are constantly worrying and thinking of various outcomes for situations, and you look at things from the past that could influence various situations.
These people are very good at problem solving, critical thinking, and abstract reasoning.
7. Being a cat lover
Researchers at Carroll University analyzed 600 participating students and found that cat lovers scored higher on intelligence tests than dog lovers.
Take that, haters.
8. Being an atheist
A review of 35 scientific studies found that people who have a more naturalistic view of the world generally tend to be more intelligent than religious people.
As with any study, you can find what you want and discard the rest. Find the evidence that makes you feel good and worthy: that’s what someone with great intelligence would do.