10 Phrases People With A High IQ Use Frequently, According To Psychology
Communication, community, and connection all benefit from a person’s commitment to curiosity and growth.
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock.com Someone’s measured IQ, or “Intelligence Quotient," is typically a psychological assessment of logical reasoning, memory, and intellect. It’s not a measurement of the health of our social connections, a person’s empathy, or their success, although it tends to influence many of these experiences. According to a 2017 research review, people with a high IQ tend to have more positive life outcomes than their low IQ peers — including better jobs, more comfortable financial situations, and even healthier relationships. They boast a kind of curiosity, empathy, and intellect that benefits a great deal of things, including their communication styles.
There are even specific phrases people with a high IQ tend to use frequently that set them up for success in protecting their emotional health and cultivating healthy connections and community in their lives.
Here are 10 phrases people with a high IQ use frequently, according to psychology
1. ‘Let’s unpack that’
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While traditional IQ tests generally cover a range of topics and skills, from memory to general reasoning, a great deal of the traits people with high IQs embody are related to analytical thinking. They’re committed to a general understanding of all things, whether it’s a problem they’re hoping to solve, a piece of their job or education, or even the underlying emotions behind a conflict in their relationship.
According to a study published in the Journal of Intelligence, high intelligence isn’t necessarily a prerequisite for solving real world issues. It’s not a causal relationship, but people with high IQs generally do have a more curious, intuitive, and committed attitude when it comes to unpacking, empathizing with, and truly understanding problems, perspectives, and issues.
2. ‘I feel that’
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While high intelligence isn’t necessarily a determinant of social awareness and emotional intellect, research published in the Marriage & Family Review suggests that people with a high IQ tend to seek out connections and peers they can not only learn from, but bond with in a healthy way. They’re more cognizant of the big picture, especially in needing open communication and empathy to bond with others, and how that social connection adds value to their lives.
Because they’re aware of those emotional skills and have a tendency to be more sensitive to criticism or disagreements over their perspectives, they also engage in more investigative discussions and debates than their peers. They can speak objectively, drawing upon their own emotions and experiences, without attacking or attempting to silence anyone else’s voice.
By using phrases like this, they help to share their experiences while also openly listening and learning from other people, even amid a disagreement or conflict.
3. ‘I don’t know’
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While people with a higher IQ tend to have a better memory, soaking in more information and having a better recall ability than their peers, they’re not perfect. There’s going to be things that they don’t know. However, the way they navigate through the not knowing in conversations and interactions is what sets them apart.
To put it simply, they’re curious, rather than combative. According to a 1999 study, there’s a greater association between tendencies of denial and defensiveness in lower IQ people than their higher IQ counterparts, typically in the face of these debates and conversations. People with lower IQs tend to be less self-assured, likely as a result of being made to feel less worthy in educational spaces earlier in life, and rely on defensiveness to cope with feelings of shame.
4. ‘I can understand why you feel that way’
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While higher IQ people are often more self-aware and self-assured as a result of their emotional intelligence driven by a will to be understanding, they’re also more empathetic and curious about why other people feel the way they do, act the way they act, and say the things they say. They want to understand other people, even if they don’t agree or share experiences with them.
By empathizing with others, using the key phrases people with a high IQ use frequently, according to psychology, and communicating openly with curiosity, they set themselves up for healthier connections and more fulfilling relationships.
5. ‘What do you mean?’
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Higher intelligence people have a greater desire to be understood and to understand other people in their relationships and daily lives compared to their peers. They understand the importance of connection and collaboration, whether it’s in a professional space, a personal home, or in a passing interaction on the street.
When we spend time getting to know each other — from our peers’ perspectives to our neighbors’ intrinsic values — we add value to our connections, conversations, and debates.
6. ‘I’d love your help with this’
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People with a high IQ aren’t afraid to celebrate other people’s successes, take the attention away from themselves, and get collaborative to solve a problem. They’re adamant about asking for help or advice if they need it, unconcerned about other people’s misguided perceptions and opinions of them.
Especially for higher intelligence people who struggle with mental health issues or hyperactivity, as a study published in the journal Intelligence states is common, asking for help can be the most self-aware practice they adopt in their daily lives. Instead of struggling in silence or fearing the perceived emotional anxieties of asking for help, people with a high IQ utilize phrases like this to encourage social interaction and support in their relationships.
7. ‘Thank you’
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Both a sign of understanding and emotional intelligence, people with high IQs tend to express gratitude and share admiration more often than their peers. They respect other people’s knowledge, advice, and perspectives, even if they don’t agree with them, and aren’t afraid to open up discussions where they’re not the only ones contributing.
Laying the groundwork for their healthy connections, intelligent people validate other people’s opinions and thought processes while also making space for meaningful conversation and mutual respect.
8. ‘Let’s risk it’
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A 2015 study from Finland found that people with higher levels of intelligence are more likely to take risks and be open to new challenges than their lower IQ peers. Even in seemingly risky situations, more intelligent people have a better sense of situations and experiences that can add value to their life, whether they succeed or not.
While it might appear to be carelessness to the average person, this riskiness and openness to a challenge is a generally self-aware trait in intelligent people that helps them to cultivate more fulfilling lives and craft their futures from a big-picture perspective.
9. ‘Let’s let a step back’
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People of higher intelligence often solve everyday problems in unexpected ways that benefit themselves and others while adding value to many aspects of their lives and relationships.
They have complex foundations of thought and tend to adopt unexpected and unconventional ways of thinking, not because they’re actively trying to, but because they operate from a big-picture perspective where niche societal norms, oppressions, and expectations don’t weigh them down as heavily as others.
10. ‘This reminds me of…’
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People with higher intelligence and oftentimes, a higher emotional intelligence, can also be great teachers, as they bridge the gap between complex topics and more palatable and inclusive discussions. They make space for everyone to feel heard and respected, even if that means connecting the dots and putting aside more of their complex factual intellect and information.
Intellect isn’t just about your wealth of knowledge and academic success, it’s about thinking from a big-picture perspective, committing to open communication, and opening up more thoughtful and curious spaces for healthy conversations and debates.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.