If You Notice These 11 Behaviors, You're Dealing With A Low IQ Person
A person's IQ shouldn't determine their worth or capacity for receiving empathy.
Krakenimages.com | Shutterstock People who have high IQs tend to navigate life with a fair amount of ease. Because they're highly intelligent, they have skills that other people don't. Their advanced capacity to solve problems and their tendency for innovative thinking give them a leg up in a difficult world.
But while a highly intelligent person is open to exploring new things because they view learning as an eternal process, if you notice these behaviors, you're dealing with a low IQ person. Intelligence comes in different forms and everyone has their own set of strengths. And though a person's IQ doesn't determine their worth or capacity for receiving compassion, it's something to pay close attention to.
If you notice these 11 behaviors, you're dealing with a low IQ person
1. They struggle with problem-solving
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You're dealing with a low IQ person if you notice that they struggle to solve problems. They have a hard time picking out patterns and thinking analytically, which means they don't always find solutions to the problems they're facing.
A study from BMC Psychology pointed out that intelligence quotient, or IQ, is the "measure of general cognitive ability... assessed by standardized tests." From one perspective, IQ tests measure someone's ability to succeed on that specific exam, but they don't take other forms of intelligence into account. A person who got a low score on an IQ test could be a gifted violinist with a bright future in a renowned orchestra, even though it seems like you're dealing with a low IQ person.
The study cited research out of Norway, noting that people with an IQ below 85 usually had low income jobs "requiring limited competence." Having limited access to resources and wealth puts people with a low IQ at "increased risk of financial problems and stress, which again may increase the vulnerability for mental health problems."
It's entirely possible that the daily habits of someone with a low IQ won't break the cycle they're stuck in, despite trying their hardest to change.
2. They have a concrete mindset
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If you notice someone has a concrete mindset, you're dealing with a low IQ person. Their minds function on a linear path, which means they take most things literally. They split the world and everyone in it into two distinct categories with no gray space in between: People either have good morals or bad morals, they're either nice or totally cold-hearted.
In an article from "Education Week," psychologist Carol Dweck revisited ideas from her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success." She expanded her explanation of what having a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset means, noting that both mindsets are intrinsically connected.
"A growth mindset isn't just about effort," she declared. "Let's acknowledge that we're all a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets, we will probably always be, and if we want to move closer to a growth mindset in our thoughts and practices, we need to stay in touch with our fixed-mindset thoughts and deeds."
A low IQ person might struggle to zoom out or see the forest for the trees, but they can challenge their worldview in the same way someone with a growth mindset would: By trying.
3. They act impulsively
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Someone with a low IQ may often overlook the planning stage, choosing to dive right into a decision without thinking about the fallout. They don't think through all the possible outcomes they might encounter, and they definitely don't think about the consequences of their actions.
Psychologist Guy Winch pointed out the differences between being impatient and being impulsive. He defined impatience as that "the feeling of being annoyed because you have to wait, or feeling restless because you want something to happen as soon as possible," while "Impulsiveness (or impulsivity) has been defined as a predisposition toward acting in a rapid and unplanned way without considering the consequences."
"We all get bad ideas, but most of us can think them through, recognize they are risky, and then stop ourselves from doing them," he continued, noting that "Impulsivity is considered a problem with executive functioning." Winch shared that there are therapeutic and psychiatric treatments available for impulsivity, like "Mindfulness meditation [which] has been used to slow down emotional reactivity" along with certain medications.
Acting on every impulse can cause emotional and physical harm, which is why paying attention that that behavior is so important.
4. They have difficulty adjusting to new routines
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All humans are creatures of habit. We thrive when we live by a specific routine that suits our needs. Sudden changes to an established schedule can throw anyone off their game, but a low IQ person has an especially hard time shifting their habits to adjust to new environments.
In order to live a fulfilling and purposeful life, we have to set long-term goals and strive to reach them. The Ontario Psychological Association noted that the key to changing any habit is to first recognize what it is. Only then can we shift our outlook and behavior to align our lives with how we truly want to exist.
Our daily habits are the stepping stones we walk across to achieve our life goals. The Ontario Psychological Association shared the SMART acronym for setting goals, which stands for "Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound." They advised people to pick goals that match their values system, which makes the process less overwhelming and easier to actually put into motion. As they say, the only way out is through, and adjusting to a new routine is no different.
5. They lack curiosity
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Each person has a learning style that works best for them. Some people are auditory processors who learn best by listening. Some people are tactile learners and others need to take extensive notes or repeat facts to their reflection in the mirror. The specific way a person picks up information matters less than their desire to learn new things overall.
Being curious is a sign someone is highly intelligent, while a lack of curiosity could mean you're dealing with a low IQ person. They don't have much interest in learning new skills or exploring ideas they've never considered before. They're not the type of person to dive into any research or make the library their community gathering place. A low IQ person prefers to play it safe, staying well within their comfort zone.
6. They misinterpret social cues
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You're dealing with a low IQ person if you notice them misinterpreting social cues to an extreme degree. They might be close-talkers with zero social skills or they could be a chronic interrupter. Having social intelligence requires people to pay close attention to subtle shifts, something a low IQ person might have a hard time with.
An article in the Journal of Clinical Child Psychology examined the correlation between low cognitive ability and the development of social behavior issues in school-age children. The authors found that having a low IQ was "particularly predictive of prosocial skill deficits." The article touched on prior research that reported that cognitive delays can affect a child's social development by "delaying the acquisition of positive social skills, contributing to social withdrawal and poor peer relationships."
The research concluded that "Intellectual ability appears to promote the development of social competence," which essentially means that there's a direct connection between having excellent social skills and a high IQ. In contrast, a low IQ person might have a hard time interpreting social cues, making them subtly socially awkward.
7. They rely on others to make decisions for them
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A low IQ person might be so unsure about their direction in life that they follow the paths other people set for them. Maybe their parents suggested they study law or leave their job after having kids. Maybe they married their college boyfriend because it seemed like the right thing to do, despite not thinking about how they wanted their future to look.
While learning to trust their intuition and overcome self-doubt might not be a simple process for a low IQ person, it is entirely worthwhile.
8. They manage their time ineffectively
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Someone with a low IQ may have a hard time deciding which task to tackle first. They try to work on several projects at one time, which leaves them feeling scattered and disorganized.
Professional organizer Diane Quintana outlined the benefits of having strong time management skills, including higher productivity, better focus, less stress and more free time. "No one can pay attention to everything that's going on in their lives every day," she revealed. "We all have more than a few things that are asking for our time."
Quintana advised people to assess what's important to them, explaining that "these are the things you will attend to on a daily basis, even if just for a few minutes. To better organize your day, acknowledge that time will be given to the things that matter most to you."
9. They accept information without question
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Very smart people tend to think independently. They don't let people pressure them into accepting information as truth without researching it first. They have intellectual humility, which means they know that they don't know everything, yet they're always working to figure it all out.
In contrast, a low IQ person feels challenged by most forms of critical thinking. They don't analyze what they're told, so they wind up in situations that don't always serve their best interests. By practicing mindfulness and tuning into their inner voice, a low IQ person can learn to interrogate what they learn.
10. They don't understand nuance
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A low IQ person tends to take every comment literally, overlooking metaphors and missing the meaning of commonly-used phrases. They struggle to fully understand more complex concepts. They don't always see the bigger picture, looking at the world around them with tunnel vision, instead.
A low IQ person's ability to pick up on context is fairly limited, which often means they miss out on the deeper meaning of things. They don't quite get the underlying motivations other people have, which makes their actions seem mysterious and hard to parse out.
11. They repeat their mistakes
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You're dealing with a low IQ person if you notice that they have a tendency to repeat their mistakes. Their inability to glean valuable take-aways from things they've done wrong in the past shows that they lack both foresight and hindsight.
A consistent pattern of repeating mistakes can also indicate a lower level of emotional intelligence. A 2021 review on emotional intelligence described it as "the ability to carry out accurate reasoning about emotions and the ability to use emotions and emotional knowledge to enhance thought."
Being emotionally intelligent involves several specific processing skills: Perception, evaluation and expression of emotions, emotional facilitation of thought, understanding and analysis of emotions and reflective regulation of their emotions. The higher someone's emotional intelligence is, the more mentally agile they are, whereas a low IQ person lacks the innate flexibility to learn from their mistakes.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.