11 Signs You're More Intelligent Than An Average American
Being intelligent sometimes has more to do with overlooked skills than having a high IQ.
VH-studio | Shutterstock While it's normal to calculate intelligence through things like an IQ test and academic performance, there are also other ways to figure out if someone is truly intelligent. Things like being curious and admitting that you might not know everything, but you're still willing to stay informed and educated, and even having emotional intelligence, are all signs you're more intelligent than the average American.
You might be more ahead of the curve than you initially thought, and the way that you approach certain challenges, conflicts, and problems could be vastly different than the majority of American people. Thinking critically doesn't mean having the highest GPA when you were in school or working in a highly specialized and coveted field; rather, it means you're fueled by a genuine desire to constantly be learning and adapting.
Here are 11 signs you're more intelligent than the average American
1. You often think you're wrong
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True wisdom isn't going around self-assured that everything you know is right and there's nothing more that you can possibly learn; rather, it's admitting that while there is a lot you do know, there are also things that you have yet to learn and find out about.
According to author and coach Victor Lipman, there's actually a plethora of benefits to being honest about the things you may not know much about.
"You can gain respect. People want to see others succeed; they want projects to go smoothly. By admitting things haven't gone as you'd hoped, and taking accurate responsibility for your role in the matter, people may well empathize. They'll appreciate your not whitewashing things and will likely respect your candor," he advises.
It's clear that no one wants to make mistakes and then have to proclaim the mistake you've made, but there's also bravery in being honest and showing your true colors. It doesn't diminish your intelligence in the slightest.
2. You worry a lot
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While it may not be necessarily healthy to constantly be worrying about external and internal factors because it can affect your mental health and overall well-being, there's also a link between worrying and being intelligent.
In one study published in Personality and Individual Differences, researchers asked 126 undergrads to fill out questionnaires in which they indicated how often they experienced worry. They also indicated how often they engaged in rumination, or thinking continuously about the aspects of situations that upset them.
Results showed that people who tended to worry and ruminate a lot scored higher on measures of verbal intelligence, while people who didn't worry or ruminate much scored higher on tests of nonverbal intelligence. If you tend to worry a lot, usually about things beyond your control, it's one of the signs you're more intelligent than the average American.
3. You're curious
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In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a business psychology professor at the University of London, discussed how the curiosity quotient and having a hungry mind can make someone more intelligent.
He wrote, "It has not been as deeply studied as EQ and IQ, but there's some evidence to suggest it is just as important when it comes to managing complexity in two major ways."
If you're constantly asking questions, seeking new information, and just enjoy learning about an array of topics, that puts you on an entirely different pedestal than the average person, who might be content knowing what they know and not learning anything further.
4. You don't keep an organized space
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A study from the University of Minnesota suggests that the messy desk of geniuses is actually linked to their intelligence. If you don't spend much time cleaning and organizing everything around you, your mind is clearly occupied with more important endeavors.
In a similar study published in Psychological Science, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management's Kathleen Vohs revealed that working in an untidy room actually fuels creativity. In the study, 48 participants were asked to come up with unusual uses for a ping-pong ball. The 24 individuals working in neat rooms came up with substantially less creative responses than the individuals working in cluttered rooms.
Is this a reason to keep your space untidy? Maybe not. But it's definitely a reason not to beat yourself up if you find that it's difficult to keep things in their place and have a tidy home or office.
5. You have a good sense of humor
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It seems being funny and smart doesn't have to be a mutually exclusive thing. In fact, it's one of the signs you're more intelligent than the average American.
Researchers in Austria recently discovered that funny people, particularly those who enjoy dark humor, have higher IQs than their less funny peers. The research, published in the journal Cognitive Processing, found that it takes both cognitive and emotional ability to process and produce humor. Their analysis shows that funny people have higher verbal and nonverbal intelligence, and they score lower in mood disturbance and aggressiveness.
Just because someone knows how to crack a joke and make others laugh doesn't mean they lack intelligence. On the contrary, it seems that the funniest person you know may also be the smartest.
6. You enjoy staying up late
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In a study published in Personality and Individual Differences, scientist Satoshi Kanazawa looked at the link between childhood IQ and sleep habits among thousands of adolescents. Results showed that higher-IQ teens said they stayed up later and woke up later on both weekdays and weekends.
It's always better for your physical and mental health to make sure you're getting an adequate amount of sleep each night. But for those night owls, there's clearly a link between staying up and intelligence. People who enjoy staying up late also might be more inclined to work at unconditional hours because they feel more creative during those times.
7. You don't have to try so hard
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While laziness isn't an indicator of intelligence, smart people don't really have to try too hard to prove that they have certain skills. In an article for the New York Times, psychologists David Hambrick and Elizabeth Meinz cited a Vanderbilt University study of highly intelligent young people.
The study tracked 2,000 people who scored in the top 1% of the SAT by the age of 13. They found that while striving to be smarter is commendable, there are just certain abilities that can't be taught.
"The remarkable finding of their study is that, compared with the participants who were 'only' in the 99.1 percentile for intellectual ability at age 12, those who were in the 99.9 percentile — the profoundly gifted — were between three and five times more likely to go on to earn a doctorate, secure a patent, publish an article in a scientific journal or publish a literary work. A high level of intellectual ability gives you an enormous real-world advantage," the study concluded.
8. You can play an instrument
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Being able to play the piano, guitar, flute, or any other musical instrument can actually have an impact on one's intelligence. A study by Judith Okely, Katie Overy, and Ian Deary published in Psychological Science suggests that learning to play a musical instrument may help with overall cognitive ability.
The analysis suggests that there is a small but reliable influence of playing a musical instrument on increases in cognitive ability over the lifespan. Experience playing an instrument led to a little over a 1% increase in performance on tests of cognitive ability on average.
So, if you've been putting off learning an instrument, it might actually be incredibly beneficial to just start practicing. You don't need to become the next Beethoven or Mozart, but it could definitely be a good hobby to pick up.
9. You're a deep thinker
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Being a deep thinker could be a sign that you're more intelligent than the average American, because a deep thinker often goes beyond the surface to discover new information. Rather than accepting something at face value, deep thinkers are determined to get to the bottom of any problem, conflict, or question no matter what.
These individuals are dedicated to learning and find value in constantly being educated. They want to uncover the layers, and would rather have to work hard and tirelessly to uncover the truth than settle for a simple solution or answer.
10. You notice small details
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Having a good level of attention to detail and being able to pick up on subtle patterns can be another indicator of someone's intelligence levels. While other people might overlook certain things, attentive individuals will never skip over a tiny detail that might otherwise be unimportant.
Since they have such a sharp outlook on certain things, they're better in problem-solving situations because of their ability to figure out crucial details that would otherwise go amiss. Sometimes, people can be criticized for being too attentive but, in reality, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a keen eye for detail and not being afraid to use it.
11. You enjoy being alone
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While it's been proven that socializing and spending time with people can lead to a happier life and mindset, that might not always be the case for highly intelligent people. In fact, when researchers followed people between 18 and 28 years old, they found the more they surrounded themselves with people they socialized with, the happier they were. However, the more they socialized, the less happy they were.
There's a sense of comfort and peace that comes with being able to find solace in the moments alone, where no one's around. That's when you truly learn more about yourself and become more in tune with your emotions and feelings.
It can seem daunting at first to be alone with your thoughts, especially if you're not used to it. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes and soon, you'll start to cherish those moments when you're all alone.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.