When it comes to someone’s self-deprecation regarding their intelligence, there are two distinct quotes that come to mind. The first comes from the 1933’s motion picture “Duck Soup,” when Groucho Marx tells the court, alluding to Chico Marx, “Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you: he really is an idiot.” The other is from the 1957 film “Sweet Smell of Success” when Burt Lancaster’s character says, “They say I’m smart, but I still can’t see around corners.”
Surprisingly, a lot of people are humble about their intelligence. At least, those who maintain high levels of superior knowledge are modest, while those who can’t name a single African president or cite a Latin phrase brag about how smart they are.
In today’s world, it has become cool to put yourself down, devaluing everything about what makes you unique. Perhaps people feel that it’s being arrogant to pad yourself on the back once in a while. However, having just a little bit of self-confidence can go a long way. You don’t have to behave like Mohammed Ali and call yourself the greatest man that ever lived, but maintaining a perfect balance of self-appreciation and humbleness is admirable.
Fiddlesticks, you say, eh? So you don’t think you’re that smart, huh? Well, here are six signs you’re a smart person:
You’re a Very Curious Person
You ask a lot of questions. You think about every complicated aspect of life. You’re skeptical of pretty much everything. Being curious is a sign of intelligence. Although curiosity killed the cat, mulling over intricate concepts, phrases, comments and the why to everything could be a big sign you’re smarter than you think.
You Look at Each Situation From Another Angle
Are you in the middle of a project at work and can’t come to a conclusion? You want to problem solve so what do you do? Your thought process consists of looking at every conclusion from a variety of different angles. While others just examine a potential answer from one vantage point, you attempt to deduce from an array of angles.
You Practice a Great Deal of Empathy
In certain instances and conversations, you place yourself in the other person’s shoes. This allows you to garner an idea of the individual’s daily struggles, barriers, troubles and other trivialities. Finding a person with empathy may be as hard as finding a needle in a haystack today, but you’re the one person who empathizes a lot.
You Admit When You’re in the Wrong
Let’s face it: we all hate being wrong. Erring can be embarrassing and makes us feel inadequate to our superiors and peers. With that being said, you don’t mind to concede to the fact you were mistaken. You won’t tell a fib. You’ve owned up to your errors and now you’re going to ensure you will never make it again (see below). Besides, not admitting you’re wrong will make you feel guilty inside.
You Learn From Your Mistakes
We all make mistakes. That’s why they put erasers on the back of pencils. You’ve admitted your mistake, but now you’re going to take the time to learn from your mistakes. Moving forward, you’re going to get up, wipe down your hat and get back on the horse and refrain from erring. Others repeat their mistakes, but you hardly make the same error twice.
You Perform Introspection
You think about thinking. You ponder about your mind and how it has progressed over the course of your lifetime. You reflect on your reactions to the death of a loved one, a pink slip on your desk or how you once loved a person you now detest. In other words, you perform a lot of introspection, and this is a great thing. Because of smartphones, social media and constant connectivity, most people don’t take the time to self-analyze. Perhaps we fear what’s really inside us.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve realized you share at least half of these characteristics, there’s no need to start strutting down the street, popping up your collar and pointing at strangers. If you’re someone who self-deprecates a lot, just realize you’re actually pretty astute and remain humble about it.
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