How to distinguish a stupid person from a smart one in a couple of questions? How to distinguish a stupid person from a smart one? They easily admit their mistakes.

In this article we will analyze the signs of a smart and stupid person, and also identify the signs of each type of person.

As practice shows, having diplomas or gold medals is not an indicator of intelligence. It is not only pleasant and interesting to communicate with an intelligent person, but you can also gain some knowledge from him. But you cannot divide people only into stupid or smart individuals; do not forget about the average group. This material will help you learn about your abilities or weaknesses, as well as how to understand your interlocutor. By the way, be attentive to the demagogue's tricks, so pay careful attention to the details.

Signs of an intelligent person

Each of us is an individual and each has his own behavioral habits. But if you analyze actions and behavior, you can establish their connection with the mind. This material will not only help you understand what kind of interlocutor is in front of you, but also engage in self-analysis. And in the future, you can start “training” your mental abilities.

  • Let's dispel the already questioned myth - an excellent student is not always the smartest. And he may not have a honors diploma or even a higher education. It's the same with work positions. What makes an intelligent person stand out is that he knows what he wants. He does not trade for generally accepted requirements or standards, but highlights what is most important and interesting for himself. And it is being implemented in this direction.
  • But an intelligent person will not stop at the knowledge he has achieved. He will constantly add and learn new information. After all, for development and constant growth you need more knowledge, and then you can become even better. Yes, even social networks can be useful. True, we are not talking about banal pictures or anecdotes now.

IMPORTANT: Smart person goes on a mental diet. That is, it develops comprehensively. If he is an expert in his field, he will definitely be interested in other areas and professions. But in moderation! He will not greedily grab any information if he saw it on the Internet or read it in the newspaper. That is, any flow of information needs to be filtered and the unnecessary eliminated.

  • Also smart people very attentive to detail. They do not follow accepted cliches, but highlight their demands. Even to the color, style, and other details, just down to the smallest detail. All the components of their life must be in perfect harmony to create the whole. And most importantly, they want and achieve harmony in their feelings, thoughts, sensations.
  • All areas of his life fall under balance. Therefore, a workaholic is not an indicator of intelligence, but rather inability combine different parts of life with each other. An intelligent person will competently and without any damage combine work, home, family, and even his personal interests.
  • A smart person is more listens, rather than speaking. No, he has something to say or add. But an intelligent person will delve into the information, ask leading questions in order to supplement his knowledge with something new and useful.
  • A smart person never shouts to everyone that he is the smartest. Even if in a room among other people he really is like that. Firstly, he will consider it a stupid and useless activity. And secondly, it will make you feel that everyone is also worth a lot. And of course, having humiliated or made it clear to another person that he is stupid, the smart one himself sinks to his level. If not lower.
  • He does not reveal his abilities. Again, an intelligent person will not prove anything to anyone. If circumstances require it, he will show his capabilities. But only to the point and fact.
  • A smart man reads books. But they can also be in electronic form, and he also watches films. It is important how he chooses them. It emphasizes plot and meaning, rather than popularity and “number of likes.” The same is true with music. An intelligent person does not discard the classics just because of the passage of time, but also does not forget about new genres.
  • does not criticize or judge. For the reason that any assessment requires additional context. Therefore, before any conclusion, he will analyze, weigh and draw connections between all events and consequences.
  • An intelligent person understands that almost everything in our world is created by human hands. Therefore, he wants to give something of himself as gratitude. When buying, he does not regret the money spent. He also makes his contribution, albeit insignificantly, by creating something with his own hands.

IMPORTANT: An intelligent person is not afraid and even needs solitude. After all, the main thoughts and ideas occur within a person. Social networks are used for knowledge, and not for filling a void in time. Moreover, he knows how to concentrate on something specific and important. Smart man in the truest sense knows how to isolate himself and his thoughts.

  • His broad horizons allow him communicate with everyone in their “language”. That is, with writers through books, and with artists through paintings. He will not put another person in an awkward position with clever phrases, and therefore will communicate on equal terms.
  • A smart person is always finishes what he started. He does not have such thoughts, and what if the result does not bring any benefit. Therefore, a smart person always analyzes everything in detail before taking action.
  • He is also not afraid to make mistakes. This is self-development and a driving force forward, so there is no way without mistakes. But he won't repeat them again. A smart person will always draw the right conclusion from an experienced lesson.
  • There is no luck! In this world, everything depends only on ourselves. If you work hard, you will achieve results. Yes, if there are other components of life that can influence the course of events. But this is definitely not fate. This means that you need to take action with renewed vigor or conduct a detailed analysis.
  • A smart person will never do anything to anyone doesn't prove! He admits his mistakes. For him, being “right” is not so important, so he doesn’t lie. The smart one will draw a conclusion and receive a share of self-development.
  • He also knows how adapt to different situations. He knows how to deal with certain people and under certain conditions. It may be soft like clay, but at the same time it has a steel core.
  • And a smart person always remains optimist. He does not become depressed or apathetic due to failure. On the contrary, he is trying to learn a lesson. Please note that smart people almost always have a smile on their face.


A few points that immediately catch your eye or how to help yourself:

  • Statistically, smarter, more authoritative and more successful people have a neat appearance. No, they don't run headlong for a new designer item. They choose their own style, but a smart person always looks clean and neat.
  • Even and deep breathing helps saturate the brain with oxygen. This not only helps for mental performance, but also gives peace and balance.

IMPORTANT: Swear words not only influence our destiny in a negative way, but also clog the brain. And in the eyes of the interlocutor, a swearing person loses significance and authority. Remember an intelligent person uses “pure” speech.

  • Posture will also tell you about your intelligence. According to statistics, body language plays an important role in communication between people. And if a person slouches, then this speaks either of his insecurity or of his shyness. Also, slouching is a sign of laziness.

Signs of a stupid person

How to recognize a stupid person? The following material will help. Although you can do it using the “reverse” method of things. That is, what is done in the first point is not automatically done or violated by a stupid person.

  • No purpose of conversation. A stupid person, instead of working, is ready to “scratch” his tongue for hours. So what if the conversation is meaningless and has been “chewed” three times, you can’t sit in silence. This is the motto for a stupid person's life.
  • He also panicked afraid to be alone. For the same reason that there is no one to talk to, and even thoughts come to mind.
  • Solo and selfish- these are two words that characterize a stupid person. He will talk incessantly and only about himself. If something happened in life and you just need to talk it out, then this is not an indicator of stupidity. We are talking about a systematic situation. He does not gain any experience, since he does not hear anyone but himself.
  • He never is not interested in the problems of others. And why, if he has plenty of his own. That is, all narcissists fall into the category of stupid people.


  • Lots of words and little action. Anyone who talks about his exploits, hangs posters and shouts at the top of his lungs is also considered a fool. A stupid man loves attention to yourself and tries to attract him as much as possible.
    • But the methods are unimportant and can be completely different. Someone laughs nonstop (no, you need to laugh, but choose the place and situation correctly), and the second comrade often starts fights. In other words, the louder a person behaves, the dumber he is.
  • A stupid person is always argues and proves that he is right. He perceives criticism as a reproach or nagging, but he does not learn a lesson from what is said. No matter what, he simply won’t understand it.
    • He criticizes and discusses everyone around. A stupid person always cares about who lives how and what they do. Moreover, he gossips and discusses behind his back.
    • Besides everything, a fool is always gives advice to others. He is the smartest and knows everything better, so you need to listen to his opinion.
    • He does not take into account progress or time, but is faithful only to his attitudes and principles. That is, he does not change, does not bend, and fiercely proves that he is right.
  • Dividing people into categories or viewing situations only in black and white. You do not know the life situations and conditions of the other, and also have not received his experience. You need to focus as much as possible on your life.
  • There is no measure - excessive courage or cowardice. If a person doesn’t get down to business just because he’s afraid of failure, that’s stupidity. If you give up what you started halfway through, it also speaks of stupidity. And if he throws around his actions excessively, without thinking about the consequences, then this is also stupidity. That is, he got down to business without analyzing the consequences, and lost everything.
  • Gambling and throwing money around too much is stupid. There is no need to become “Scrooges,” but you should know the value of money.

IMPORTANT: But money comes first for a fool. No value or person plays such a role as they do. But harmony with himself and the outside world is not only unimportant for him, but such a thought does not even occur to him.

  • Blocks himself and his mind from new knowledge. He doesn't even try to receive this information, but wastes time on empty games or entertainment.
  • Focusing on the negative aspects of what is happening, envying others. A stupid man always whines and complains about life.


  • Almost constantly lies deceiving even yourself. Often a stupid person hides behind generally accepted standards. Yes, in general, we should be guided by them. That is, his favorite phrases are: “everyone says so” or “everyone does so.” He is afraid to tell the truth to others and to face it himself.

IMPORTANT: Does not value freedom and human rights. A striking example is a toy given to a child. Parents often scold the child for breaking or ruining it. Remember - the gifted item is no longer your property. The child is already responsible for it and he too (and only he, regardless of age) can dispose of it.

  • A fool may have a gold medal and two honors diplomas, but this does not guarantee intelligence. He will even have a high-paying job that he will be dissatisfied with. Foolish man guided by the “herd” reflex, and not your requirements and desires.

How to distinguish a smart person from a stupid one?

Above, detailed information was provided on how a stupid person differs from an intelligent representative. To make it easier to learn and understand the analogy, the main criteria for the difference will be provided below.

  • Outlook on life and problems:
    • A fool has them all the time. He complains all the time about his husband (wife), children, work, and in general his whole life is bad. The fool himself creates them. But he does not know how to engage in self-analysis and respond sensibly to criticism.
    • A smart person does not lose heart and does not see the negative influence of fate, but learns a lesson. He analyzes himself first in this situation. Compares connections with actions and results, and will definitely solve problems.
  • Attitude to authority:
    • A fool needs to be led and controlled. Yes, he will complain about his boss. And most importantly, he has no respect. It happens that fools also occupy leadership positions. They not only do not respect their subordinates, but also try to suppress them in order to appear more important in their own eyes.
    • A smart person rarely bows to strong representatives, but at the same time, he has respect for them. And if there is an experienced person in front of him, then he will definitely intercept some of the knowledge.


  • Fear of loneliness:
    • Fools are afraid to be alone with themselves; they need constant communication. Moreover, you rarely hear from him about how lonely he is and how everyone has abandoned him.
    • An intelligent person gets along well with the company of people and with his thoughts in harmony. Moreover, it is useful for him to take a break from talking and reflect or absorb additional knowledge.
  • Truth or lie:
    • Stupid people don't know how to present the truth correctly. And it often happens that you need to justify yourself with lies. Therefore, a fool lies often, if not constantly.
    • An intelligent person will admit his mistakes and tell the truth in a delicate manner.
  • Confidence in yourself and your abilities:
    • A fool foaming at the mouth will prove that he is right. But that's not all, he is too proud to ask for help or admit mistakes.
    • A smart person understands that respect must be earned. That is, for this you need to do something yourself. And don’t shout about your victories, but prove them with actions.

Non-standard signals that distinguish a smart person from a stupid person:

  • You've probably heard that order in an apartment or house does not indicate the presence of “cleanliness” in the head. And that's true. According to statistics, smart people mess in the house happens much more often than with fools. But the fact is that there are things in life that are more important than cleaning - remember about the balance of all areas of life.
  • And also, laziness– this is bad, but sometimes it’s even useful. This is necessary to give the body a rest and gain strength before an important event. Sometimes this gives creative inspiration.
  • You honest with yourself, first of all, is a sign of an intelligent person. In order to come up with a lie, you need to spend time, think about everything to the smallest detail. And as a result, everything will be revealed anyway.
  • feels when he is being deceived. He very subtly grasps the motives and desires of other people, and he knows how to soberly analyze the situation, which does not fall for empty tricks.


  • Once again about balance - a smart person will combine work with home. And he will not dissolve in his soulmate, because he has his own interests and hobbies. That is, he is being implemented and developed not just in relationships or at work. A stupid representative grabs at everything and does not have time anywhere.
  • A stupid person will get stuck in the past. He digs around and thinks about what he should have done back then, 10 years ago. Smart representative lives real life. He has learned lessons and experiences from the past, but does not dwell on them.
  • made mistakes and is still making mistakes. He is not afraid of them, because this is movement forward.
  • Stupid people are sometimes overly emotional, they can suffer for a long time or have fun in the wrong place. An intelligent person knows where and when to give vent to feelings. They are guided by the following: feel it, let it go and move on. That is, losses or victories will not be “savored” for a long time.
  • And once again, a stupid person always argues and proves that he is the smartest. An intelligent person does not prove anything to anyone.

What does it depend on: is a person smart or not?

The mind is the ability of each of us to think, remember, generalize, evaluate and make decisions. The mind is defined by memory, sensations, emotions and understanding. And also don’t forget about life experience.

  • An intelligent person has a good memory, but the whole meaning of the word is not based on this. A person must also be able to use the memorized material in time. Don't forget that life is not cramming for an exam. Train your memory, but don't memorize the material. And be sure to draw a conclusion.
  • An intelligent person has his own point of view, and he is not afraid to voice it. Yes, we can all have some conclusions. But a smart person sees “beyond his nose.” To develop yourself, you need to look at the situation from different angles and not get hung up on standard templates.
  • It has been proven that most people only 10% use mental capabilities. Yes, it's all so sad. Many people go to work, come home from work, do household chores and “stick” to the computer or phone, turning off their heads.


  • If a person does not think, does not work with his head, then he gets used to this state. And, of course, over time he begins to become stupid. Work on yourself, engage in brain activity and find your hobby. This is necessary for self-development.
  • Women are mainly guided by emotions and feelings. No, you can’t call them stupid right away. But a smart person keeps his emotions under control. That is, he controls his subconscious and keeps it under a tight rein.
  • Intelligence is not just the ability to think. You also need to include intelligence and even cunning, as well as connect life experience and skills in solving problems.

IMPORTANT: It has been established that the mind is influenced by hormonal levels in the body. More precisely, the presence of testosterone - the male hormone. Again, women are not dumber than men, it’s just that this hormone also reduces the sensitivity that is inherent in mothers and women.

  • Remember, being smart does not guarantee you wealth, happiness or love. It’s just that a smart person will set goals for himself and achieve them with a smile, and not complain that he doesn’t have it.
  • To become smart, you need to work on yourself and do it constantly. Don't fill your head with empty information! Learn to solve life problems, engage in self-analysis and train your brain. After all, the mind is similar to muscles - without training, it loses shape and even atrophies.

Video: How to know if you are a smart person?

Ivan Maslyukov

Director, entrepreneur. Creator of the international network of urban games Encounter.

You can listen to this article. If it's more convenient for you, turn on the podcast.

1. An intelligent person talks with a purpose

In a meeting, by phone, in chat. Conversation is a tool to achieve a goal.

Stupid people talk for the sake of talking. This is how they indulge their laziness when they are busy. Or they struggle with boredom and idleness in their free time.

2. Feels comfortable alone

A smart person is not bored with his thoughts. He understands that important events and discoveries can occur within a person.

Stupid people, on the contrary, try with all their might to avoid loneliness: being left alone with themselves, they are forced to observe their own emptiness. Therefore, it seems to them that important and meaningful things can only happen around them. They follow the news, seek out companies and parties, and check social networks a hundred times a day.

3. Trying to keep balance

  • Between outside experience (movies, books, stories from friends) and one’s own experience.
  • Between believing in himself and realizing that he could be wrong.
  • Between ready-made knowledge (templates) and new knowledge (thinking).
  • Between an intuitive hint from the subconscious and precise logical analysis of limited data.

Stupid people easily go to one extreme.

4. Seeks to expand the range of his perception

A smart person wants to achieve accuracy in sensations, feelings, thoughts. He understands that the whole consists of the smallest details, which is why he is so attentive to details, shades, and small things.

Stupid people are content with average clichés.

5. Knows many “languages”

An intelligent person communicates with architects through buildings, with writers - through books, with designers - through interfaces, with artists - through paintings, with composers - through music, with a cleaner - through a clean yard. He knows how to connect with people through what they do.

Stupid people understand only the language of words.

6. A smart person finishes what he starts.

A fool stops as soon as he begins, or in the middle, or almost finishes, based on the assumption that what he has done may turn out to be unclaimed and will not bring any benefit to anyone.

7. Understands that a huge part of the world around us was invented and created by people

After all, a shoe, concrete, bottle, sheet of paper, light bulb, window once did not exist. Using what was invented and created, he wants to give something of himself to humanity in gratitude. He happily creates himself. And when he uses what others have done, he gladly gives money for it.

Stupid people, when they pay for a thing, a service, an object of art, do it without gratitude and with regret that there is less money.

8. Maintains an information diet

An intelligent person remembers facts and data that are not needed to solve current problems. At the same time, studying the world, he strives first of all to understand the cause-and-effect relationships between events, phenomena, and things.

Stupid people consume information indiscriminately and without trying to understand the relationships.

9. Understands that nothing can be appreciated without context.

Therefore, he does not rush to conclusions and assessments of any things, events, or phenomena until he has analyzed the totality of all the circumstances and details. A smart person very rarely criticizes or condemns.

A stupid person easily evaluates things, events, phenomena, without delving into details and circumstances. He criticizes and condemns with pleasure, thus, as it were, feeling superior to what is the object of his criticism.

10. Considers as authority the one who has earned his authority.

A smart person never forgets that even if everyone has the same opinion, they can be wrong.

Stupid people recognize an opinion as correct if it is supported by the majority. It is enough for them that many other people consider a certain person to be an authority.

11. Very selective about books and films

It doesn't matter to a smart person when and by whom a book was written or when a film was made. The priority is content and meaning.

A stupid person prefers fashionable books and films.

12. Has a passion for self-development and growth

To grow, a smart person tells himself: “I’m not good enough, I can become better.”

Stupid people, trying to rise in the eyes of others, humiliate others and, thus, humiliate themselves.

13. Not afraid to make mistakes

An intelligent person perceives it as a natural part of moving forward. At the same time, he tries not to repeat them.

Stupid people have thoroughly learned once and for all the shame of making mistakes.

14. Able to concentrate attention

For maximum concentration, an intelligent person can withdraw into himself and be inaccessible to anyone or anything.

Stupid people are always open to communication.

15. An intelligent person convinces himself that everything in this life depends only on him

Although he understands that this is not so. Therefore, he believes in himself, and not in the word “luck”.

Stupid people convince themselves that everything in this life depends on circumstances and other people. This allows them to relieve themselves of all responsibility for what is happening in their lives.

16. Can be hard like steel or soft like clay

At the same time, an intelligent person proceeds from his ideas about what he should be like under different circumstances.

A stupid person can be hard as steel or soft as clay, based on the desire to meet the expectations of others.

17. Easily admits his mistakes

His goal is to understand the actual state of affairs, and not to always be right. He understands too well how difficult it is to understand all the diversity of life. That's why he's not lying.

Stupid people deceive themselves and others.

18. Mainly behaves like an intelligent person

Sometimes smart people let themselves go and act stupid.

Stupid people sometimes concentrate, show willpower, exert effort and behave like smart people.

Of course, no one can act wisely all the time and everywhere. But the more of an intelligent person you are, the more... The more stupid, the stupider.

People often attach different meanings to the concept of “smart person”. For some, a smart person is someone who is engaged in science, for others - someone who owns a variety of information, for others - someone who knows how to take advantage of any situation. Let's tell you more about who can be considered an intelligent person.

Smart man: who is he?

In order to understand who a smart person is, you need to define the concepts.

The mind is the totality of cognitive abilities such as consciousness, imagination, perception, thinking, language and memory, decision making, understanding, etc.

In world philosophy, two approaches to understanding the mind have developed: dualism and monism. Representatives of the first are sure that the mind is something separate from the human body, independent of it.

Monists believe that the body and mind cannot be considered fundamentally different entities, since the state of the body affects mental abilities. For example, scientists have found that the higher the level of the hormone testosterone in the body, the higher the ability for spatial thinking and better intelligence. Also, thinking abilities can be affected by hunger, pain and a number of other factors.

They often talk about the female and male minds, implying that representatives of the opposite sexes think differently, they have different construction of evidence, logic and the way they form conclusions.

It is known that the human mind is designed to save energy and perform as few mental operations as possible. To do this, he develops automatisms - actions performed without conscious control. As a rule, they are formed by professionals who do the same thing day after day.

Scientists claim that mental laziness is a factor in evolution and the vast majority of human inventions are related to saving people from the need to make unnecessary mental and physical efforts.

Perhaps this is why, in the ordinary mind, an intelligent person is one who is well educated and has extensive, almost encyclopedic knowledge. Compared to others, he is not too lazy to spend mental effort searching and processing information.

However, erudition is not the same as intelligence. It only indicates a good memory and a desire for knowledge, just as education is not an indicator of intelligence. It only indicates that the person has adapted to the educational system and did everything that was required of him.

Researchers believe that an intelligent person is able, based on the information received, to develop a reasoned point of view on certain issues, is able to make informed conclusions and make informed decisions based on them.

Often in everyday life you can find the term “intellectual” as a synonym for an intelligent person. As a rule, this is the name given to representatives of mental work who have analytical thinking.

However, equating the concepts of “smart” and “intellectual” is not entirely correct. A person's intelligence can show abilities in different areas.

There is a theory of multiple intelligences, according to which intelligence is not a general ability, but a manifestation of thinking in specific circumstances. In other words, the human brain can be tuned to a certain type of activity, such as communication, music, logic, etc.

Thus, a person may be intelligent in a certain area but incompetent in another. For example, often genius scientists are not able to build social contacts or improve their everyday life.

  • polymath scientist who develops abstract theories and ideas;
  • scientists in the field of philosophy, literature, sociology, law, medicine and other sciences;
  • artists who interpret society and the world through images.

The definition of an intellectual is associated with certain activities and influence in society.

Signs of an intelligent person

The search query “signs of an intelligent person” returns 11.9 million results. The desire to find out who an intelligent person is tormented not only ordinary people, but also researchers from various countries. They identified 10 signs of an intelligent person:

  • Ability to think critically and make balanced assessments.

An intelligent person does not make value judgments on any issue until he has studied several sources of information and analyzed the arguments for and against. Smart people look at any problem from different angles. Therefore, it is difficult to impose any judgments on them.

  • An intelligent person seeks the truth, not proof of his own rightness.

Psychologists are aware of a systemic error in human thinking called confirmation bias. People tend to seek and accept as truth only information that proves the correctness of their point of view, and ignore data that contradicts their beliefs. In other words, a believer will look for signs of the Lord’s miracles, and an atheist will look for information confirming that the world is material.

An intelligent person is distinguished by an unbiased attitude to information. Moreover, smart people make mistakes, just like everyone else, but they are able to admit that they are wrong when pressed by arguments.

  • An intelligent person is able to keep his emotions under control.

Scientists have found that smart people rarely lose their temper. They are not characterized by extreme manifestations of emotions such as aggression or panic. In a critical situation, they do not panic, they are able to analyze their situation and find a way out of it with minimal losses.

  • Smart people have developed emotional intelligence.

It is not surprising, but the mind and emotions are interconnected. Smart people are able not only to control their own emotions, but also to understand them, as well as understand the feelings of other people. Smart people also have developed empathy - the ability to empathize with others.

  • Smart people are tolerant.

Smart people don't judge others. They are not inclined to show intolerance towards anyone. Moreover, smart people never look outside for culprits. They are able to realize that only they are responsible for the state in which they find themselves.

  • Smart people tend to be lonely.

It is difficult for a modern person to be alone with himself. Even if there is no company, it is replaced by gadgets. Smart people are capable of reflection. It is not a problem for them to remain alone, meditate, and become aware of their own thoughts. They prefer to read rather than watch TV or spend time on the Internet.

  • Smart people are capable of conducting reasoned dialogue.

An intelligent person will always listen to the arguments of his interlocutor. He will not interrupt or raise his tone. He carefully analyzes everything said and only then expresses his point of view. Even if an intelligent person does not agree with his opponent, he treats him with respect. He criticizes not the personality of the interlocutor, but the arguments that he expressed.

  • Smart people are self-critical.

It's not uncommon for smart people to suffer from impostor syndrome. They are not confident in their own competence and that they have sufficient knowledge to speak out on a particular issue. Justin Kruger and David Dunnig hypothesized in 1999 that competence and self-confidence are related. The lower a person’s competence, the more confident he is in his own professionalism. An intelligent person is always tormented by doubts, even if he has achieved a lot in his professional field.

  • Smart people have a developed sense of humor.

Humor is one of the manifestations of developed verbal intelligence. It is built on ambiguity and verbal paradoxes. Therefore, the ability to joke requires developed mental abilities. Smart people understand humor well, appreciate it and are able to joke.

  • Smart people are able to control their time.

Smart people tend to plan. They set goals, carefully plan their work and free time, analyze what they have achieved during the day, week, and so on. They clearly know what they will do at each time interval.

Or stupid, but this is only partly true. We're talking about the human mind as a whole, not just how many languages ​​you know or whether you can solve second-order differential equations. It is possible to distinguish a fool from a wise man, or at least from a person developed in the right direction, without much difficulty.

A smart person doesn't envy, but a stupid person does it almost all the time

This is the first and most important difference, which directly speaks of the narrow-mindedness of a particular person. Of course, normal people are jealous, but they do it sensibly: they are sad because they understand their shortcomings. Fools envy with or without reason, because they don’t want to understand the reasons for other people’s victories. If someone is better than them, this is a priori wrong. A normal and cultured person will try to find reasons why he does not have something. The envy of a fool is undisguised, negative and based on a lack of desire to develop. From here we smoothly move on to the second difference.

A stupid person does not want to learn, but a smart person takes advantage of every opportunity.

Let's say there are two people who are in the same conditions. They are the same gender, the same age, but one has an ordinary and low intelligence, and the second has a higher one. If the opportunity presents itself to learn a foreign language for free, a fool will say “why do I need this,” but a smart person will at least try to find a way to motivate himself to learn something new. This is not just laziness, but absolute disregard for oneself. In the modern world, almost nothing is free. On the other hand, there is the Internet, which can be used as a textbook. In the hands of a fool, the Internet is only a source of danger, but in the hands of a wise person, it can become a source of knowledge and invaluable experience.

A stupid person is looking for profit right now, but a smart person understands that this does not happen

This results in a high percentage of criminals among stupid people. They only know how to take what does not belong to them, and in the most arrogant way. Greed is a hallmark of low intelligence. Such people are petty and absolutely ruthless towards others. They simply don't have enough gray matter to try to put themselves in someone else's shoes. A smart person simply does his job, realizing that he is investing in his future. He is patient and willing to give himself to other people.

A narrow-minded person makes fun of the shortcomings of others, a smart person does not.

Everyone in life has such acquaintances who laugh at the physical disabilities of other people. There is a huge gap between black humor and this. Any humor is a product of thoughts, and not an impression of what is seen. You shouldn't blame the fool for this, because he simply doesn't understand how hard it is for the person he's laughing at. Moreover, ill-mannered people sometimes cannot change even after they have been in the same situation. They start to get even angrier. A developed personality will never do this, and if he does, such a person will then be very, very ashamed. In general, scientists believe that the smarter a person is, the wider his sense of humor, that is, the more universal. The stupider a person is, the worse his jokes are, the more rude and tactless, and, moreover, untimely or constantly.

A stupid person has many unfinished tasks, but a smart person has many ongoing ones.

When you can't do something, you shouldn't give it up. Of course, because of this you cannot be labeled a fool or a fool, but this all relates directly to the issue of your development and desire for development. Stupid people are afraid to spend time on something they can't do because they fear it will remain unfinished. This is what happens most often. Smart people believe that if you put in maximum effort, everything will work out. This is more of a test of fortitude rather than of stupidity, although a stupid person is, indeed, unlikely to waste time on something that has already failed.

If you are smart, you learn from mistakes, otherwise you repeat them over and over again.

Here it is worth understanding the way of thinking of a narrow-minded person. He thinks: “I know how to do this correctly.” A smart person is always flexible and takes into account the likelihood of being wrong. We can consider a typical example - love. Let’s say you were unable to find happiness with a person who devotes himself entirely to work. The fool will make the same mistake again next time, having an affair with a workaholic, but a smart person will not do this, because he has already stepped on the rake once. Well, okay, you can make a mistake twice, but falling for the same mistake a third time is too much.

A fool judges a person by his appearance, but a smart man judges him by his actions.

When a stupid person sees a man or woman with a non-standard appearance, thoughts about his wrong orientation immediately appear in his head, for example. It doesn't really mean anything. Perhaps it's simple envy, where people judge those who don't look the same. This is simple misunderstanding, stupidity. Smart people understand perfectly well that now there are many ways to express themselves, which is why a huge number of people use this to understand themselves better. In fact, now there are almost as many people with ordinary appearance as there are informal people. At the same time, fools manage not to miss a single person who is unlike them, offending them with a look or word. But don’t think that the excessive pretentiousness of your image shows your intelligence. This is not true at all, because smart people understand that it is necessary to maintain balance, and not try to attract attention to themselves by being different from others.

Stupid people have inflated self-esteem, but smart people are always objective

No matter how weak or ordinary a fool may be, he will think that he is the best in everything. Of course, this is an exaggerated version of a person deprived of intelligence, but there are many of them. Narrow-minded people do not lower their self-esteem even in cases when absolutely everyone tells them that, unfortunately, they are “not a fountain.” Sometimes it happens that self-confidence drops so much that nothing can raise it. Anyone who has normal intelligence and looks at things and the world objectively knows how to work on himself, increasing self-esteem. So, if a person’s self-confidence crosses all the upper limits, then most likely he is stupid.

Of course, it doesn’t happen that just from one life situation you can immediately understand what kind of person is in front of you. Do not rush to judge people quickly and uncompromisingly. Diplomacy is the greatest virtue of an intelligent and educated person. Do not think in stereotypes and prejudices, because it is important to have your own opinion on everything, which should not be imposed on others. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

How to distinguish a smart person from a stupid one? Enough . Is this enough to qualify as a person? at least not stupid? Science says no, and offers as many as 9 methods of varying degrees of specificity that automatically identify a genius. Alas, not everything depends on you, but if you meet at least 8 out of 9, then you can safely take the fate of the world into your own hands.

1. Learn from your mistakes

Smart people immediately realize that they have made a mistake. But instead of shifting responsibility for it to others or pretending that everything is fine, they learn from it so as not to repeat it in the future. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who learn from failure are able to learn new information and are also more effective in processing life experiences.

2. You know how to argue with dignity

People who can argue without insulting their opponent or ignoring other points of view are simply saints. From a human point of view, they are much more perfect, and they themselves are much smarter. Such behavior shows an intelligent interlocutor that you respect him, even despite disagreements. This, of course, is always flattering. And if you have to argue with a fool, then he considers himself the winner. And thank God, otherwise I would have behaved like a pigeon playing chess: throwing a tantrum and provoking a conflict.

3. Not sure of your genius

People whose intelligence is above average do not consider themselves particularly smart, unlike idiots who consider themselves geniuses. The phenomenon is known as the “Dunning-Kruger effect”: the dumber a person is, the higher he rates his abilities.

4. I like humor

Research from the University of Vienna shows that people with a sense of humor tend to outperform their gloomy counterparts in verbal and non-verbal intelligence. Researchers recruited 159 adults and forced them to watch cartoons all evening. And then they measured their sense of humor using standard analytical and psychological tests. The researchers write, “These results support the hypothesis that humor processing is associated with cognitive and affective components and suggest that these variables influence the performance of frame shifting and conceptual blending during humor processing.” In simple terms, the ability to process and find things funny is proof of the obvious presence of gray matter in the head.

5. I like being alone

Researchers from the Singapore Management University analyzed data from a large experiment involving 15,000 people aged 18 to 28 years. People were given IQ tests and found that the result greatly depended on where they lived and the frequency of communication with friends and other associates. It turned out that people who showed excellent results prefer to communicate with people less often and be alone more. Moreover, according to research, socialization does not make them happier. The greater the endless stream of people around them, the less joy. This does not give the right to call all introverts geniuses, God forbid! It just makes it clear that a smart person needs to be alone from time to time.

6. Physically lazy

We found an excuse for your laziness. Precisely physical laziness. Because many people call it one of the deep thinker syndromes. Why go somewhere if you can sit at home, in comfort and warmth, and think about the eternal and lofty. Researchers at the University of Florida confirmed the hunch with a study in which they assessed 60 volunteers using tests, dividing them into “thinkers” and “non-thinkers.” They then tracked their physical activity for a week and found that the non-thinkers tended to be much more active than the thinkers. Simply put, smart people are much more thoughtful and will always find somewhere to spend the energy of their thought streams. People who are not smart enough begin to get bored and need some kind of activity. This does not mean that all smart people grow to the chair - sometimes they also want to stretch their legs, but for the most part they understand that this is not so important.

7. Not believing in God

We would like to note that this is not our statement, but that of a certain Myron Tsukerman from the University of Rochester and others. That is, more than one generation has fallen under the scrutiny of science, and the same indicators are everywhere: a negative relationship between intelligence and religiosity. 53 out of 63 studies even found the same reason: smart people are more likely to achieve what they want, and they don't need God's help to do it. Research began in 1921 and, in fact, continues to this day. Both old and young were interviewed; both gifted and not so gifted. But the results, as one thing, say that ardent believers do not have much intelligence.

8. Don't post stupid quotes from social networks

On social networks, we have more than once come across thoughtful quotes in the style of “Stars cannot shine without darkness,” mischievous and impudent ones - “I am, of course, not a gift, but not every day is a holiday,” etc. What are they talking about? About the fact that the owner of the page has a complete problem with intelligence. Of course, this scourge occurs all over the world, so researchers from the University of Waterloo in Ontario asked 845 volunteers to rate the depth of such statements. They chose smarter people in order to get at least a little closer to objectivity. As a result, most of these “quotations” were considered meaningless. What is characteristic: those who reposted thought differently. But you just had to examine their IQ and just talk for everything to fall into place: their heads were not disfigured by their minds. In addition, these citizens firmly believed in conspiracy theories. Little green men, freemasons, evil Zionists and saber-toothed zhidoreptiloids - for them this is the cause of everyday fear.

9. The first child in his family

It seems crazy, but, as a rule, whoever was born first in the family is smarter. Differences in IQ are observed at an early age. I don't want to offend all my younger brothers. To make this statement, we were guided not by Russian folk tales, where the eldest is always the “smart kid,” but by research from the University of Edinburgh. It was found that all children received the same level of emotional support from their parents, but first-born children placed more emphasis on tasks that developed thinking skills. The researchers say the findings may help explain the so-called “birth order effect,” in which children born first receive better wages and education. The researchers followed 5,000 children from birth to age 14, testing them every two years. What does this mean? That the parents are to blame because there is no system.

However, there are plenty of examples where the youngest in the family pull both their parents and unlucky brothers and sisters who are very good at sharpening their tongues, but all their attempts to earn money ended in drinking binges and visiting places not so remote.