11 Habits of Highly Intelligent People (#7 is Unusual)

Did you know there are certain habits of intelligent people?

It’s clear that people with higher intelligence are focused on intellectual growth, remain curious, look for new ways to solve complex problems and focus on daily habits that allow them to engage their creativity.

So how can you tell if someone is extremely intelligent? 

When discussing intelligence and what makes someone intelligent, it’s important to look at mindset.

Intelligent individuals aren’t only considered smarter people because of their higher IQs. In fact, intelligence is defined as “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.”

You can read all you can about how to start a business. You can theoretically know what you need to do to be successful, but you’re not an expert until you’ve done it.

A high level of intelligence is a quality of an entrepreneur. Most entrepreneurs are on a self-development and growth journey that starts with consuming information and curiosity and then applying it.

You’ll notice a lot of these habits are similar to the habits of self-made millionaires. There’s usually a high level of intelligence that goes along with being a self-made millionaire.

So these are all signs of high intelligence in general.

11 Habits of Highly Intelligent People You Can Start Now

How to Know if Someone is Intelligent

People like Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Leonardo Da Vinci often come to mind when thinking about people with high intelligence.

They’re some of the greatest minds of our time. But what makes them so intelligent? Is it their positive habits?

There aren’t always physical signs of a high IQ.

In fact most of the time, highly intelligent people are very humble, and since they’re naturally curious, are often learning from people you wouldn’t expect.

Some may argue that there are obvious physical signs of intelligence, but most of the intellect comes from mindset.

You may not be able to look at someone and know they are smart, but if you observe them over time, you’ll start to notice patterns and habits, like the ones listed below.

Highly intelligent people tend to like unique things. They value different perspectives because they’re always curious about different things and are forever learning. They are a creative genius at times.

I once heard a doctor say that when he got to college, he was so disappointed when he got to the library. Because there was so much information there and he knew he would never be able to read it all in his lifetime.

This shows that intelligent people are constantly seeking out new knowledge, even if they can’t consume it all.

Here are some more signs showing someone is extremely intelligent (qualities):

• Critical thinking skills: Intelligent people have strong critical thinking skills. They are able to analyze problems and situations from various angles and come up with creative solutions.
• Adaptability: Intelligent people are adaptable and can quickly adjust to new situations or challenges. They are not afraid of change and can think on their feet, making them great problem solvers.
• Good memory: Having a good memory is often associated with intelligence. Intelligent individuals are able to retain information and recall it when needed, which allows them to make connections between different topics and ideas.

11 Habits of Intelligent People

We’re going to dive into the top 11 habits of intelligence. These range from having a natural curiosity to perseverance. There are a few key habits successful people focus on.

1. Continuously learning

Highly intelligent people are lifelong learners who never assume they know everything.

Every person they meet, despite the situation, there’s something to learn. One habit of smart people is curiosity. To adopt this, start approaching social interactions with a curious mindset.

Assume you can learn something from everyone you talk to – especially those with different perspectives.

If you want to start a business, dive into learning about the ins and outs of the business.

As a business lawyer working with entrepreneurs, I have met so many highly successful and intelligent people in my life.

They all love learning new things.

For example, it could be something like how to legally protect your online business to what legal pages you must have on your website, and more!

This is one of the top qualities successful people attribute their success to. But there is a catch – you must be able to apply the knowledge you learn and use it to grow and learn even more.

Intelligent people embrace lifelong learning and continue to grow.

2. Step Out of Their Comfort Zone

Change and innovation don’t happen by staying comfortable.

Intelligent people will often jump into new ideas – not because they aren’t scared, but because they move forward despite the fear. They know what’s at risk if they don’t try.

What comes with continuous learning is action. This is where it’s important to get a little uncomfortable. You have to be able to take imperfect action on the new knowledge you receive.

Intelligent people resist the urge to get stuck in the knowledge trap.

A beginner’s mindset is magical when it comes to tackling something new. Sometimes the nativity of a beginner helps to see things from an interesting perspective. Intelligent people take action for personal growth.

3. Prioritize Health

Intelligent people take care of their physical health as well as their mental health.

They understand that you need both to survive and achieve great things.

For example, doing regular physical activity is good for our overall health and a healthy body can help us tap into our creativity and improve our cognitive function more.

4. Humble

You don’t generally find highly intelligent people bragging or being overly arrogant.

They’ll likely have confidence and be charismatic, but their natural curiosity allows them to be very humble.

They understand that there is always more to learn and they are open to learning from anyone, regardless of their background or education level.

5. Time Management

One sign of intelligence is the ability to manage time properly.

Though intellectual curiosity can often lead to getting lost in something and not realizing the amount of time spent, exceptionally intelligent people can manage their time and focus attention by setting specific time frames to complete certain tasks.

Not all intelligent people are early birds or night owls. It’s about being able to estimate how long a task will take and budgeting the time to do it. As well as not cramming their schedule too full.

In the real world, time is money so you have to maximize it with these productivity hacks.

6. Empathy

Though not often thought of as a habit of most intelligent people, having empathy is a trait of intelligence.

The ability to have empathy and practice empathy helps you grow by recognizing, feeling for, and understanding situations that are not your own.

Being able to relate to and share the feelings of others can feed a natural curiosity, which is a trait of high achievers.

You could have all the emotional intelligence but without empathy, it would be useless.

Empathy allows us to understand and connect with others on a deeper level, ultimately leading to better relationships and communication.

7. Slow Down to see the Big Picture

Highly intelligent people practice seeing the bigger picture in a problem to solve it.

Critical thinking is important in problem-solving skills and is nearly impossible when you are constantly working.

You can practice critical thinking by scheduling alone time.

This can be as simple as going for a walk before sitting down to solve a complex problem or do a meditation. In extreme cases, snapping you out of a distressed situation may require cold plunges or cold showers.

Our active minds can wander and get stuck on logic, but coming up with creative ideas is when you become a master problem solver.

To tap into our creativity, we have to be able to take a step away from a situation. If you haven’t tried this yet, give it a go the next time you are stuck. You’ll be amazed at the innovative solutions you come up with after a little bit of quiet time.

8. Goal Setting

Goal setting is very important.

You have to know where you are heading. Intelligent people will often have big goals.

They need to set them so they can move towards them. Having a goal is like a framework for where you’re going and where to hone in on your learning.

9. Take Action

Change is always difficult, and taking action on something big and scary feels risky and is usually hard work. If you practice the habit of taking action, you will become a more intelligent person.

You can’t be afraid to fail.

We live in a society where we can consume so much information on a daily basis.

Intelligence is doing something with the information and I believe this is a skill you can practice and a habit you can develop.

What if instead of listening to another podcast, you paused to take action on the last one you listened to?

Sounds a little scary, right? We’ll never feel ready, but we have to do things before we’re ready to move forward.

10. Nice Inner Voice

Our minds are our biggest critics.

If we can do daily affirmations or take a few minutes each day to recognize the way we’re talking to ourselves, we can become more intelligent.

By speaking kind and gentle to ourselves, we can learn to lean in and trust ourselves and our intuition to guide us.

11. Perseverance

Intelligent people don’t give up easily. They know when it’s time to let go of something, but they don’t quit just because something gets hard.

Having a passion for achieving a goal and preserving it when times get tough is a true habit of an intelligent person.

What Do Highly Intelligent People Like?

In addition to the habits of intelligent people we discussed above, they have a wide range of other interests that tend to be prevalent among them.

 These include:

• Humor:

Contrary to popular belief, intelligence and humor often go hand in hand.

Highly intelligent people have a quick wit and enjoy clever jokes and wordplay.

They also have the ability to find humor in everyday situations, making them enjoyable company for others.

• Appreciation for complexity:

Highly intelligent people can see the complexity of the world and appreciate it.

They understand that issues are rarely black and white, and have a deep understanding of the nuances of various topics.

• Innovation and creativity

Highly intelligent people are often very innovative and creative in their thinking.

They have the ability to come up with unique solutions to problems and think outside of the box.

This makes them great at problem-solving and coming up with new ideas and inventions.

Final Thoughts on Habits of Intelligent People

Though some intelligent people have a natural inner wisdom that’s hard to trace back to something specific, it’s just about certain they all have these 11 habits in common.

We can train our minds and practice these habits to get a little bit better and smarter every day.

Mindset is everything. Stay focused and genuinely curious about everything.

Practice having empathy and being kind. Just focusing on these habits can create a positive mindset shift for you.

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