#7. Smart people know when enough is enough.
My grandfather used to say that life was not a game of chess but a boxing match where you have to have reflexes, hold your punches, and be willing to hit back without a tremble in your pulse when the opportunity presents itself.
And above all, he knew how to detect people like him who were awake and intelligent. — When you live through a civil war, a world war, and decades of military dictatorship, you must know who is who at any given moment.
And he taught me this list of seven subtle signs indicating whether you are dealing with someone smart.
1. Smart people do what they say.
My grandfather used to say that brilliant people were people of their word. — That’s why they only speak when they have to.
According to my grandfather, impeccability in speech measures a person’s IQ.
Because words commit you, and he who talks a lot devotes himself to a lot, and he who commits himself to a lot, breaks some promise.
2. Smart people adapt to the environment.
My grandfather used to laugh at the idea that we are the sum of the five people we relate to the most.
For him, there was no merit in living inside a social bubble.
That only showed fear, which was the opposite of intelligence for my grandfather.
He always told me, “How people relate in uncomfortable situations in places that are not their usual environment with clearly hostile people is a great indication of intelligence or the absence of it.”
For my grandfather, if someone got a flat tire in the wrong neighborhood and could get help instead of being robbed, it indicated social intelligence.
3. Smart people don’t talk about what they don’t know.
My grandfather always advised me that if I wanted to know how smart someone was, I should start with small talk to gain their trust and then ask engaging questions.
If possible, about something that was outside their spectrum of knowledge.
And then observe their reaction.
For my grandfather, there are two types of people, those who want to stand out at all costs and those who do not. The first ones are not very smart and always talk about what they don’t know, pretending to be an authority on the subject.
This type of person is incapable of giving their arm to twist, and they lose their reason for wanting to be right, which is not very intelligent on their part.
On the other hand, intelligent people keep quiet or recognize that they do not know what you have asked them about without being offended, thus showing that they do not need your approval, which indicates intelligence, self-control, and power.
4. Smart people are observers.
Intelligent people are the ones who talk the least. They use conversations to analyze the gestures and tone of voice of the person they are conversing with.
They know much information can be gleaned from what and how it is said.
According to my grandfather, an intelligent person can play dumb to pull your tongue out, but their look gives them away.
According to my grandfather, intelligent people, even if they pretend to know little about something, always scan you with their eyes, and you can notice it.
5. Smart people know how to lose.
My grandfather taught me that losing teaches you many things.
- Losing teaches you to value
- Losing teaches you to cope
- Losing teaches you to fight
- Losing teaches you to overcome
- Losing teaches you to respect
- Losing teaches you to win
And he also constantly repeated to me, “Don’t trust those who don’t know how to lose. Losing teaches you humility, and humility makes you truly intelligent.”
And the fact is that he who lacks humility thinks he knows everything, which leaves him with no margin for learning. Therefore, he becomes obsolete, which is not for intelligent people.
6. Smart people don’t stop doing things to fit in.
My grandfather used to say that intelligent people listen to your advice but then do whatever they want.
People who do not let themselves be manipulated expose themselves to public scorn, if necessary, and to ridicule because they know that this life is temporary and that the opportunity cost increases with the years.
According to my grandfather, intelligent people understand that to innovate, you have to leave the established, which always entails social rejection, and despite it, they take action.
Those people, according to my grandfather, are the ones who make the world progress.
In my grandfather’s words, “All those who today we call geniuses were once considered crazy.”
7. Smart people know when enough is enough.
The last trait that someone is smart is that intelligent people know when to stop.
- When to quit the project.
- When to change careers.
- When to leave a relationship.
- When to retire.
- When to stop accumulating money.
My grandfather knew from experience that being smart can get you to your destination but also make you miss out on the pleasure of contemplating the scenery.
For my grandfather, being rich was not being smart but knowing how to enjoy life and say enough before the compulsion to accumulate things kill your soul.
He gave me great advice: “Always work a little less than your capacity because exponential growth can lead to infinite suffering.”
And I agree; it’s better to live a little below your real potential than to die of success.
Takeaway
If you identify with any of these signs, you’re probably smarter than you think. And it’s important to realize that because if you don’t realize it, you’ll live a worse life than you deserve and impact fewer people with your example. And the world needs people like you.
A virtual hug
AG