7 Scientific Traits Of Highly Intelligent People

Some online sources define intelligence as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge, a definition that is quite close to that of wisdom. However, there is still a considerable difference between intelligence and wisdom. Intelligence has an aspect of “learning”, where an individual expresses some form of superiority to others in their capacity for understanding, creativity, logic, self-awareness and even problem solving among other qualities. Therefore, when a person refers to you as being intelligent, he or she is implying that you are special in terms of brain function and general conduct.

Many people have done extensive research regarding what makes people intelligent or the traits that most intelligent people possess; the conclusions vary, but only to small extents. It is important to realize that everyone has some level of intelligence and, through a lot of reading and application, everyone can grow his or her intelligence to high levels. Concisely, I am trying to tell you that you can grow your intelligence to the level that you become an authority and other people start quoting you.

Some of the traits that intelligent people share are not necessarily pleasant, so this list will not be full of good things all the way through. The research here simply outlines some of the most common qualities that intelligent people have. However, it is possible to have a highly intelligent individual with very few to none of the qualities here, or to have a not so intelligent person with several of these qualities.

Which of these traits do you have and which ones do you think you need to develop?

1. They're open-minded

Smart people don't close themselves off to new ideas or opportunities. Hammett writes that intelligent people are "willing to accept and consider other views with value and broad-mindedness," and that they are "open to alternative solutions."

Psychologists say that open-minded people — those who seek out alternate viewpoints and weigh the evidence fairly — tend to score higher on the SAT and on intelligence tests.

At the same time, smart people are careful about which ideas and perspectives they adopt.

2. They Are Curious

Do you find those children who ask so many questions about anything and everything to be annoying? Some of these children grow up and become adults who are very curious about everything and want to take a special interest in things that the rest of us consider ordinary and worth nothing more than the minimum attention. However, one thing you should know about those children and the adults they become is that it is likely that they are highly intelligent. Although they say that curiosity killed the cat, we owe all the technological and all other advancements to people who dared to ask questions and look for answers.

3.Risk-taking

A recent study completed in Finland found that individuals who are open to new challenges and who aren't afraid to take risks tend to be more intelligent. The study used a driving simulation, and they found that participants who made riskier decisions during the test had more white brain matter — an area of the brain associated with cognitive function.

4. Anxiety

A study at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York found that people with anxiety had higher I.Q.s than those who didn't suffer from anxiety. It makes sense if you suffer from anxiety. You're constantly worrying and thinking up various outcomes for situations, and look at things from the past that could influence various situations. These people are very good at problem-solving, critical thinking, and abstract reasoning.

5. They 're a Night Owls

Early birds don't actually get the worm, according to science.  Researchers found that people who burn midnight oil and get up later in the morning are actually smarter than those who do the opposite. Researchers said that the concept goes back to evolution.  Since it was advantageous for humans to do things during the day and go to sleep at night, scientists explained that going against the trend is a sign of intelligence after research found that evening people tend to be more intelligent while morning people who restrict their activities to daytime tend to have lower IQs, according to the study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.

6. They are happy spending time by themselves

This doesn’t mean that all intelligent people are introverts (or vice versa), but those who are intelligent find productive things to do when they are alone. If you’re intelligent, you want to find ways to improve yourself every day. This is why so many people of average intelligence sit in front of their television, while those at the highest intelligence levels are finding the next innovations.

7. Drug Use

Researchers received quite a shock when they interviewed nearly 8,000 people and found that those with higher IQs were more likely to experiment with illegal drugs. Conventional wisdom would dictate that smarter people would be aware of the inherent dangers involved with drug use and the potential life altering effects. What they discovered, however, was that higher-IQ subjects were significantly more open to new experiences, such as illicit drug use.

How much more open? Men were 50 percent more likely to take amphetamines and 65 percent more likely to experiment with ecstasy. This was even after having taken socioeconomic status into account. Interestingly enough, these subjects are also generally more likely to not smoke, eat healthier diets, and enjoy higher social and economic standing in their communities. So, why the drugs? As with alcohol, the researchers say smarter people are more likely to seek out experimental and novel experiences.

Sources:

http://www.mindamuse.com/life/10-common-traits-highly-intelligent-people/

http://www.yourtango.com/2016296497/eight-shocking-scientific-traits-high-intelligence

http://www.businessinsider.com/8-common-traits-of-highly-intelligent-people-2016-7/#-3

http://www.therichest.com/high-life/top-15-common-traits-of-highly-intelligent-people/

http://listverse.com/2013/12/16/10-surprising-indicators-of-genius/