People Who Ask These 10 Questions When They Talk To You Almost Always Have A Very High IQ
Look Studio | ShutterstockWhat often reveals a truly high-IQ person is the kinds of questions they ask when they talk to you, or what they don't know. Ironically enough, these questions show how their minds work, rather than how they soak up information and regurgitate it in conversations.
While the intelligent mind can put a person at risk for all kinds of psychological struggles, it's also an asset. It helps them learn and solve problems, while bonding and thinking in incredibly nuanced ways that most of us can't fathom. Their introspective habits may be overlooked, but these questions reveal them almost immediately.
People who ask these questions usually have a very high IQ:
1. 'Have you thought about this?'
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Intelligent people are known for revealing gaps in knowledge and reading between the lines in conversations. When the average person misses nuance, their high-IQ counterparts are there to bring it to light in ways that help everyone's arguments and solutions get better.
That's why they're often more likely to change their minds compared to ordinary people, because they see sides to perspectives and opinions that nobody else will ever uncover.
2. 'Why does that work?'
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Instead of focusing only on the "how" and "what," intelligent people ask "why?" certain things work in order to understand what's going on behind the scenes. They have incredibly deep-thinking minds, which usually creates more stimulating conversations, but also helps them understand problems and solutions on a more profound level than the average person cares to know.
This desire to learn and understand is why intelligent people are often the most adaptable in all aspects of their lives. They've considered things not just from their own perspective, but from a broader one, which helps them navigate change and uncertainty more effectively compared to the average person.
3. 'Can we work together on this?'
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Intelligent people aren't worried about competing for the right answer or winning arguments. They want to have stimulating conversations and work together with people to solve a shared issue. Whether it's in their personal relationships or at work, this mentality going into resolving conflict is what protects their well-being and personal health.
With a desire to learn and solve complex problems, it's no surprise that a preference for collaboration is top of mind for most intelligent people, considering groups often do better with problem-solving than individuals.
4. 'What assumptions are we making?'
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Intelligent people rarely adopt assumptions and conspiracy theories as fact, according to a study from Current Directions in Psychological Science, largely because their minds are too complex to overlook the nuance. They care about truly understanding things, which turns them off from accepting headlines as reputable sources and adopting the easiest answer to avoid critical thinking.
"What assumptions are we making?" is an inherently smart question, because it addresses some of the biases and lapses in true knowledge that the average person overlooks completely when trying to solve problems. Whether it's managing a personal relationship or solving something at work, it's a question everyone should get comfortable asking.
5. 'Could you help me understand?'
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Intellectual humility is a huge part of what separates someone with a high IQ from an overconfident person who's faking it. A truly smart person isn't afraid to admit they don't know something, because they care more about learning than proving or competing.
Even if it's "Could you help me understand?" to a co-worker or "I need help" to a friend, they understand the power of asking for advice and support, even when it's difficult and uncomfortable, to prompt better conversations and interactions.
6. 'Can we talk about what comes next?'
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According to a study from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, low-IQ people often make predictions about the future that are more than twice as inaccurate as their intelligent counterparts. Smart people are at an advantage when it comes to planning for the future or making thoughtful decisions, because they can "predict the future" in some ways with critical thinking and a big-picture mentality.
They aren't too caught up in the present moment and showcase their intelligence to others to avoid the consequences and outcomes of their choices. So, you'll often hear them asking, "Can we talk about what comes next?" rather than bragging about the intelligence of finding a solution to a problem.
7. 'What can I do better?'
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Despite being a challenging and uncomfortable experience for most people, as psychology researcher Dr. Rob Nash explains, intelligent people are somewhat appreciative of feedback. They may even seek it out directly from people with questions like, "What can I do better?" in the pursuit of learning and growing.
Rather than getting defensive around feedback and perceiving constructive criticism as a personal attack, they take these opportunities to grow and understand themselves just a little bit better. They're in pursuit of knowledge, of course, but they're also always cognizant of their own processes and behaviors along the way.
8. 'How can we make this simpler?'
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According to a study from WIREs Cognitive Science, high-IQ people are more concerned with getting their point across and nurturing collective understanding rather than seeming smarter than everyone else in the room. Whether that means simplifying complex topics or making their language more accessible, they care about accessibility and understanding.
Even when questions like "How can I simplify this?" may come across as patronizing when we don't understand something they're saying, their true intentions are often less insidious. They care about crafting stimulating conversations, but don't want a specific person or perspective to be left out in pursuit of intellectual praise or ego-boosting.
9. 'Why are you feeling that way?'
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A person with an incredibly high IQ usually leverages metacognition to understand themselves on a deeper level. They reflect on how they're feeling and go a step deeper by asking "why?" when they're feeling a certain emotion. Even if the average person prefers to overlook deeper meaning and understanding, distancing themselves from vulnerability, you can spot a high-IQ person in their pursuit of that value.
Even when they're talking to someone else, they're prompting them to go a step deeper into their own emotions and personal experiences. They say, "Why are you feeling this way?" or "Where is this coming from?" not to manipulate anyone, but to pull more meaning and value out of vulnerable conversations.
10. 'What can we learn from this?'
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This openness to learn new things is partially connected to intelligence and creativity, according to a study from the Journal of Personality. Essentially, the most intelligent people are usually the ones who can think outside the box and who are willing to learn new things, even through the most mundane activities and conversations.
They're always curious about what they can take from a conversation or mistakes, even when it's not always comfortable or easy.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
