10 Habits That Make Intelligent People Stand Out From the Crowd!

What the smart ones do differently. Intelligence is partly innate, but we can also do a lot to improve our brain power. If you constantly educate yourself, stay curious and open to new things, you will always be improving your intelligence. We humans only really use a small part of our brain anyway. A good part of the theoretically available potential remains unused. A pity, isn't it? There is so much more to learn and discover. Our minds are in fact eager to challenge themselves a little every day. Studies have even shown that our brains can literally atrophy if they don't have to deal with and process unprecedented information on a regular basis. In this article, we'd like to introduce you to a few things that smart people do on a regular basis to give their little gray cells the best possible boost.

1. They separate their thoughts from their feelings.

Intelligent people know when to separate their brainwork from their emotions. Not everything that is beneficial to our mind and intellectual development comes across well on an emotional level. Sometimes conflicts can arise between these two areas. Those who want to consistently promote their intellect sometimes have to make decisions that go against their own feelings. Prejudices and our ego can get in the way when it comes to letting facts speak for themselves. We don’t find all facts good or appealing.

2. The Internet provides them with more questions than answers.

Anyone who uncritically views the World Wide Web as an inexhaustible source of information will soon find themselves on the wrong track. Where there is a lot of light, there is also a lot of shadow. The Web has just as much deliberate disinformation to offer, as well as the purely personal opinions of its users. None of this is to be confused with hard facts or data. Intelligent people always consume Internet information with reservations and never without detailed cross-checking.

3. Every new piece of information is broken down into its smallest parts.

No matter what source it comes from: Intelligent people always approach new information with plenty of caveats. They analyze it down to the smallest detail and dig deeper and deeper when it comes to finding the truth. Needless to say, they are not receptive to gossip for this reason. For them, only hard facts count, not meaningless fabrications.

4. They are not afraid of being wrong.

Intelligence can only grow if it is constantly nurtured. Along the way, as always in life, there is no such thing as a constant sense of achievement or a smooth performance without fault. The realization of having been wrong is not nice for smart people either, but they can deal with it and they stand by it. Perhaps they were not originally aware of all the facts, or new ones have come to light that give a whole new perspective to the situation. There is no shame in being wrong, but there is shame in sticking doggedly to an error.

5. They welcome every opportunity to learn something new.

The smart ones among us will never order a dish in a new restaurant that they have already tried a hundred times. They will use every trip and every stay in a foreign place to broaden their horizons. At parties or other social events, they will seek out conversation with people they have not yet met. People who only ever move through life on well-trodden paths will never discover new territory. There are probably countless opportunities every day to learn something new.

6. They question everything, including themselves.

Gaining information primarily means critical questioning. However, smart people don't stop at eyeing the news and the Internet with skepticism. They also subject themselves and their behavior to the same level of examination. Self-optimization plays a major role for the intelligent. They want to make the most of their lives and their opportunities. To do this, they first need to explore their own potential and, of course, expand it. Smart people know that perfection is a myth. Therefore, they do not think of themselves as an ideal or as role models at all.

7. They do not consider themselves intelligent at all.

This point is important and helps outsiders to separate the wheat from the chaff in a split second. The loudest people in a discussion group are rarely the most gifted. Those who do not accept any competing opinion and constantly push themselves to the fore are also not among the intellectual crème de la crème. In fact, doubts and skepticism about one's own abilities characterize the intelligent, not the conviction that they are smarter than the rest.

8. When talking to others, they listen attentively.

Sad but true: In conversation with others, the average person only listens in order to insert his or her answer in the best possible way. We don't actually listen at all, but are already preparing our counter argument in our minds. For the intelligent among us, dialogues are different, namely the way they are supposed to be. One speaks, the other listens. They learn a lot from these interactions with other people, their minds benefit from letting their interlocutors do the talking.

9. They approach new trends and currents with caution.

Given the aforementioned skepticism when it comes to the Internet, this point is certainly not surprising. Self-proclaimed gurus and other lifestyle preachers who spout a new worldview every other week don't have an easy time with the intelligent among us. Most trends are extremely short-lived; many inventions and innovations do not stand the test of time. Whether it's politics, spirituality, nutrition or health, smart people take all new hype with a grain of salt. Indeed, by the time smart people have analyzed these new zeitgeists to their satisfaction, the fad is often already history.

10. They take time to learn new things.

A hobby is not a hobby: That's how the smart ones think, and they use every spare minute to acquire new skills. They love evening classes, workshops on the weekend and also love to take advantage of the numerous free training opportunities on the web. A rolling stone gathers no moss, is their credo, and it's never too late to learn new languages, sports, musical instruments or creative design skills. A simple and very efficient way to keep up to date is to befriend the younger generations. Anyone who has children or grandchildren will have to make mental leaps just to keep up with the rapid developments on the toy and technology fronts.

Today’s Conclusion

Small habits, big impact. Staying open to new things gives you an enormous head start in terms of intelligence. If you always stick to the same radius of action, you'll find it difficult to gain a broad overview. On the other hand, of course, not every trend has to be followed, and not every challenge obliges us to follow its siren call. Intelligence is certainly a gift that we receive in life. However, we can do a great deal ourselves to ensure that our innate gifts are encouraged. One of the most successful people in the world, Warren Buffett, once said that you should invest in yourself first and foremost, for that is the only investment that pays off a thousand fold.