Strange Habits That Very Intelligent People Often Have! Do You?

Strange, stranger, highly intelligent. The cliché of the crazy professor and the absent-minded scientist has already been played out over and over again in Hollywood. We always think of highly intelligent people as exotic creatures locked in their labs and tinkering with experiments that don't always end well. But those with an above average IQ don’t always have to show it in this way. In this article, we present with you eleven rather strange habits from the daily lives of highly intelligent people.

1. Your vocabulary is outrageous. 

You might think it would be the other way around, but highly intelligent people know a lot more swear words than their average peers. This naturally results from a broader overall vocabulary which is not always used in everyday life and might seem more suitable for a sophisticated  table conversation. With that in mind, it makes sense that smarter people know more swear words. However, they also normally possess a high degree of social intelligence, so they are very good at judging when certain kinds of swearing is appropriate and when it isn't. Perhaps even more amazing are our prejudices. Once again, they would have almost certainly led us down the wrong path into thinking the exact opposite. Intuitively, we would almost always be more likely to associate a low level of education and intelligence with mastering verbal offenses.

2. You doodle in your notes. 

Highly intelligent people like to use the margins of their notes and papers for drawing and sketching. Geometric shapes and scribbles of all kinds are the preferred symbols. According to scientific studies, doodling is very much a habit associated with intelligent people. The areas of the brain involved are responsible for problem-solving skills and information processing. In addition, doodles train the performance and retention of our memory. Experiments have since shown that people who scribble can remember almost 30 percent more information than those whose edges stay clean on the notepad. These seemingly mindless scrawls serve as a kind of outlet to visually express our thoughts and emotions. While we are doodling, our brain takes a break and goes into a sort of standby state, diverting our attention from what we are supposed to be concentrating on right now. In the background, however, the little gray cells are still constantly working on it.

3. You’re a night owl. 

Many geniuses were known for turning night into day. Leonardo Da Vinci allegedly needed less than 3 hours sleep at night. Science gives us several possible reasons for this. One of them is once again rooted in human evolution. Because night was far more dangerous than day in ancient times, our ancestors who had to work night shifts inevitably needed to be smarter to survive. Another explanation suggests that the reason for the nocturnal activities of the highly intelligent among us is that they tend to be more introverted and prefer to use the seclusion of the night hours rather than the day. This allows them to think and work undisturbed by the rest of the world and without experiencing any annoying interruptions.

4. Chewing noises drive you insane. 

Admittedly, very few of us find slurping during a meal that appealing. Chewing and eating with your mouth open is a bad habit that drives many insane. Highly intelligent people are particularly disturbed by this background noise. This is because those with above-average IQs cannot easily ignore sensory information that is irrelevant to them, including impairments to their hearing. In short: chomping noises disturb their thinking. 

5. You’re a daydreamer. 

Highly intelligent people have often perfectly mastered the technique of visualization. However, they would probably not allow themselves to label these daydreams as anything more than mere fantasizing.

6. You talk to yourself. 

People with high IQs value conversation at the same level of intellect. No wonder they often talk to themselves. Of course, talking to yourself also has certain benefits for the brain. Saying numbers, dates and facts out loud strengthens your memory of them. It is a well-known fact that language is not just about communication. It actually amplifies our perception and clarity of thought as well. The effect is similar to keeping handwritten notes and encourages our brain to work faster and more effectively.

7. You’re not a party animal. 

No surprise at this point. Highly intelligent people are rarely found at parties and other social gatherings. They are often couch potatoes and tend to be are naturally introverted. What is amazing, however, is that they are very familiar with the sweet joy of doing nothing. They like to be lazy because it allows their minds to regenerate. The associated sedentary lifestyle may not be particularly healthy physically, but it actually increases our brain activity. Studies have shown that non-thinkers are much more active than thinkers. This may be because non-thinkers get bored more easily and need to be active to avoid being bored. 

8. Chaos rules your environment. 

The desks and workplaces of highly intelligent people always look as though a bomb has just gone off. The funny saying "only a genius can overlook the chaos" has good reason. Calling these people sloppy, however, would not be accurate. Intelligent people tend to be more creative. They simply sink completely into their thoughts while the world around them descends into disorder. Studies have even shown that chaotic work environments promote greater creativity, while order limits it.

9. You are too hard on yourself. 

Highly intelligent people are very self-critical. They don't easily forgive themselves for making mistakes. Apparently, those who have grown up with very high standards of themselves cannot easily leave them behind. The problem with a high level of intelligence is that it reveals every little detail, even tiny things that remain hidden to the averagely gifted.

10. You love solitude. 

Highly intelligent people often prefer to be alone with themselves. They never truly feel lonely because their thoughts are constantly circling and providing them with new, exciting inner dialogues. Being around other people can put a lot of strain on them and they avoid social interaction whenever possible. They live by the motto "Better alone than in bad company".

11. Cold water is your thing. 

A very interesting and“cool” preference shared by many well-known geniuses and high achievers is that they appreciate cold water in various forms. History tells us, for example, that Benjamin Franklin swam London's icy Thames, while in the US, Theodore Roosevelt took advantage of the winter in Washington to swim a few lengths in the half-frozen Potomac River. Science has recognized the benefits of cold water therapy since Hippocrates. Sebastian Kneipp and his followers made cold showers popular in our part of the world. It is said that cold water not only stimulates our bodily functions, but also spurs our mind to perform at its best.

Today’s Conclusion:

Different is not always bad. Highly intelligent people usually do not have an easy life. Even as children, they often involuntarily come off as different, so to speak. This, in the eyes of their classmates at least, can be enough to make them outsiders. In later years, however, most manage to find their place in society. They can go on to achieve remarkable success in fields such as science and research related fields. In their spare time, however, they often prefer to remain alone with themselves. A high IQ, like many other great gifts, is both a blessing and a curse. That's it for today.