A wise person once said: “Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge.”

And trust me, this person knew what they were talking about. 

Why? Well, they happen to be regarded as one of history’s greatest polymaths—which is an expert in a vast range of subject areas.

That person was Leonardo da Vinci.

What he means to say (I think), is that being genuinely smart is more so about letting this part of you speak for itself rather than having to brag about it, aka shout.

In this way, intelligence truly isn’t about being the loudest person in the room—it’s that quiet confidence that draws the right people in.

Plus, it goes without saying but a person’s smarts aren’t measured by their ability to tell people about how intelligent they are. Obviously. 

If you are wondering whether a person you know is deeply insecure about their intelligence, they might show one of these seven problematic behaviors.

Starting with: the big bluff.

1) They tend to bluff or exaggerate having done certain things

I once had a pal who had a real knack for turning everything up a notch. And not in a fun-loving way, either. 

Their undergraduate degree in neuroscience became a PhD. Their 16th cousin, who was allegedly part of the Danish royal family, became their second cousin. You catch my drift.

They weren’t outright lies, so to speak. It was more so a case of them bluffing and exaggeration their way through chats.

And you know what? I think it became so ingrained and natural to them that they didn’t even realize they were doing it. Nope!

Looking back, I know for certain it came from their masked insecurity about not being very bright.

If you know a person like this, you might know that these folks hide behind these, almost using them as a means to distract from one little thing: they do not know as much as they claim to know.

They might even feel that by blowing up their achievements, those around them might respect and admire them more. But this is rarely the case—because most people can smell a rat.

Of course, with this particular pal, the mask would start to slip whenever someone asked a few well-meaning questions, which in turn poked immediate holes in their story.

Talk about awkward!

2) They drop names of well-known or successful people they know

To me, there is nothing more cringe than that one friend of a friend who simply cannot stop themselves from piping up about the one famous person they know.

Seriously. You talk about karaoke and they will somehow find a way to tie it back to the fact that they met Bruno Mars at their spin class once.

You chat about cricket, and they mention that the captain for England used to be their high school crush.

It’s almost as if they’re wishing that the success of these celebs will rub off on them and make them seem more successful than they really are.

Sure, there’s a real entertainment factor in swapping fun stories, but this is a whole other level.

If a person tends to go overboard with name-dropping, it’s usually a way to cover up their insecurity about not being intelligent or good enough.

Truly smart people don’t feel the urge to constantly drop names. 

3) They make jokes at the expense of others

We all know that person who lowers the vibe a little by getting a bit too edgy with their in-party stand-up routine.

Personally, I prefer observational comedy—usually in the realm of politics or wacky animals. So, yeah, not so niche!

But what I am talking about here is a person who is constantly making jokes at others’ expense, almost to the point that it can be a little hurtful and upsetting.

Have you ever thought about why they are so hellbent on doing this? 

Well, it could potentially be indicative that deep down, they feel like they are lacking—and they are trying to redirect attention to the supposed shortcomings of others.

4) They might exude a whole lot of snobbery

Ah, snobs. We all (unfortunately) know one.

That specific individual who adores using French words unnecessarily and will only drink sulfate-free wine. They only carry $70 handspun tote bags, too.

It’s like they’re trying way too hard. For real, they may every event feel like a competition.

Here’s a hint: they are trying to distract you from their feelings of not being very bright.

It’s almost like they are putting on a flashy musical (that absolutely none of you have bought tickets for, by the way) in a desperate bid to distract you all from what’s really going on backstage, or under the surface.

I like to remind myself that real intelligence doesn’t require 14-letter words or a refined taste in pet nat. 

I gravitate towards the quietly confident individuals, personally. 

To me, that speaks volumes on a person’s intelligence.

5) They vocalize their opinions without doing their research

If I’m being honest, I never trust a person who recites facts and statistics without being able to back it up with a persuasive, humanized argument.

To me, it’s a mega red flag for intellectual insecurity! Why? Because smarts require actual critical thinking to back it up.

It’s not about being a total Da Vinci level polymath, it’s more so about knowing enough not to sound like you have just read the Wikipedia intro. 

Plus the ability to answer follow-up questions goes a very long way indeed.

6) They are overly critical of other people

I remember another thing my bluffing pal used to do—and that was belittling others for being what they called “simple.”

Now, this took a number of (problematic) forms. Mainly, they could not resist calling out people for using slang or local terms.

They did this because they were trying to compensate for not being as intelligent as they needed others to believe.

I wish I had the courage back then to tell them: intelligence definitely is not about making others feel tiny.

7) They lie about their achievements

Now, this one ties back to my first point—except this one goes to the extremes.

This is the ultimate tell-tale sign of someone who is insecure about their intellect. 

The deep-seated anxiety of not being seen as truly good enough can drive some of us to dream up an elaborate version of ourselves.

And what seemed like an impressive history of personal, sporting, professional, or even charitable accomplishments turns out to be a fully architected web of lies.

It goes without saying: real success speaks louder than fabricated stories.

Final thoughts

Pay attention at your next social or work gathering and notice how, often, the smartest, most accomplished people in the room don’t need to show off. 

Nope, not an inch.

That’s because they’re super at home with themselves—they know their experience will speak leagues (or others around them will!).

Plus they know that the mark of true intellect isn’t bragging, and that actions that speak far louder than words. 

They’re not there trying to outdo everyone else. So here’s to the timeless value of quiet confidence.