We all experience a touch of insecurity from time to time.

Those little niggles of doubt rise up about our abilities, talents, or even our worthiness.

Fleeting imposter syndrome is, after all, part of the human experience. 

But some insecurities run deeper than others, often hiding beneath a carefully constructed facade. 

One such insecurity centers around intelligence – a fear of being perceived as ‘not smart enough.’

While these insecurities often stem from past experiences or societal pressures, they can manifest in surprisingly subtle ways. 

Being aware of how these insecurities appear can help you both identify them within your own behavior, and comfort others.

So, let’s explore the 8 behaviors that might signal an underlying insecurity about intelligence:

1) Bragging, boasting, overexaggerating

Deep down, these individuals are deeply worried about their intellectual abilities. 

To combat this insecurity, they might switch to actually overcompensating by constantly boasting about their accomplishments, engaging in name-dropping, or exaggerating their expertise.

Although they’re actually anxious and worried about whether they’re even good enough, they hide this by portraying their lifestyle as lush and lavish. 

They make sure everyone knows about the things they have accomplished, often lying or exaggerating these claims too, and masking any perceived shortcomings in the process.

2) Terrified of looking foolish

We all make the occasional mistake.

Part of being humble is being unafraid to laugh it off when you do loudly state an incorrect fact, or try to argue a clearly defunct point.

However, people who secretly worry about their intelligence are desperately afraid of being exposed as intellectually inadequate.

Out of fear of appearing dumb or foolish, they may shy away from expressing opinions or asking questions altogether.  

The fear of making a mistake or admitting they don’t know something can be paralyzing. 

So, they tend to avoid debates, stay silent during group discussions, or pretend to understand complex concepts rather than risk appearing uninformed by actually asking.

3) Everything is a competition (truly everything!)

As they feel so threatened by the intelligence of others, those who are secretly insecure often refuse to come out second best in anything. 

Forget viewing the achievements of others as inspiration – every interaction must be a show of competitive spirit to prove themselves.  

Everything, from a game of Monopoly to who-earns-the-most money turns into a need for speed and first place. 

This competitiveness is often coupled with subtly undermining the accomplishments of their peers, finding unnecessary flaws in others’ work, or trying to one-up everyone in conversations.

4) Dishing out criticism but unable to take it

Whilst these secretly insecure types dish out criticism and undermine others as a means to make themselves feel better, they cannot handle even constructive criticism or feedback.

Any slightly negative comment can feel like an assault on their intelligence, causing them to react defensively, deny feedback, or see any critique as evidence that others think they’re stupid. 

Stemming from deep-seated insecurity, this inability to take on helpful comments and grow from them makes it incredibly difficult for them to improve or evolve.

5) Intellectual snobbery

“My way or the highway”, these individuals sneer.

They tend to degrade certain interests, hobbies, or types of knowledge they deem to be inferior.

They’ll likely be dismissive of certain pop culture, genres of literature, or specific fields of study or thought processes in an attempt to clamber onto an illusion of intellectual superiority.  

By demeaning everyone else, they try to distract others from their own insecurity by devaluing types of intelligence that don’t align with their own strengths or interests.

All in all, this snobbery can be erosive for relationships and come across as arrogant, all the while hiding someone who is deeply insecure of themselves.

6) Surrounding by less accomplished people (to make themselves feel better)

Being a big fish in a small pond provides these individuals with a far greater sense of inferiority.

Should they dip their toes in the bigger pools (or even the sea), they would be reminded with the desperate feelings of inadequacy.

And feeling threatened by those they perceive as more intelligent, they may gravitate towards people who seem less intellectually intimidating. 

As a result, they can avoid situations where they might feel outshined and create social circles where they may indeed be the perceived “smartest person in the room.”

7) Procrastination & self-sabotage

Believing themselves incapable and prone to failure, these insecure and self-doubting individuals tend to shrink inwards and refuse even to try.

They might have big goals and big dreams, but they’re prone to engaging in self-sabotaging behaviors which prevent them truly moving towards any of these goals.

Think procrastinating, extreme perfectionism (to the point where nothing is ever completed or submitted), or self-sabotaging by wasting away their time.

These behaviors work as a defense mechanism, as they (often subconsciously) create constant excuses to pre-emptively explain away any potential shortcomings.

8) Terrified of anything new

By staying within the safe and comfortable confines of their intellectual comfort zone, they don’t really expose themselves to the risk of failure.  

They might resist learning new skills, turning down challenging projects, or making excuses to avoid anything that may stretch them beyond what they already know.  

This reluctance to sample new things or grow stems from a fear of not being good enough. 

In avoiding opportunities for growth and development, they’re minimizing the risk of struggling, failing, and having to deal with the onslaught of self-critical thoughts or outside judgement upon their intelligence.

Final words

Understanding these behaviors is the first step to overcoming them, both within ourselves and in our interactions with others.  

If you recognize these patterns in yourself, don’t despair!  

Self-awareness is powerful, and it opens the door to positive change. Instead of letting insecurity hold you back, challenge those negative beliefs, embrace the joy of learning, and celebrate your growth.  

Remember, intelligence is not fixed – we all have the capacity to expand our knowledge and skills.

And while it’s important to protect ourselves from harmful patterns, recognizing the underlying fear can inspire compassion and support for those who need to work on their confidence.