There’s book smart and there’s people smart.

Some people think you need a bit of both to be considered genuinely intelligent.

But in my view (and the view of the experts!), being people smart is way more important than being book smart.

When you have a mix of both, you can become pretty unstoppable if you want to!

You can use your kindness for goodness and your intelligence for greatness.

Think you might be a genuinely smart person – and have more potential than you realize?

Check out these 8 signs of genuine intelligence, backed by psychology!

Up first:

1) You pick your moments

Have you ever heard someone crack a joke and thought to yourself, “Ouch, too soon”?

Or have you heard someone say something and thought, “Ooo, not the right time!”.

If so, you probably pick your own moments wisely to avoid making these mistakes!

When you’re in the office and your boss asks how’s it going, you might choose not to tell him about an issue you’re having just yet.

You might wait until you’ve sent one more email, called someone else, or maybe even tried your best to fix it first.

If a friend is going through a bad time, you might think this isn’t the best time to talk about your promotion or tell her something that’ll upset her further.

Basically, you’re pretty selective about what you say and when you say it.

You’re always thinking about when the right time is to share intel (and when isn’t!).

Which leads us nicely to…

2) You know when to speak up (and when to stay quiet)

Another thing you’ll do when you’re a genuinely smart person is speak up when you need to and keep schtum when you don’t!

Like in the example we used earlier. If you told your boss all the issues with your project, this could backfire.

They might ask you if you’ve done this, done that, or spoken to this person. Saying no will reflect badly on you.

But if you delay it by a short period to do everything you need to do, speaking up about the issue will come across way better. It’ll also avoid unnecessary worry for your boss!

You also do it if someone believes in a cause you don’t believe in. Say it’s your mother-in-law.

Sharing your view over a family dinner will only cause a debate (maybe even an argument).

So instead of speaking up, you keep quiet.

Not because you aren’t true to your beliefs, but because you know no good will come of it.

3) You anticipate what people want and need

When you’re a genuinely smart person, you have this unique ability to read people and anticipate what they want (or even need) from you.

Using the same example about your boss and the issue you have, by staying quiet and picking your moment, you’ve anticipated that your boss will ask you (and expect you to have done) certain things before telling them.

So you don’t tell them until you’ve done those things.

You do a similar thing with your parents, friends, and even your partner.

Because your emotional intelligence is so high, you anticipate when they need more support, a text, or an offer of help from you.

4) You can sense when someone can’t be trusted

Speaking of emotional intelligence, when you’re a genuinely smart person, you get a gut feeling about certain things!

Namely, when someone can and cannot be trusted.

People lie all the time – at work, school, and even in our romantic lives. Some people do it out of fear of telling the truth.

Others do it because they’re just downright manipulative and controlling!

But whatever the reason is, you have a bit of a sixth sense about it.

When someone lies or isn’t telling you everything they know, you can feel that something is off.

Sometimes, you can even make your own conclusions about why they’re doing it or what they’re trying to gain from it.

5) You can talk to anyone about anything

How do most of your conversations with strangers go? Are they awkward and hostile?

What about your coworkers or classmates?

Are there some that you just can’t speak to – no matter what?

Granted, some people are just difficult to make conversation with.

But when you’re a genuinely smart person, you find that you can talk to anyone about anything.

Why? Firstly, your general knowledge is broad enough that you can engage in conversation about any topic you like.

Secondly, even if you don’t know about the subject, you can still talk to someone!

Usually, your trick to do this is to listen intently, ask questions, and (when you understand) share your view on things to forward the discussion.

6) You have a broad vocabulary

Intelligence really is more about how you think than what you know.

You don’t have to get straight as in education and 10/10 on the pub quiz to be smart!

But even so, vocabulary matters.

The wider your use of language is, the more intelligent you’re likely to be.

In fact, educational psychology claims it’s the single greatest indicator of overall intelligence!

Plus, numerous studies have found a strong link between a good vocabulary and strong reading comprehension.

A good use of language also empowers you to self-teach, simplify complex information, and get the most out of your everyday experiences.

7) You look after your health

Intelligence isn’t just about what you say and do for other people.

It’s also about what you do for yourself!

Taking care of everyone else and neglecting yourself isn’t very smart.

Just like it isn’t very smart to neglect yourself when you aren’t looking after anyone else!

The thing is, when you’re smart, you know you need to do certain things.

Like drink enough water, eat healthily, and book doctor’s appointments when you need them.

But some people still won’t do these things, even though they know they should.

When you’re a genuinely smart person, you’ll do these things and you’ll take care of your health.

You know how important it is and you know how to change your habits to ensure you make them a part of your life.

8) You have hobbies and interests (and actively pursue them)

You don’t need to play chess or read non-fiction in your spare time to be considered genuinely smart.

But you should have a hobby of some sort.

Of course, some hobbies will build your IQ more than others (like reading, puzzle-solving, learning a language, or playing an instrument).

But just having a hobby of any kind also makes you smarter, according to experts.

How? Science tells us that creativity is linked with cognitive ability.

Cognitive ability is the ability to comprehend situations, problem-solve, and plan a course of action.

Which is why Psychologist Ellis P. Torrance believes that getting your hands on a hobby stretches your mind in different ways – thus enabling your creativity and enhancing your cognitive ability.

In basic terms, it means that having a hobby makes you smarter!

Final thoughts

True intelligence is about more than what meets the eye.

When you’re genuinely smart, you might not get straight as all the time (or have had them as a kid).

You also probably won’t hear people say, “You’re so smart!” very often.

That’s because true intelligence is hidden beneath the surface.

It’s more about what you don’t say, rather than what you do.

So even though you might not be called smart often, if you recognize these behaviors in yourself, you’re way smarter than you think.

Psychology proves it!