Psychologists: Intelligence Shows in Daily Behaviour, Not Just Education

The Latvian newspaper Latvijas Avīze published an article on 4 November about how to recognise an intelligent person. Its main claim is that intelligence cannot always be judged by someone's education, how much they know, or how confidently they express themselves. The piece suggests looking at thinking ability through everyday behaviour instead.

What psychologists consider

According to the article, psychologists attach importance not only to how quickly a person takes in information. Equally significant is how they evaluate it, how they make decisions and how they manage their emotions. Daily habits, attitudes towards other people and reactions in difficult situations can also point to how someone thinks.

The publication stresses that a person who can admit mistakes, listen to a different opinion and critically assess what they hear may demonstrate valuable thinking skills.

Three behaviour patterns

At the centre of the article are three patterns of behaviour that people with a high level of intelligence try to avoid. The text says such patterns not only make solving problems harder but can also get in the way of building meaningful relationships with others.

The available excerpt does not list the three patterns, so their specific content is not given here. The article appears in the entertainment and lifestyle section of Latvijas Avīze, called “Kokteilis”, and its conclusions are a general treatment of a psychology topic rather than the results of a scientific study.