11 Habits That Reveal Someone Is Dumber Than They Let On, According To Psychology
Those who try and fake intelligence are easy to spot once you know what you're looking for.
Gorodenkoff | Shutterstock We all know that one person, or even group of people, who try to make it seem as if they have everything in life already figured out. They think that intelligence is all about how you present yourself, so they're constantly trying to do things to impress others. They might use big words without truly knowing what they mean, nod along during conversations but never give their own opinions, and even try to argue without bringing any facts or evidence to back up their claims. But a lot of the time, these are actually habits that reveal someone is dumber than they let on, according to psychology.
A lot of the time, this façade of attempting to be smart all of the time is just rooted in deep insecurity. They're way more focused on looking intelligent rather than being intelligent. They rarely try to educate themselves about things, and would rather overcompensate and hope that no one notices they don't really know what they're talking about. It might take a little bit before you start to notice these people are always contradicting themselves, but once you do, you see that they're way more shallow than they'd like people to believe.
Here are 11 habits that reveal someone is dumber than they let on, according to psychology
1. Constantly interrupting
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People who have no problem cutting off others during conversation and trying to speak over them can be the biggest sign that someone is a lot less intelligent and thoughtful than they may try to come across as.
These individuals really think that their own thoughts are so much more valuable and urgent than allowing someone else to speak and be fully heard. They lack a certain patience that shows how little they think to hear someone else's perspective.
Personal coach Marty Nemko pointed out that people who are always interrupting others can easily come across as egotistical. "You appear egotistical and seem to believe the other person is inferior. Interrupting implies that you deem your words more worthy than the remainder of what the other person has to say," he explained.
They may think that what they have to say is more critical, but rather than trying to understand and actually take in the information that's being told to them, they want to jump in and prove a point. The only way that we can learn and actually educate ourselves on certain topics is by actively listening.
However, individuals that try to appear smarter than they are have this kind of overconfidence of not needing to wait around for the full explanation. It's a habit that reveals they're way more focused on looking smart than actually being smart.
2. Confusing being loud for being right
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One of the glaring habits that reveal someone is dumber than they let on, according to psychology, is thinking being loud equates to being correct. In fact, a common misconception people think is that if they're the loudest ones in the room or during a debate, it automatically means that they're the ones in the right.
However, the smartest people know that volume has nothing to do with being right or "winning." Instead, the louder the person is trying to be, the more uncertain they usually are about the topic at hand.
Raising their voice or trying to stand tall and intimidate others is just a defense mechanism so that people are too afraid to question them on what they really know. They are single-handedly trying to create an environment where actually having a productive conversation gets eliminated. They're way more interested in coming out on top than they are with actually being able to understand things.
3. Laughing off serious topics
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Some people tend to use humor as a kind of safety blanket, especially when a conversation has turned serious. Rather than choosing to engage with the important topics and issues that are plaguing our society, these individuals have no problem cracking a joke and attempting to simply change the subject.
They think any real discussion that will actually provide depth is, instead, a time to be unserious. This habit comes from the fact that they know engaging in these productive conversations will actually reveal the fact that they don't know much about the topic at hand.
According to a study published in Psychological Science, psychologist Matthias Mehl and his team set out to study happiness and deep talk. They found that the college students involved in the study were the happiest when having twice as many deep and substantive conversations, and only one-third the amount of small talk as the unhappiest person.
They're trying their hardest to come across as being smart that they don't realize it's just giving them away. Rather than admitting they don't know much and opening themselves up to learning about it, they would rather continue to exist in ignorance.
Those who are always laughing off serious topics simply aren't secure enough in themselves to learn, and by that reasoning, people aren't willing to take them seriously.
4. Only surrounding themselves with 'yes' people
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Rather than surrounding themselves with people who will challenge them and allow them the opportunity to grow and be surrounded by new ideas, those who pretend to be smart but actually lack intelligence would rather be around "yes" people. They don't want honest feedback and they don't want to hear different viewpoints to theirs because they'd rather have everyone on their side than risk being vulnerable.
However, vulnerability is one the biggest signs of someone's intelligence. "Vulnerability is an inevitable part of life. So many things require vulnerability: trying something new, sharing a difficult experience, expressing emotions, and if we constantly have a guard up, we often end up living a less fulfilling life. Instead of trying to guard against it, we can practice embracing vulnerability knowing that it often leads to personal growth and will make our lives more meaningful in the long run," encouraged psychologist Jennifer Caspari.
These types of individuals would rather exist in an echo chamber because they just don't want to look foolish if they have to engage in any kind of debate or disagreement. This fear doesn't make them strong, like they'd love to believe, but instead it shows that they lack confidence and are way less capable than what they want others to believe.
5. Never admitting when they're confused
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One of the biggest signs that someone isn't as smart as they want others to believe are the people who seemingly refuse to admit when they're confused. Instead of being transparent and saying they don't understand something or need it to be explained again, they will either fake understanding or try to change the topic altogether to something they may know more about.
They're incredibly stubborn when it comes to admitting confusion because in their minds, they equate it to some kind of weakness. They don't want to appear as if they have any flaws at all, even though being a perfect person is nowhere near true.
They fail to realize that true intelligence isn't about knowing everything all of the time. Instead, it's actually being willing to admit when you don't know something and opening your mind to actually educating yourself. But those that would rather pretend to be intelligent think that not letting anyone see the cracks of their knowledge is better.
6. Thinking being busy equates to productivity
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One of the common habits that reveal someone is dumber than they let on, according to psychology, is believing that filling their day with endless tasks and distractions is the same as being productive. However, when you actually look closely at the things they need to get done, you can tell that they either aren't the most important tasks or they simply don't get done at all.
They would rather keep up the illusion that they are productive throughout all hours of the day because it makes them feel important. It gives them this sense of accomplishment and purpose, even if their actions aren't even lining up with actually getting to their goal.
They mistake hustle for knowing things and having a high IQ, but the real productivity is doing things that move the needle and get you closer to the things you want to achieve in life. It's not just pretending to sit at your desk with a million meetings coming up, and not actually doing anything to prepare for them.
7. Quoting things they've never actually read
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There's always that person who confidently throws out different quotes from famous books, articles, or even things that popular celebrities or activists have said in a speech. However, despite knowing the quote, when you actually try to ask them the context or if, they don't know it. In fact, a 2023 study determined that people who post inspirational quotes online are actually less intelligent.
People like this love to sprinkle this fake knowledge into conversation just to appear wise, but they actually didn't put any time into reading or even understanding the source that they're using. It's all about appearing smarter than they are because of how badly they want to impress others and fit in with the crowd that values intellect.
However, the closer you listen to these people, you realize that they're just quoting things out of habit rather than any kind of interpretation. They memorize these famous lines because they know that actual intelligent people will recognize it. They're just way more interested in being someone they're not, and will keep up the façade for as long as they can.
8. Believing every headline they read
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People who lack intelligence will often be the first ones to believe anything they've seen online rather than actually fact-checking it and doing a bit of research. Without the proper discernment and willingness to look for even an ounce of actual accuracy, it shows that they're only interested in the quick and easy answers, and it's one of the habits that reveal someone is dumber than they let on, according to psychology.
"Getting the facts right really matters — especially when our decisions and actions depend on them. When we don't have enough information, it can feel like we know more than we actually do, leading us to hold onto false beliefs. That's what makes misinformation so tricky," explained developmental neuropsychologist Sam Goldstein.
Of course, this only ends up making them look even less intelligent because they then go into conversations bringing up a false headline or story, and when people actually look it up, they realize there's nothing true about it. Therefore, these individuals end up losing their credibility, all because they just didn't take two seconds out of their day to verify information.
9. Making instant assumptions
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It reveals a lot about a person's intelligence, or lack thereof, when they are quick to make judgments and assumptions without actually stopping to gather any facts. They would rather rely on the obvious things than actually find out if something is true.
People who are always jumping to conclusions lack any and all patience when it comes to how complex life really is. They just want the simple and clear answers, but that's not how learning is.
"The less you assume, the more bandwidth you'll have to operate at your peak efficiency. Once you've worked on these areas, your self-confidence and hopefulness will measurably improve. These elements are necessary to sustain a higher level of satisfaction," explained clinical psychologist Jennifer Guttman.
You have to be willing to critically think about things and allow yourself to hear information rather than spread things that aren't true. The most important part about making genuine connections and building relationships that last is being able to seek out new perspectives.
It's all a part of growing and learning. So when someone is vehemently against that, it can show that they really aren't as thoughtful as they'd like you to think.
10. Refusing to ask questions
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When someone refuses to gain insight and knowledge by asking questions, they don't actually value intelligence in the way that they want everyone to think they do. Asking questions is one of the smartest things a person can do in any situation. It shows that they are willing to engage with new ideas, even if they don't know all of the facts straight away.
"Why is curiosity such an important skill? First, questions are an elegant way to learn more about another person and to gather additional information which may or may not turn out to be useful. The second reason curiosity is important is that it is an essential part of any negotiation," insisted psychologist Robert Maurer.
Compared to those who refuse to ask questions, they are never missing out on learning something new that can help shape and grow their perspective on the world and the things they interact with on a daily basis. People who are just against questions usually do this because they think showing intrigue will give away the fact that they aren't actually smart. They don't want to "look dumb," but fail to realize that they're simply doing that anyway by remaining ignorant.
11. Avoiding books entirely
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The best way to gain intellect about anything is by reading. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. If you're someone who doesn't enjoy reading or refuses to pick up a book at all, you're missing out on learning vital information and expanding your worldview.
Whether it's non-fiction, autobiographies, fiction books, or even articles online, relying solely on social media, clicky headlines or these quick summaries means you're not actually comprehending anything.
Reading tweets on your phone or scrolling on TikTok isn't filling the gap because books are really the only thing that can. It takes a real commitment to wanting to learn to engage with books. People who avoid entirely prefer light and easy entertainment, which is why they end up struggling to keep up in conversations with actual intelligent people.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
