People Who Are Highly Intuitive & Self-Aware Can See Straight Through These 11 Normal People Behaviors
Rawpixel.com | Shutterstock People who are highly intuitive and self-aware can see straight through certain normal people behaviors, like performing socially and being fake, that others miss. They know how to read the room and tap into their self-awareness to lead their intuitive decisions, so they’re rarely fooled by someone’s social “mask” or performance.
1. When people are pretending to be overconfident
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In our society that tends to reward extraversion and confidence, it’s not surprising that overconfident behaviors tend to be overlooked. From overcomplicated simple topics to using complex language like corporate lingo that excludes certain people from conversations, it’s not always obvious when someone’s trying to come across as smarter than they are.
Overconfident people tend to overpromise and underdeliver, but it’s usually only people with a strong intuitive mindset who can read through a person’s loudness or confidence in the moment. They can read through someone’s overuse of complicated language and loudness in replacement for intention instantly, even if everyone else falls into the trap of charisma.
2. Excessive bragging about goals and accomplishments
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Experts know that bragging about goals tends to sabotage progress and motivation on a personal level, but in social situations, bragging about goals and accomplishments tends to make people seem more competent and intelligent.
So, it’s not surprising that many people fall into cycles of bragging about goals and overemphasizing their own achievement is commonly overlooked. However, people who are highly intuitive and self-aware can see straight through these normal people behaviors. They see through the veil of masks and performances to the insecurities that drive these behaviors.
3. When people are disguising actual cruelty
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People who are highly intuitive and self-aware can often see through people disguising their cruelty, because they’re connected to how they feel. They know when someone drains their energy and can easily understand when someone’s negativity is seeping into their own bodies, minds, and interactions.
Whether it’s using humor, with phrases like “it’s just a joke,” to hide their passive-aggressiveness and invalidate people’s hurt feelings, or self-proclaimed traits like being “brutally honest” to avoid taking accountability for being mean to people, they see past this fakeness.
4. Using busyness as an excuse
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Many people who lack a sense of self-awareness and emotional regulation skills use distractions like busyness as a means of “coping” with their emotional turmoil. Whether it’s crafting a million superficial friendships or leaning on constant mindless entertainment to avoid addressing their stress, people who are highly intuitive and self-aware notice when busyness is an excuse, rather than an obligation.
Of course, avoidance of these stressors only amplifies them, according to a study from the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. So, not only do intuitive people notice when someone’s making an excuse to avoid discomfort, but they see the outcomes that come from constant avoidant coping skills.
5. When someone is defensive because of insecurity or shame
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People with self-esteem and self-awareness often struggle less with self-consciousness and shame because they have the tools and coping skills to face their emotional turmoil head-on. That’s why people who are highly intuitive and self-aware often see through someone’s deflection into their insecurity and discomfort.
Even if it’s just getting defensive in the face of constant criticism and feedback, people who are intuitive can often tell the difference between someone who’s operating from cruelty and entitlement and those operating from insecurity and shame.
6. Overusing therapy language
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While it’s certainly possible to use therapy words and “speak” thoughtfully, it can often come across as patronizing and inaccessible for people who don’t understand it. From trying to seem more important to attempting to come across as smarter, people who are highly intuitive and self-aware see through the veil of performance.
They notice when language feels vague without meaning and instantly sense someone being inauthentic, even if it’s something as seemingly insignificant as a work meeting.
7. When someone is using fake positivity
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While faking positivity can sometimes boost mood and social energy when things are tough, experts like psychologist Mark Travers argue that it also tends to invalidate the complex feelings of sadness and shame that are easily suppressed.
It’s these emotions that intuitive and self-aware people are not only intentional about acknowledging in their own minds as they arise, but also the ones that they notice in other people, trying to fake a smile or a laugh.
It might seem subtle, but intuitive people sense negative energy in people even when it’s being covered by a mask. It may not be intentionally manipulative or harmful, but they still know it’s there.
8. Weaponizing ignorance
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When someone plays “dumb” when they’re called out for misbehavior or weaponizing ignorance to avoid taking accountability for being cruel, people who are highly intuitive and self-aware can see straight through these behaviors.
Whether it’s with an entitled co-worker in the office or at home with a partner who regularly invalidates their feelings to boost their own ego, they can sense when someone’s being disingenuous or fake.
9. The overuse of sarcasm
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Experts like psychology professor Susan Krauss Whitbourne understand that overusing sarcasm to hide passive-aggressiveness can be elusive and inconspicuous in conversations, but that doesn’t make it any less harmful to positive connections, relationships, and vulnerability. Not only does it tend to encourage people to suppress their concerns and emotions, but it also invalidates the people around them who are open and vulnerable.
Especially for naturally self-aware people who both accept and act on their internal feelings and concerns, it’s important to surround themselves with people who are open in conversations and interactions. They need safe spaces to be honest and vulnerable, which is why they’re so good at reading people who disguise their feelings with humor and sarcasm.
10. People who interrupt way too often
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Interruptions don’t just mess up the flow and momentum of conversations. They can also quickly make people feel ostracized, excluded, and invalidated. So, even if they’re easily overlooked and normalized in conversations, it’s important to be wary of how often you’re interrupting someone or tolerating disrespect in the form of a cut-off sentence or attention-seeking behavior.
People who are always cognizant of social energy in a conversation and who are intuitive enough to read the room when they’re around people notice the negativity of these interruptions instantly. They can easily spot the difference between someone who’s interrupting by accident or because of a poor attention span, and when they’re doing so with ulterior, excluding intentions.
11. Carefully curating a social media presence
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When someone’s being inauthentic, wearing a social mask, or performing in social situations to seem more likable, people who are highly intuitive and self-aware can see right through these normal people behaviors. They’re internally gratified and self-assured, so they’re often more present in these interactions, while others live in their heads, worried about how they’re being perceived.
They can sense the negativity or insecurity that lingers in a performative person’s demeanor, even if it’s entirely online through someone’s curated social media presence or posts.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
