People Who Think Smarter & Faster Than Everyone Else Usually Have These 11 Hobbies That Bore Average Minds
ShotPrime Studio | Shutterstock Having a hobby is consistently tied to well-being and happiness, according to a study from Harvard Health, but depending on what activities and rituals you indulge in, they can say a lot about your intellect and personality. From reading to going for walks at night, people who think smarter and faster than everyone else usually have these hobbies that bore average minds.
If they make time for them consistently, they may even help to mediate some of the mental health crises and affective disorders that highly intelligent people struggle with throughout the course of their lives, according to an Intelligence study.
People who think smarter and faster than everyone else usually have these 11 hobbies that bore average minds
1. Reading challenging books
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Reports show that Americans are spending less time reading, let alone reading challenging books, today than ever before. They’re not only losing literacy skills slowly over the course of adulthood, but they’re missing out on chances to boost cognitive skills, empathy, and social awareness out in the world.
Luckily, people who think smarter and faster than everyone else usually have hobbies like this that bore average minds. They like to seek out challenges to personally grow and read to scratch a curious bone in their bodies.
2. Talking to strangers
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According to psychologist Jamie Gruman, talking to strangers and having conversations with people you don’t know can actually boost your well-being and make you happier. Strangers also offer a great deal of perspective and life experience if you’re intentional about seeking out challenge and actively listening when someone new is around.
People who think smarter and faster than everyone else usually like hearing about people’s lives, even if it’s entirely mundane, and practicing their social skills, even in the most unexciting ways.
3. Journaling in a reflective way
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While journaling is often a facet of a healthy lifestyle and way of living, for many intelligent people who think smarter and faster than everyone, it’s simply second nature. They’re reflective about patterns and journal sometimes for fun, making it not only more enjoyable an experience but also a more productive one.
They appreciate leaning into solitude that cultivates space for them to appreciate self-reflection. They enjoy digging into their behaviors and mindsets not only to understand, but to accept and move forward, making decisions that align with this new information, as a study from Europe’s Journal of Psychology explains.
4. Learning new things
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Whether it’s taking a class later in life, learning a new language in adulthood, or being curious enough to ask questions in even the most casual conversations, people who think smarter and faster than everyone else usually have these hobbies that bore average minds.
Intelligent people are innately curious, like a study from the Journal of Individual Differences, which is why it’s not surprising that learning is both a hobby in their everyday lives and also a personality trait in every other aspect.
5. Taking long walks outside
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Of course, moving your body and exercising regularly is great for your brain and well-being, but a study from the Scientific Reports found that indulging in all of those hobbies outside can actually be better. You’re soaking up all the health benefits of fresh air, nature, and movement, often in forms that are restful, mindful, and entirely relaxing.
So, even if they’re boring for average minds, going for walks and getting outside every day are hobbies that the smartest and intellectually securest people always make time for.
6. Drawing or painting
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According to a study from Intelligence, smart people often also indulge in creative pursuits and hobbies because of a shared cognitive basis — their intelligence and creative skills are inherently intertwined. They may draw or paint, but they usually make time in their day to be creative with something, even if it’s simply changing or altering something administrative at their jobs.
It’s not about making art, or even making good art, but finding the flow state, stress release, and self-expression that comes from making something tangible and literal in the world.
7. Playing strategy games
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Intelligent people love strategy games, whether they’re cards or boards, because they offer up chances to problem-solve and think critically. They like a challenge, even if it comes in the form of entertainment or a game.
Even if it comes in the form of a video game that’s proven to boost cognition and performance, it’s one of the hobbies that the average mind hates, but intelligent people love.
8. Organizing things
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Whether it’s literally organizing and de-cluttering their spaces or finding ways to categorize knowledge and information, people who think smarter and faster than everyone else have hobbies revolving around organization that bore average minds.
Even if messiness can be a trait of intelligence in some, the general framework of organizing, making inferences, and connecting the dots between two different ideas is a key hobby and skill of the most intelligent people.
9. Simplifying complex things
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Truly intelligent people often work to make things feel less complicated and more accessible for the average person, at least according to a study from WIREs Cognitive Science. Whether it’s language in a work meeting or complicated topics that they can simplify down to digestible bits, it’s a hobby that only the smartest and fastest thinkers appreciate, and average minds usually find boring.
They like to challenge themselves with complicated topics and conversations, even if it means learning something new — a behavior that some people find boring, and sometimes, even scary and threatening.
10. Asking questions
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Of course, asking thoughtful questions is a fundamental part of active listening strategies that bond people, but for some, it’s simply a hobby that cultivates curiosity.
While it can be a hobby in conversations with friends and interactions with strangers, even in the workplace, asking thoughtful questions is the key to great leadership and productivity. People need to feel understood by their peers and accepted in conversations to feel connected to people, which is why it’s such an important hobby for people who are smarter than the average individual.
11. Doing puzzles
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According to a study from Medical Science Monitor Basic Research, brain training with puzzles and other tools is often associated with better long-term cognitive performance in the realms of memory, concentration, and problem-solving. That’s part of the reason why the smartest and fastest thinkers appreciate things like puzzles and strategy board games more than the average person.
They lean into hobbies that might feel a bit challenging, but that have a strong payoff, both in terms of fun, accomplishment, and personal well-being.
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.
