People With Low Intelligence Almost Always Use These 11 Phrases When They Talk To You
Kues / Shutterstock If you pay attention during conversations, you may notice several phrases that indicate a person has low intelligence. People with low intelligence almost always use these phrases when they talk to you because they mistakenly think they make them sound smarter or superior, but they're typically simply covering up the truth that they don't really know what they're talking about.
The things someone says can show you how they perceive the world, emotions, and new ideas. So listen up, because if someone has been speaking this way to you often, you can pretty much assume they don't really know what they're talking about.
People with low intelligence almost always use these 11 phrases when they talk to you
1. 'I already know everything I need to know'
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People with low intelligence may overestimate their competence and knowledge in certain areas. This is due to the psychological phenomenon referred to as the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias that often leads to a lack of self-awareness. They struggle to correctly identify the extent of their own skills and intelligence, causing them to believe that they already know everything that they need to know.
2. 'That's just how it is'
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Curiosity and intelligence are two key traits in highly intelligent people. Someone who has low intelligence will likely lack these two qualities and will respond to deep and intellectual conversations by saying things like, “That’s just how it is.”
Instead of being open to new ideas and embracing ambiguity, they will shut down questions and conversations that explore perspectives they may not have yet considered. This may be due to their discomfort with things that seem uncertain or unfamiliar. They may prefer simple things and avoid intellectual growth if it causes them any fear.
3. 'You're wrong'
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Low intelligence can also refer to the emotional competence a person possesses or lacks. Someone who constantly tells you that you are wrong and truly always believes they are right is not only overestimating their own abilities but also experiencing difficulty containing their ego, a common struggle among those with low emotional intelligence (EQ).
Instead of seeing reality for what it is, they will get defensive and allow themselves to believe whatever best fits protecting their ego. They rarely self-reflect and, instead of practicing self-control, allow their emotions to dictate their reactions in certain situations.
“People with low EQ will often argue a point to death while refusing to listen to what anyone else has to say. Even if you provide them with proof that they are wrong, they will argue that your facts are wrong,” mentions Kendra Cherry, MSEd, a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist.
4. 'I'm entitled to my opinion'
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If you present someone with factual information and they still disagree with you, saying they are entitled to their opinion, they may have low intelligence. Instead of acknowledging that they lack the evidence necessary to substantiate their opinions, they will choose to have little understanding of your point of view and will stand firm in what they think.
Craig B. Barkacs, a professor of business law and a trial lawyer, explains that critical thinking is a crucial aspect of forming reasonable judgments and validating why a person has the opinion that they do. Someone with low intelligence may have more difficulty with critical thinking. This causes them to lean on the entitlement of opinion they believe they have, rather than go through the process of developing sound, factual reasons for their opinions.
5. 'That's not my problem'
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People with low intelligence may lack the self-awareness needed to understand complex problems and recognize how they may be connected to them. Because of this, they may often tell you that certain things are not their problem, even when they are in some ways.
A 2022 study published in the Journal of Intelligence found that people with low intelligence typically struggle with recognizing their shortcomings. This means that when they do something that causes an issue or makes a mistake, they may not understand how to accurately assess the mistake and its impact on others.
6. 'You can't prove that'
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If factual evidence has been provided to a person, and yet they still tell you that you cannot prove it, they may have low intelligence. This can be due to the person struggling to understand the evidence presented to them, or they may have difficulty accepting it.
When a person refuses to attempt to understand the reasoning another person gives about a certain topic, they lack the open-mindedness that most highly intelligent people possess. A 2008 study found that people with high intelligence are typically more likely to consider other people’s points of view before narrowing down their own perspective on something.
7. 'It is what it is'
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People with low intelligence will likely say “it is what it is” often when in conversation with you. While on the surface it may seem like an insignificant phrase, it can explain a deeper perspective that these individuals may possess when considering new and unknown ideas or concepts.
Liane Gabora, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, mentions that “it is what it is” is a phrase that, in some contexts, can signal the acceptance of ambiguity, while in other contexts, can indicate a person’s acceptance of limitations. If a person is saying this phrase to you with a tone that leans toward the latter perspective, they likely lack the kind of open-mindedness that exists within many highly intelligent individuals.
8. 'That's not what I meant'
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While intelligence alone is not an effective indication of whether an individual is a good or bad communicator, emotional intelligence can help to identify how certain people interact with others. If someone tells you “that’s not what I meant” in conversation, it may be because they feel misunderstood.
A person with low emotional intelligence may struggle when it comes to verbally expressing themselves and connecting with others. When they feel like they have not communicated effectively with another person, they may shut down and want to take back what they’ve said.
9. 'I don't know what I want'
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When someone tells you that they don’t know what they want often in conversation, they may struggle with self-awareness and commitment. Both of these are key components of emotional intelligence and cognitive intelligence.
Self-awareness helps an individual manage and navigate their emotions and behaviors, which helps them to make decisions about what they want in life. By making these kinds of decisions, a person is then able to commit to achieving the goals that they set for themselves, which they have to cognitively commit to.
10. 'I don't care'
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If people say “I don’t care” while having conversations with you, they may struggle with low intelligence, or low emotional intelligence, to be exact. They may use this phrase often because they are unsure how to express themselves effectively.
When a person struggles with self-regulation, they may also struggle with feeling empathetic toward the feelings of others. Due to this, they may have difficulty in social interactions, developing connections, and understanding social cues.
11. 'Stop being so sensitive'
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Invalidating the emotions of other people and not aiming to understand why someone is feeling the way they are can indicate that a person has low intelligence, especially emotionally. By dismissing someone else’s feelings, they are signaling that they have difficulty with processing complex emotions.
They also likely struggle with interpreting emotional cues within conversations and knowing how to respond when someone is very open about the way they feel. While these phrases may help indicate whether someone has low or high intelligence, it is important to understand the context in which they are used to identify what they truly indicate.
Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor's degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.
