People With Low Intelligence & Inflated Egos Usually Have 11 Off-Putting Habits
RollingCamera | Shutterstock Have you ever noticed that the smartest people you know are actually the most humble? It's no coincidence. After all, the more people learn, they start to realize how much more there is to know.
In contrast, people who think they're way more intelligent than they really are have all the confidence in the world. They have impulsive habits and tend to have seriously outsized egos that make them especially off-putting.
People with low intelligence & inflated egos usually have these 11 off-putting habits:
1. They avoid learning new things
An odd habit that usually indicates a person has a low IQ in an aversion to learning new things. They keep themselves closed off to information they don’t already know, which limits their outlook. They avoid reading sources they don’t already agree with, so they exist in an intellectual echo chamber.
Their limited mindset makes it hard for them to understand other people’s experiences, but they don’t ask questions or dig any deeper, keeping their relationships on the surface level. By avoiding new information, they don’t have to challenge themselves to see things in a different light. They ask very little of themselves, and their rigid adherence to what they already know keeps them from living an expansive life.
2. They’re impulsive
People with inflated egos often take action without considering the consequences or long-term effects, which can be harmful to themselves and the people around them.
They lack the big-picture thinking that allows them to see all sides of an issue and have almost zero patience. That means they pretty much never pause to consider if what they're doing is the right choice for them or anyone else. They think they're just too smart to have to pause and reconsider their immediate impulse, when in reality, highly intelligent people know that a quick moment to self-reflect is key to making smart decisions.
3. They act like an expert even when they’re not
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One of the most embarassing habits of people who have low IQs and huge egos is their confidence when talking about things they truly don't understand. They might make unfounded declarations and talk over other people who know more than they do about the subject, refusing to see the gaps in their knowledge.
In an article by Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, David Dunning discussed the Dunning-Kruger effect, which occurs when “poor performers in many social and intellectual domains seem largely unaware of just how deficient their expertise is.”
He touched on the idea of “meta-ignorance” or “ignorance of ignorance,” stating that “the scope of people's ignorance is often invisible to them… because lack of expertise and knowledge often hides in the realm of the ‘unknown unknowns.’”
A person who has a low IQ doesn’t know what they don’t know, which keeps them caught in a state of dissonance. Claiming to be an expert, even when they’re not, is an odd habit that usually indicates a person has a low IQ.
4. They don’t entertain different perspectives
Being unable or unwilling to hear different perspectives is one of the most off-putting and self-limiting habit of people with inflated egos. They have a low tolerance for listening to people whose opinions and experiences don’t line up exactly with their own. They dismiss how other people feel instead of offering validation, even for the parts they do agree with.
Their inability to entertain opposing perspectives keeps them closed off from intellectual debate and challenging discussions. They can’t hold space for the idea that everyone sees the world through a different lens. Their insularity holds them back from making deeper connections, and it usually indicates they have a low IQ.
5. They don’t adapt easily, even when it's necessary
An odd habit that usually indicates a person has a low IQ is not being able to adapt easily to new environments or ways of thinking. They cling to outdated information, putting all their belief into methods that have been disproven.
They don’t accept any new approaches to how they operate. Their inability to embrace change means they often stay stuck in a way of life that no longer serves them. This rigidity often shows up in their dichotomous, all-or-nothing thinking, which means they struggle to see nuance. Their limited, over-simplified thought process keeps them from fully understanding complicated issues, revealing that they have a low IQ.
6. They live unbalanced lives
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People who think they're smarter than they actually are have a hard time finding the middle ground, which means they only have two speeds: go hard or do nothing at all.
Their lack of balance affects their personal and professional lives. They struggle to separate the two, which means they either push past their limits and work themselves into the ground or they ignore their responsibilities completely.
According to Mental Health America’s Work Health Survey, people who reported having a good work-life balance feel more satisfied with their job and their life outside of work, and they experience fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. MHA revealed that over half of the survey respondents said they cope with workplace stress by engaging in unhealthy behaviors, like substance abuse or being emotionally reactive in their relationships.
While an imbalanced life can stem from many different things, it can also be an indication that a person has a low IQ.
7. They make decisions solely based on emotions
An odd habit that usually indicates a person has a low IQ is making decisions based on emotions alone. They don’t incorporate any logic or strategic thinking into their decision-making process. Instead, they base their behavior around how they feel and nothing else, which shows a lack of emotional intelligence.
Following your emotions without questioning them is a sign of low emotional intelligence. Yes, your emotions are important, but they are not the whole story. They cannot be the sole decider of your behavior, or you'll be irrational and make poor decisions for your future.
This can be challenging for people with inflated egos to accept. They want to believe every part of them is fantastic and brilliant, including their emotions. But, sorry, feelings and logic can work together well, but they are very different.
8. They don’t plan for the future
L only in the moment and not planning for the long-term is a big feature for people who have huge egos without the intelligence to match. While being mindful and staying present are helpful psychological tools, a person who’s incapable of thinking about the future at all sets themselves up for disaster.
Being in the now can help people manage stress and hardship, but it can also hinder their ability to live a successful, well-rounded life later on. A person who uses all of their rent money to buy an ice cream truck because it seemed like a good idea before the first of the month lacks foresight and basic common sense, which can indicate they have a low IQ.
9. They believe in and spread conspiracy theories
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They might get their news from unverified sources and believe all media is corrupt, or they may truly believe the headline declaring that every professional athlete in the world is actually an alien. Or maybe they think every single thing is a sign that the end of the world is coming. Whatever it is, it's wacky and their theories pretty much never pan out.
They accept ideas that have no factual basis as facts. Their best friend’s cousin once went camping in Canada and saw a 6-foot tall creature he absolutely swears was Bigfoot, which means they believe Bigfoot exists, without asking any more probing questions.
Believing in conspiracy theories to an extreme degree shows a lack of analytical thinking and is an odd habit that usually indicates a person has a low IQ.
10. They don’t question authority
People who aren't smart (but think they are) often pledge full loyalty to people in positions of power, without doing any research on their belief systems or investigating how their actions affect society as a whole. They find someone they think will be a good leader and attach themselves to them without any sense of nuance.
They don’t think about the intentions that authority figures have, which means they follow any direction given to them, showing that they’re not thinking about things on a deeper level.
During a speech at Duke University, Dean and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Steve Nowicki touched on reasons why questioning authority is actually a good thing to do, as long as people stay open-minded about the answers they receive.
“We’re right to question authority when we think that authority is unfounded, unjust, or otherwise just messed up somehow,” he said. “But if we ask the question, we need to be willing to help find the answer, understanding that the answer might be complicated, that it might be difficult, or that the answer might be different from what we initially think it is.”
“When someone offers you an idea, it’s good to ask where that idea comes from, to ask what reasoning it’s based on, to consider the evidence yourself before accepting the idea,” he said. “Reasonable people might sometimes differ in what they think the answer is, because they reasonably see the world from different perspectives.”
Not questioning authority shows that someone has a lack of curiosity around understanding how the world works, and it usually indicates they have a low IQ.
11. They ignore feedback
Ignoring feedback is an odd habit that usually indicates a person has a low IQ. They don’t have a deep enough level of self-awareness to understand that feedback is meant to help them become a better version of themselves. Instead, they interpret any form of feedback as a personal attack.
They dismiss critique outright, without giving it any consideration. They take a hardline stance against the person offering the feedback, declaring them to be jealous haters who don’t know anything. Their refusal to be reflective and integrate people’s suggestions for self-improvement usually indicate that they have a low IQ.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.
