10 Things That Are Very Easy If You're Smart, But Are Super Challenging For Normal People
Dekazigzag | Shutterstock There are many different ways to be successful, but having a high IQ is often considered one of the fastest routes to a great life. That's not always true in practice, of course. The IQ test can only measure a certain type of intelligence, after all. Psychologist Howard Gardner posited there are actually eight types of intelligence across various subjects. A few examples of these that might surprise those who value IQ over all else are body-kinesthetic, interpersonal, musical and linguistic. That's why the list of things that are very easy if you're smart but challenging for normal people is so diverse.
If you are smart in this more holistic way, there are certain things that are easy for you but extremely hard for others. Smart people are usually able to pick up new skills quickly, whereas people with average levels of intelligence might find that to be more difficult. Oftentimes, the parts of life that come easily to real-world smart people are hard for people without this mix of intellectual skills.
Here are 10 things that are easy if you're smart, but super challenging for normal people
1. Multitasking effectively
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If you're smart, it's easy for you to effectively multitask. This is a very special skill, as the American Psychological Association reports that multitasking often affects productivity and the quality of the work. This is mostly due to most people's inability to "goal shift" without losing precious time.
But very smart people's level of intelligence allow them to juggle various complicated tasks while still producing quality work. If you're one of these very smart people, you're still able to be a high-performer on the job, as you're able to handle many projects at once.
You're also able to stay calm when faced with stressful situations, which ties into your multitasking skill set. Smart people know which tasks to prioritize in terms of their level of importance as a way to manage their time.
While normal people might feel overwhelmed at the prospect of doing more than one task at the same time, smart people are able to do so with ease.
2. Speed reading
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Another thing that's easy if you're smart but very challenging for normal people is speed reading while maintaining strong comprehension. If you're smart, you can both read quickly and retain the information that you're reading. Normal people might struggle with actually holding onto the topic that they're reading about, if they read too quickly.
Psychologist Keith Rayner notes the inherent challenges of reading at a fast pace and retaining information at the same time, explaining that "the way to maintain high comprehension and get through text faster is to practice reading and to become a more skilled language user... because language skill is at the heart of speed reading."
However, if you're very smart, your ability to understand difficult vocabulary is heightened already. This is likely why it's easier for you to fully comprehend what you're reading despite the speed.
3. Explaining complex topics in simple ways
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Another thing that's easy if you're smart but challenging for normal people is being able to explain difficult topics in a simple way.
After all, it's one thing to understand complicated information, like the rules of physics or chemistry, but's something else entirely to be able to explain that information to people who might not grasp it as easily as you. That requires multiple levels and types of intelligence that makes you super rare.
Being very smart means you can break down complex pieces of information into simpler concepts, and explain them using straightforward language. That way, people with lower levels of intelligence can understand what you're talking about and that's a true gift.
4. Following difficult instructions
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Following complicated directions is another thing that's easy if you're smart, but very challenging for normal people. If you're very smart, it's easier for you to process and absorb a lot of information at one time, while a normal person might get stuck or confused.
For normal people, simple instructional tasks are more challenging. For example, they might have a very hard time understanding the steps for putting together that IKEA dresser they bought, and have to restart the process multiple times until they get all their pieces in place.
While IKEA instructions are notoriously hard for even highly intelligent people (so much so that engineers at Stanford even looked into it), it's likely that a person who is smart will find them easier. This would certainly require not just high IQ but also spatial and kinesthetic intelligence, too.
5. Effective time management
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If you're very smart, time management probably comes easily to you. You're able to list out what you need to get done in order of importance and keep your focus on the task at hand, so that you don't get distracted or wander off course. You can streamline what needs to get done in a day, which makes you a highly productive person.
Time management can be very challenging for normal people, but if we look at what makes smart people great at it, we can improve. According to Harvard's Division of Continuing Education, there are skills smart people posses that the rest of us can develop.
The first step to better time management is to write out a calendar and check it daily. Setting reminders and prioritizing certain tasks are also important parts of time management. It's also important to remember that you're a human, not a machine, and you need to carve out some time for your mind to rest and recharge. This is the little-known secret to being smart and productive: making sure you're getting all of your needs met so you can truly excel.
6. Mental math
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Yet another thing that's easy if you're smart is the admirable skill of being able to complete complex math problems in your head. If you can do math quickly without the use of a calculator, it's a sign of high intelligence that can't be faked.
One type of intelligence, according to Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, is logical-mathematical intelligence. A person with this intelligence type has strong reasoning skills and is able to recognize patterns and logically analyze problems with ease. They can solve complicated computations without having to write them out, making them adept at performing mental math.
In addition, people who are gifted at visualization can imagine the numbers or even something symbolic in their minds, helping them tally and total and even divide, solely with the power of their minds. If this is you, you are certainly very smart!
7. Learning a new language
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Another intelligence type listed among Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences is linguistic-verbal intelligence. People with this particular type of intelligence are especially adept at writing, reading, speaking, and memorizing new information, all of which are necessary for learning a new language.
In general, learning a new language is easy if you're smart, but very challenging for normal people. You have to be able to hold a lot of complicated information in your head, like rules for grammar and syntax, along with new vocabulary words. Learning multiple new languages? That means you are exceptionally smart!
8. Remembering long lists of information
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If you're incredibly smart, it's easy for you to remember a lot of information at once. This is due to a very high-functioning working memory, which is a special gift indeed. Someone who has high intelligence also has strong memory retention and ability to recall information, not just remember it for a short time.
It's always very impressive to hear someone rattle off numbers and data. While many people can do this about subjects they are passionate about (the years of their favorite cars, the stats of their favorite baseball players), it takes a truly smart person to remember numbers and data and other long lists of information about other things.
If you're among these gifted people, consider yourself very lucky, as remembering long lists of info is helpful at work, with friends and even at the grocery store!
9. Critical thinking
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Exceptionally smart people have one very important skill: critical thinking. Not only are they able to comprehend complex situations and topics, they are able to synthesize this information with less-concrete ideas like morality and values.
Smart people's ability to make connections between disparate pieces of information, can be challenging for normal people, which can lead to a lack of critical thinking skills. Often, people who lack critical thinking skills are easily duped, falling for fake stories online or even fraudsters trying to trick them.
Parents who value real-life success and happiness often nurture a smart child's critical thinking skills along with their intelligence. After all, what's the good of being smart if you don't know how to think critically about what you observe? Teaching children (and ourselves!) to evaluate not only the veracity of what someone else is saying, but also how it fits in with their own ethics and values ,can guide them to an incredibly happy, successful life.
10. Keeping track of life and schedules
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Everyone can relate to forgetting their car keys in the house and trekking through bad weather before realizing. Smart people find it easy to learn from this mistake, while normal people find it challenging to stop being so forgetful.
It's not that smart people are inherently more responsible. After all, we all make mistakes. What smart people do that is challenging to the rest of us is develop systems to help them keep track of their lives, items and even their schedules.
Anyone can lose their keys, but smart people will put a hook by the door and place them there every day when they return home. Similarly, a smart person searches for, tests and utilizes calendar systems so as to never miss a meeting that's on their schedule. While some highly intelligent people may have a "scatter-brained professor" vibe, most truly smart people do the work to keep everything in its place to help maximize their success.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
