13-04-2025
"This Is Probably The Biggest Red Flag": People Are Revealing The Subtle Signs That Indicate Someone Has "Fake Intelligence"
While it's totally okay not to be the smartest person in the room, some people have a really hard time admitting when they're not. So when Reddit user potato_chin asked: "What is a fake sign of intelligence?" over 2,000 people provided some really strong opinions on the matter. Here's what they said below.
1. "Speaking with confidence… and zero substance."
3. "Taking a Facebook IQ test."
4. "Smart people don't have to tell you they're smart, rich people don't have to say how rich they are, and tough people don't have to tell you they're tough."
— Verlin_Wayne
"One of my favorite sayings is 'masculinity moves in silence,' but you can sub many nouns in there."
— frityn
5. "People who boast about people skills but lack empathy."
7. "Tries too hard to use big words, especially when it's not necessary to use them. True smart people absolutely know all the big words, but they also know how to communicate. They won't spit out a big word unless it's the only word to describe something."
— ynfive
"People I've come across who do this normally have a tell as well that they're doing this intentionally. Their tone and pronunciation change, and it's almost like they're saying a word (or words) that they just got from someone else."
— Cyram11590
8. "When someone can recite definitions to you but doesn't actually understand what they're saying to you."
— virgil_belmont
"That is a key difference between knowledge and intelligence. You can know lots of things, but that doesn't mean you understand them. How you understand and apply that knowledge is intelligence."
— IttyRazz
9. "Wanting to debate people all the time."
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images
— Shepher27
"And the assholes who do this won't debate in good faith. It's not about learning for them; it's about winning."
— psycharious
11. "Truly smart people love sharing and teaching others what they learn. If someone learns something and actively gate-keep it, they aren't intelligent."
Luis Alvarez / Getty Images
— Pieodox
13. "Wealth. It's too commonly seen as the end all be all. I've literally seen people's outlook on life or politics shut down with the fact they aren't as rich as the reasoning they are wrong."
Athima Tongloom / Getty Images
So, now it's your turn: Do you know a particular sign of "fake intelligence?" If you do, tell us in the comments or anonymously in the Google Form below.
