How Can You Tell if Someone is Truly Intelligent?

This has been a ‘hobby’ of mine for several decades now. Let me share some of my favorite common signs of intelligence I have observed.

Talk only to share information

To them, small talk is simply that. Small. Meaningless even. It’s a waste of time.

They proactively listen to others and digest what was said before explaining their counter-argument.

They bounce ideas and hypotheses off of others rather than discuss random pop psychology or the latest news on a celebrity couple.

In short, they shamelessly focus on what’s important.