Some habits and interests may seem harmless, but they can also reveal a surprising lack of critical thinking, judgment, and self-awareness.
Everyone needs to know
Some people can’t have a disagreement without throwing a public tantrum. They’ll fight in public restaurants, tweet their relationship issues, or involve friends in arguments that should never be public knowledge.
Having an audience can make the whole ordeal seem like more of a spectacle, but usually doesn’t do much for resolving the issue. Sensible people know that some quarrels aren’t worthy of an audience, and public humiliation can only make fixing a petty argument much more difficult.
Anything for the clip
Dangerous online tasks appeal to those who care more about the response than potential repercussions. Climbing an unsafe area, street racing, or trying a dangerous stunt when not trained can lead to incredible footage. However, a few seconds of fame aren’t worth lifelong injury.
The problem isn’t about enjoying thrills or calculated risks. It’s about blatantly disregarding danger because some random people on the internet might watch or react to it.
Maximum volume
We’ve all met someone who talks on their phone loud enough for everyone to hear. Some blast videos with no headphones, yell across restaurants or blast music when everyone else is trying to relax. They’re just having fun, and likely don’t notice or care about others around them. However, persistently making loud unnecessary noises shows disregard for the fact that public places are shared spaces.
Too good to check
Misinformation has one big advantage on the internet: it’s compelling enough that people want to pass it along right away. Someone will see an outrageous headline, a dramatic video, or some shocking claim and forward it to their entire contacts list before doing any fact-checking. If it validates something they already think is true, they won’t fact-check it at all.
Intelligent people fall for false information too, but they might hesitate if it sounds too good to be true, especially before they’re about to spread it under their own name.
Somebody else is the joke
A prank crosses the line into cruel when everyone’s enjoyment relies on someone else’s embarrassment. Ruining another person’s property, scaring someone half to death, sharing private details, or humiliating someone around others may gain tons of laughs from onlookers. The victim may feel something quite other than amusement.
Proudly unopened
Ever hear someone brag that they haven’t read a book since school or refuse to read an article before telling you how stupid it is? Intelligence isn’t judged by how many books are on your shelf, but willfully ignoring chances to learn can create massive holes in your knowledge. There is a difference between learning through different means and boasting about never learning.
A battle over nothing
Some people love to take petty debates and make them full-blown arguments. Talking about movies, food, sports, or some trivial fact suddenly becomes something they need to win. They’ll sit online for hours arguing with random people who won’t ever be swayed. Debate can be healthy, but knowing petty arguments are pointless is helpful.
Look what I bought
There is nothing inherently bad about enjoying something you worked hard for and saved up to buy. Problems begin when someone feels they have to live a life of showing off all the time. Every new watch, car, phone, purse, or vacation has to be posted just so everyone knows how amazing this person is doing.
Unfortunately, trying to show people how great your life is 24/7 usually garners the complete opposite response you are going for. Nobody really cares if you are rich and you’re showing it every chance you get. People actually admire those who have nice things but don’t feel they have to broadcast it to everyone all the time.
Front-row seat to chaos
An argument erupts and a few people instinctively whip out their phones. Rather than walking away or attempting to diffuse the situation, they congregate around because conflict is fascinating. This same draw is why clips of public fights and arguments can garner massive amounts of attention on the internet. It’s natural to be curious, but turning another person’s lowest moment into free entertainment can get grotesque, especially if you’re recording it or egging the person on.
Addicted to outrage
There’s content out there whose entire purpose is to make you angry. And some people knowingly go back to it day after day. They watch videos they know will upset them, read comments made to infuriate them, and share it so everyone else can get mad as well. Anger feels good sometimes because it’s exciting and it makes them feel morally superior. But continually fueling themselves with media that leaves them aggravated isn’t always being well informed.
An expert overnight
Let a person with a low IQ learn about something for five minutes, and suddenly they’re more qualified to talk about that topic than someone who’s been studying it for two decades. They generalize wildly and dismiss experts. They seldom qualify their statements with, “I may be wrong.” This is overconfidence without knowledge.
The more someone really knows about complex topics, the more likely they are to admit they might be wrong because you know there is so much to know.
The easy-money promise
Pyramid schemes are particularly seductive to those who concentrate on the prize while paying scant attention to the likelihood that they will lose their money. From meme-coin hype to pyramid schemes to “secret” trading strategies to “guaranteed” returns, they all promise to diverge from the typical investment timeline, risk, or effort.
Analytical thinkers tend to be skeptical of get-rich schemes because such high rewards are seldom offered with zero risk.
Noise instead of a punchline
Media that revolves around little more than cheap jump-scares, loud screaming for the sake of chaos, or gross-out bodily harm simply doesn’t have room for narrative cleverness, wit, or subtext. Clever slapstick certainly exists, but low-effort slapstick doesn’t set anything up; it just depends on crude visceral responses.
Sure, slapstick works sometimes, but easy slapstick is just cheap visceral responses with no set-up and reward. No one who wants to be entertained watches nonsense flashing on screen.
Extreme brand loyalty
Claiming allegiance or loyalty to a corporation’s brand, sports team, or technology company above all else is often a sign of brainwashing. Rational people know that companies are businesses first and foremost, and choose their purchases based on what products are better, offer more value, and/or work well.
Needlessly arguing in favor of a company no matter what they do or acting like fandoms are going to war are signs of low intelligence.
Trusting the signs
Good-luck charms, horoscopes, and silly superstitions are harmless fun. But when someone lets these things influence major decisions, there’s a problem.
Faith in superstition replaces facts and preparation with a fantasy of control over chance. It can make the unknown feel more comfortable to deal with, but superstition doesn’t alter odds. Logical thinkers are more likely to focus on factors they can control by being prepared, informed, and working hard rather than leaving things up to luck.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
If these 10 phrases annoy and irritate you deeply, you probably have a really high IQ
There are some sentences that annoy you when you hear them, and that’s likely because you’d rather question an easy answer than just let it slide.
If these 10 phrases annoy and irritate you deeply, you probably have a really high IQ
