Low IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, refers to standardized tests that measure a person's cognitive abilities relative to the general population. A low IQ score typically indicates below-average cognitive skills.
However, it's crucial to understand that intelligence is multifaceted and encompasses more than just cognitive abilities measured by IQ tests. Intelligence also relates to emotional, creative, and practical intelligence, which these tests may not fully capture.
In this article, we'll explore some common signs that might hints at lower intelligence. However, it's important to note that these signs are not definitive and can vary widely among individuals. Additionally, people with low IQ may excel in areas like creativity, emotional intelligence, practical problem-solving, and social understanding.
1. Lack of Curiosity
High intelligence is often characterized by insatiable curiosity and constant learning, while the opposite is frequently true for low intelligence. Instead of trying to gain new experiences and learn more about the world, people with low IQs are usually content with what they know.
2. No Desire to Invest in Education & Personal Growth
Education is a lifelong process that doesn't end after graduation. However, people with low IQs often don't see it that way. Instead, they think of it as a waste of time, usually going only as far in their education journey as they need to for their chosen career and nothing more.
3. Black and White Thinking
People with low IQs often struggle with abstract thinking, which involves understanding complex concepts that aren't directly related to concrete physical experiences. This may manifest as difficulty in understanding metaphors or hypothetical scenarios.
4. Lack of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking can be challenging even for individuals with high IQs; it requires practice before it becomes second nature. People with low IQs struggle with this. In most cases, they aren't even aware that their beliefs may be flawed.
5. Absence of Creativity
Creativity usually arises from a high-IQ mind that's been exposed to enough stimulation and new experiences. For instance, a thought-provoking film or an interesting exhibition may inspire you to write a story, create your own art, or even come up with a new approach to your work assignments.
However, as we've seen, people with low IQs rarely seek new experiences and aren't curious to learn about new topics. As a result, they are much less likely to be creative, instead following the crowd and sticking to tried-and-true solutions even when they are far from ideal.
6. Poor Decision-Making Abilities
To make good decisions, you need to be able to analyze your current situation, predict the potential paths ahead, and weigh the pros and cons of each outcome.
In other words, your cognitive abilities, intuition, and intrapersonal intelligence must be highly developed Otherwise, you might feel like you're stumbling in the dark, trying to decide but unable to see the potential outcomes of your decision. In such a situation, taking the wrong turn is almost inevitable.
Poor decision-making is one of the most prominent signs of a low IQ and is often the easiest to notice. For example, if a person keeps buying expensive brands of clothes despite their low salary, they clearly don't have a developed forecasting ability and most likely aren't highly intelligent.
