Lauren's List: Are You Smarter Than You Think?
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - How smart are you?
It's a question most of us probably feel a bit uncomfortable answering.
No one wants to seem boastful and say they are super smart, right?
But a lot of people are actually selling themselves short in the intelligence department.
Inc.com recently shared the many ways intelligence reveals itself, and today's "Lauren's List" has 4 signs you're smarter than you think based on science!
You're Creative
Creativity requires outside the box thinking and flexibility that forces you to shift and change your patterns of thinking from one way to another. Creativity allows you to come up with new ideas based on existing concepts you've already learned. And that takes smarts!
You're Messy
This one is for everyone with a cluttered desk or kids with disaster zones for rooms. Cut them and yourself some slack. It could be a sign of genius. According to Inc.com, Kathleen Vohs from the University of Minnesota says the messier you are, the smarter you are. When evaluating groups working in tidy and messy settings, those in the messy group brainstormed substantially more creative and interesting ideas.
You Talk To Yourself
No, you're not nuts! You're intelligent! A study from psychologists at Bangor University showed that talking out loud to yourself improves self-control, which is a type of intelligence. Concentration and performance from those who read out loud rather than to themselves were far better when studied.
You're Fine Alone
If you enjoy your own company and don't always need to be surrounded by other people, that's also a sign of intelligence. Inc. com cites a study published in the British Journal of Psychology which shows a correlation between contentedness with being alone and intelligence. People do their best thinking, prioritizing and self-reflection when alone. And that can all lead to improved educational outcomes, thus making you very smart!
Do any of these describe you?
Tell me on Facebook or Twitter.
If you have an idea for a future "Lauren's List", send it to lpastrana@cbs.com.
