"When someone says..."

"When someone says, "I don't have enough information to have an informed opinion about the topic at hand."

Smart people know what they don't know."

BCFortenberry

"Taking their area of expertise..."

"Good analogy use. Taking their area of expertise and yours, and finding the common ground to explain something requires creativity and intelligence on a bunch of levels."

Aksius14

The ability to make those sorts of connections should be highly prized––that means the person is an excellent communicator.

"When people learn..."

"Curiosity, even about the banal, is a good thing. When people learn you have exciting work, such as being an airline pilot or a professional athlete, they have a lot of questions. Real smart people, on the other hand, have just as many questions for the plumber or the gravedigger."

FantasticTarget946

"They're open to..."

"They're open to being corrected when wrong."

Whirling_

"If you have a conversation..."

"I've found the ability to focus attention on the core of something that needs to be addressed, and get right into tackling its "root causes" means I'm dealing with someone that's sharp.

If you have a conversation about an issue and it goes immediately and with very few words into how to resolve or correct the issue, that person's generally got a good brain in their head."

theoriginalretro

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In layman's terms, that's just cutting through the BS. Don't you love it when you meet someone like that?

"Following the same generic rules..."

"Seriously speaking, the ability to think critically and independently. Following the sane generic rules as everyone else solely because it's the law and the societal norm is boring, robotic, and senseless."

CalebKetterer

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"They are quiet..."

"They are quiet but when they talk it brings a new perspective to the table. Basically high analytic and critical thinking skills."

ProfessionalYard761

People who are good listeners and who are able to absorb all kinds of info only to hit you with a well-thought out and reasoned response are exceptional.

"They can effortlessly..."

"They can effortlessly investigate and explain a subject or viewpoint without adopting it."

NoCells3526

"I know a guy..."

"Odd hobbies. I know a guy who was finishing his dissertation in mathematics and happened to be world-class expert on mushrooms. Could tell you about edibility, related species, the Latin name, typical growth region, the whole thing."

aFiachra

Well... there's someone who will always find something to eat in the woods. He's definitely not worried about eating a poisonous one, that's for sure.

"They just process..."

"Puzzle-solving. They just process all the relevant information quicker than most others and then communicate the solution in a quiet, self-assured way. Smug bastards."

wizdomquizdom

In a world full of people who don't know when to shut up, it's a relief to know some smart people. Hold them tight––they'll keep you grounded. And they're the sort of people you'd want around in an emergency.

Have some opinions of your own? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!