You’ve always known that you’re intelligent and super perceptive, but your talents are more than just academic. There’s something about the way your mind works that allows you to tap into the most complexed, nuanced topics easily, which is pretty cool. Here are 17 signs that you might be a high-level thinker without even knowing it.
1. You were always super driven at school.
You were voted “Most Likely to Succeed” at your high school graduation, and you took those skills with you as you grew up. You knew what you wanted and had a plan to get there and that has never wavered. Sometimes the world passed you by a little because you were so goal-driven but you never cared. It was how you felt that mattered.
2. You’re big on hustle culture at work.
Your hard-working personality and natural talent come in clutch in a big way in your career. Having worked your way up the corporate ladder, you’re achieving everything you thought you ever would, all ahead of schedule. Everyone else marvels at how that’s even possible, but here you are!
3. You’ve had a big career shift no one saw coming.
After all that self-imposed pressure for all those years, you finally decided to risk it all and quit your job, move countries, and travel. While your parents may think that you’re still in a quarter-life crisis, your friends are all jealous that your high-level thinking empowered you to succeed in taking such a risk. People who aren’t high-level thinkers struggle with perspective and can’t make such big life moves.
4. You’re always 10 steps ahead.
Whatever direction you’re going in — in your career, personal life, or wellness journey — you’ve always got a plan. Your brain is a bit like a messy desk. It makes sense to you, but whether other people can see the magic is … debatable. However mad your methods seem to everyone else, they work for you!
5. You feel like other people’s mistakes are preventable.
By having such a range of personal experiences, as well as being emotionally intelligent, it always annoys you to see other people make silly mistakes around you. You privately wonder how they could waste their time on the wrong partner or take the wrong exit on the freeway, but you’ve mostly learned that it’s not useful to air these thoughts.
6. You’re constantly anxious.
All superhero films show us that the evil mastermind genius always has a mental breakdown somewhere before the third act. We understand the perils of having a mind that works a thousand miles an hour. According to NBC News, medication and meditation can help to center these spirals, as well as a good support system.
7. Sometimes you don’t know how to talk to other people.
Like all people who exist on a slightly different plane than everyone else, some days, socializing can be difficult. Or, at least, not as easy as everything else seems to be for you. Quick rules of thumb: don’t be too quiet or too loud, and remember to ask people questions.
8. You get overstimulated quickly.
Most of the time, you’re in your element, quietly observing the world around you. However, sometimes loud environments or large crowds can overwhelm you and make you want to head back to your apartment and hide under the blankets. If that sounds like you, you could be a high-level thinker.
9. You’re known for hyper-fixations.
We all love a good old-fashioned hyperfixation. Whether it’s solving a Rubik’s cube, getting really into water polo, or going to the movies every day at 2 p.m, it’s very recognizable when high-functioning minds are getting into their groove. We love to see it. If you tend to become obsessed with things very easily and go all-in, this could be you.
10. People think you’re a little odd.
Independence is often misinterpreted as someone being antisocial. You know that you need a little downtime, but other than that, you’re as normal as the rest of the world. Your brain just operates at a different frequency.
11. You find focus hard.
Some days, focus is the easiest thing to hone into. Other days, however, it’s just not possible to sit down and get on with tasks. Experiencing these huge shifts in your ability to concentrate is a tell-tale sign of a high-level thinker. Your brain has so much going on inside that picking just one thing to give attention to doesn’t feel right.
12. You read into things other people would miss.
You’re a regular Sherlock Holmes when it comes to spotting those nitty-gritty details. Maybe your friend at work stopped bringing homemade lunch in, or perhaps your mom took down that photo of her and your stepdad. Whatever it is, you can spot the shift and start a conversation.
13. You’re great at reading emotions.
High-level thinkers are extremely emotionally intelligent, according to Verywell Mind, and have a lot of experience evaluating and assessing other people’s body language, eye contact, and tone of voice. You’d be a great CIA agent — or a recruiter!
14. You can judge people’s character a mile off.
You’re always the first person to spot when someone in your friend group has landed another dud partner. You have to wait for them to realize that themselves, but whenever someone finally passes your internal test, everyone will know they’re a keeper.
15. You love trying new things.
Lots of people who don’t have high-level thinking mindsets really struggle to take risks or embrace change. The potential to make a mistake or waste their time will always stop them. But you know that the world is big, life is long, and we do have time to try a different menu item at Olive Garden.
16. You don’t let fear of failure stop you.
You love to keep challenging yourself and growing, and more importantly, you can always see the path of how to get there. That means you can fail fast and learn even faster, without being bogged down by shame or potential regret.
17. You look down on everyone else.
This makes you sound like a bad person, but we’re all lying if we pretend we don’t sometimes judge other people. We have to believe that we’re great at what we do. Being bold and confident is a key signal that you’re a high-level thinker.
