15 Subtle Signs You Outsmart Everyone Else

If you think IQ means you're smart, you're wrong. Neither does academic achievement or being the teacher's pet. Real-life smart is different from book smart. Some people run circles around others; they play life like a game of chess or poker, depending on who the other players are. But by the end of this video, you'll know for certain which kind you are.

Here are 15 signs you're the smartest person in the room. Welcome to Alux, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired.

First up, you talk less, listen carefully, and make the other person feel important. You take a moment to think over what's about to come out of your mouth and the implications it could have. The quieter you become, the more you can hear. The more you can hear, the better your answers and follow-ups will be. You ask great follow-up questions because you know you don't learn when you talk. You pay attention to what the other person is saying, not just nodding along in agreement. This gives you a leg up in life because you remember important details about the conversation, like the other person's name as well as children's names, details about their partner, and all of these you save internally and factor them into the conversation, making the other person feel engaged and important. People often say they've had a great conversation when talking to you; well, all you do is ask questions and let them speak.

You articulate your ideas clearly and display proof of understanding. You don't speak out of a book; you don't need to use jargon because you can articulate complex ideas in simple terms. If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. Your ability to hold a conversation is across the spectrum, from 5-year-olds to PhDs. You don't make up explanations because you don't need to. You understand the topic at hand in depth, and you're able to walk others through it in a way that they can process the information. You are a great storyteller. You use metaphors and personal stories to make your arguments relatable and to drive your points across. You have this ability to tailor your explanation to the other person's reality so that nothing comes off as generic talk; this actually shows empathy.

You notice the little things and use the little things strategically to your advantage. You're able to observe and factor things in. You can tell what somebody's into just by looking at their environment. You see and remember details other people would miss, making you a much more memorable encounter. You're chameleonic in a way, and you look for shared interests. You use your observation skills to establish that you and the other person are similar, thus making them more likely to trust you. You don't do it in an evil way, but you're aware of the advantage this gives you. Charles Ames, the designer behind our all-time favorite chair, had this quote we really love: "The details are not the details; they make the design." It's the same with people and social interactions.

You simulated the room before entering it. You prepared for that room because victory loves preparation. You took a couple of minutes to play through what's about to happen, so once you entered, nothing surprises you anymore. You have all of the answers because you simulated their questions beforehand. This is one of your personal secrets that have given you a leg up in life. You don't go into interviews or business meetings without being prepared. You anticipate their questions and how they'll feel, which gives you the unique opportunity to address them ahead of time, making you the person in control of the narrative. People are usually blown away by how well you're put together. You come across as knowledgeable and reliable, which in turn makes people trust your ability to deliver on your promises. This is one of the most efficient ways that you stack the deck in your favor.

You keep the important stuff private. You understand power dynamics and the fact that information is an asset. You don't offer information unless it benefits you somehow, which is why most of the time, you walk away knowing more about the person than they know about you. You're the smartest person in the room because everyone is washing out their laundry in public, while you take a more private approach. Your private life is your private life; who you're dating is private. You move with purpose, and you do so discreetly. Your online activity is private, and you take your security seriously because what is yours is valuable. This is why you keep track of your digital fingerprint and make sure you're not allowing anyone to pry into your life. Smart people don't allow platforms to be the product but instead use platforms as the product. You do so by anonymizing your online activity through a VPN. With a click of a button, your digital footprint goes away, and your online activity is no longer tracked back to you.

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People listen when you talk, and they compete for your approval. Your opinion can change the direction of a situation. Your opinion has power and sway, even if you're not in charge. Your opinion holds weight with those in charge. The reason they do it is because you've displayed good judgment in the past. You've got a track record, a reputation of making the right calls more often than not. Some people think it's magic that you can see into the future, or you know something they don't. They rely on you as a way to minimize risk or for you to provide a fresh perspective on what they might be missing.

You have nothing left to prove. You don't brag about your IQ; actually, you never even mention it. Confidence is silent; insecurities are loud. You know you're smart; they know you're smart. It's business as usual here. You don't need to be validated by them. Your track record speaks for itself. You're focused on personal growth and have no reason to compete with anyone else. This journey is about you and about being yourself because nobody is better at being you than you are. This is why you stand out; you are one of one. You're authentically yourself and you've curated a voice of your own. You never forget the reason why you're in the room in the first place; you are someone with a purpose.

You don't want to waste time or opportunities; no, you only relax after the flag is secured. You're more sniper than shotgun. Your main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. You know when to question authority and when you should shut up because it advances your purpose. You don't like to play politics, but you're able to do it elegantly when you have to. You got to where you are because you're able to ignore the things that aren't important. Shiny objects don't steal away your focus, and when others try to deflect, you're able to steer the conversation back to what matters to you. You never leave a room without achieving or at least advancing your primary goal.

You admit when you don't know the answer instead of making up. You actually look for the answer. This is a sign of both dignity and humility, especially if the gaps in knowledge are real. But you don't feel dumb because of it. No, early on in your journey, you adopted a learner's mindset, meaning the goal isn't to be right but to focus on growth. This transforms every downside into an opportunity for improvement. It makes you genuinely curious and benefits you vastly in the long run. It also gives other people the opportunity to teach and feel valuable.

You have a locked-in routine of improvement. You've made it your mission to never stop growing. You start your day the same way: you wake up, you move your body a little bit, and as you're drinking your coffee or tea in the morning, you use that time to get better. You put in your headphones and listen to a podcast, a video like this one, or use a professional tool to help you get ahead in life. Top CEOs use this time to jump on a call with their incredibly expensive business coaches for the sole purpose of helping them make better decisions throughout the day.

In your case, you can use a performance-enhancing app that does the same thing at a fraction of the cost. We spent over $1 million of our own money tracking down some of the smartest people in the world and had them build actionable coaching sessions that help our community achieve their goals faster. Go to alux.com/slapp right now and get yourself a yearly subscription. It's the smartest decision you'll make all day. After you complete the survey, it'll become pretty obvious to you exactly why the app is beyond valuable.

Until the Alux app, only the super rich had access to these kinds of insights and developmental paths. Now we've made it available to everyone around the world at a fraction of the cost. Go to alux.com/slapp right now and become the smartest person in any room you walk into. You don't overestimate your abilities, but you're confident you can figure things out. You're not delusional; no, but you are capable. You know exactly how much value you're able to generate, and you're not scared of challenges or obstacles.

You don't have impostor syndrome because you've crushed it, with overwhelming evidence of past performance. You don't fear being wrong because it'll give you more data to adjust course and later on get it right. You don't argue with idiots because, look, okay, from a distance, nobody knows which is which. You're able to assess the situation you're in and either navigate them elegantly or remove yourself from them altogether. You protect your energy and your neurons. You're able to maintain your composure no matter what the world throws at you. They don't trigger you, and they can't get under your skin; your life is too good to allow that to happen.

You are process smart, not subject smart. You have unique problem-solving skills. Where you shine is looking at the big picture and seeing how all of the pieces fit together. You love puzzles. There are some people out there who are smart only on a specific topic, but you've got something else. Over time, you've developed a system of approaching every problem that you faced and sorting it out. You think from a first principle perspective, breaking any problem into its most fundamental pieces and tackling them one by one. You can hold casual conversations, but you prefer depth to surface.

You prefer being around smart people but are not boring around regular people either. This is one of those things that most smart people get wrong; they think that being book smart is enough, but you end up just being a Big Bang Theory archetype. Sure, as lovable as Sheldon is, nobody actually wants to hang out with the guy in real life. So, you also develop your other skills too. You develop charisma and confidence. You can make people laugh, and you even laugh at yourself because you are comfortable in any medium.

You're smart enough to know when you should talk about God or the universe and when the day-to-day events will suffice. Remember, okay? Small minds discuss people; average minds discuss events; great minds discuss ideas.

Lastly, you're able to play multiple games at the same time. There are two kinds of smart: the first can see five moves ahead; the second can play five games at the same time without losing focus or productivity. If you can do both, well, you win at life. You can juggle more than one thing at a time, and on top of that, you can see how different parts of your life impact each other and use the knowledge you acquire in one game to improve the rest. It's not that you multitask, doing all of them at the same time, but you have the foresight to prioritize efficiently and effectively.

Smart people know about the Alux five pillars of a good life: finance, health, intellect, emotions, and relationships. You leverage your efforts to win in all five, and that's what makes you the smartest person in the room.

Now, out of these 15, which do you think is the most important one to master? Let us know in the comments. And since you stuck around until the end, we saved you a bonus. We'll keep saying this until you learn it, okay? The only real test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life. Repeat that until it becomes a part of you.

Your reality is a reflection of how good you are at playing the game of life. A life unlived is a life you waste. Since you're so smart, figure yourself out. Stop procrastinating and waiting for life to begin; at some point, you're already in it. This is it. What's the point of being as smart as you are if you don't use your brain to get ahead?

The richest place in the world is a graveyard. All of those ideas, plans, and works of art that never came to fruition because people were too scared to give them life. Do not be like those people. Don't die with that fire still inside of you. If you have it in you, become the light that guides other people forward. If this idea resonates with you, Alexer, write the word "lit" in the comments. Let's see how many of you have a spark to light up the world.