Highly intelligent people who don't have much confidence display these 12 subconscious behaviors

You’ll see these behaviors at the intersection between intelligence and low self-confidence.

A woman with long, wavy hair and red-framed glasses is wearing a red jacket. She stands in front of a blurred green background, suggesting an outdoor setting with trees or foliage.

Many people assume that super-intelligent people are self-confident due to their natural brilliance. In reality, some of the smartest people you’ll ever meet have crippling self-esteem issues. Keep an eye out for the 12 subconscious behaviors that follow, as they’ll give you some insights as to the confidence levels of those around you.

1. Apologizing when there’s no need to do so.

A woman with long, wavy, brown hair is looking at the camera with a worried expression. She is wearing a white shirt and clasping her hands together, as if in a pleading or praying gesture. The background is plain and light-colored.

Most highly intelligent people have had experience in offending others unintentionally—sometimes simply by sharing a tidbit of information, thus “making” others feel stupid. As such, they often apologize unnecessarily to make themselves seem less threatening, and to undermine any potential offense with a foundation of submissive groveling.

2. Downplaying their achievements.

Two women are standing and engaged in a conversation. One woman is wearing a red blouse and the other is wearing a white blouse. They appear to be smiling and talking to each other naturally. The background features a light-colored indoor wall.

Since so many fiercely intelligent people are thoroughly mocked, derided, and competed with, most have learned to downplay their academic or intellectual achievements in order to avoid abuse. A perfect example of this would be a published author implying that their success was due to the publisher needing to make a quota.

3. Self-deprecation.

A man and woman enjoy a sunny day outdoors. The man is wearing sunglasses and smiling, while the woman, dressed in a light brown cardigan over a white top, holds a red cup and laughs. The background shows greenery and a clear blue sky.

Many of the most intelligent people you’ll ever meet will put themselves down “for fun” on a regular basis. They might make fun of physical shortcomings, or will refer to themselves as nerds, losers, and so on. This is because they’ve been insulted so often by others that they pre-empt mockery by making fun of themselves first.

4. Making uncertain statements when speaking.

Two people in a serious conversation inside a modern building. The person on the left wears a brown shirt, and the person on the right is in a gray suit. They are standing by a railing, engaged in discussion.

Instead of being assertive during conversations, they’ll pepper them with phrases such as “Does that make sense?” or start them with “I don’t know, but…”. This implies that they don’t have much confidence in themselves, and they’re leaving some leeway in case their contributions are criticized or turn out to be incorrect.

5. Difficulty accepting compliments.

Two women sit cross-legged on a grassy area in a park, engaged in a serious conversation. One has shoulder-length blonde hair and wears glasses and a gray T-shirt, while the other has long dark hair and wears a black T-shirt and maroon pants. Trees are in the background.

Many intelligent people are uncomfortable accepting compliments about their intellect or intellectual achievement. A perfect example of this would be someone who’s complimented for having an article published, but brushes off the compliment by saying that it wasn’t a big deal, and was probably full of mistakes anyway.

6. Cluttered workspaces.

A person wearing a striped tie uses a calculator at a cluttered desk. The desk has documents with charts, a smartphone, colorful binders, and sticky notes. The person appears to be engaged in office work or financial calculations.

If someone is working at a desk that’s covered in trinkets, beverages, snacks, notebooks, and so on, there’s a solid chance they’re in a high IQ percentile. They keep everything they could possibly need within easy reach—like a dragon’s hoard—and know where everything is without having to look for it.

7. Remaining silent instead of risking ridicule.

A woman stands in the foreground, holding a tablet, and appears focused. In the background, four people sit around a table with laptops, and another person stands near a whiteboard, giving a presentation. A wall-mounted screen displays a slide in the meeting room.

Even if they’re complete experts in their field and know exactly what they’re talking about, they may remain silent in social or professional environments. They may have some spectacular insight or advice to share, but they’d rather stay quiet than run the risk of being mocked by those around them.

8. Risk avoidance.

A man with short dark hair sits at a wooden counter by a window, holding a disposable coffee cup with both hands. He looks out the window thoughtfully, wearing a blue and green plaid shirt. The interior has a warm, cozy atmosphere with minimalistic decor.

Fiercely intelligent people tend to be overthinkers, and thus analyze all the possible ways that something could potentially go wrong. As a result, they’re often hesitant to take risks that could be potentially damaging, even if the risk is very small: they’d rather err on the side of boring safety and comfort.

9. Being “small” so as not to attract unwanted attention.

Three people are having a discussion in a modern office setting. A woman in a green top holds a book, a man listens with arms crossed, and another woman gestures while speaking. Shelves with decor and a TV are in the background.

A lot of highly intelligent people are academically minded and introverted, and avoid being the center of attention, and that includes in work environments. If they grey themselves out and stay quiet, they may not be singled out to answer questions in a group setting, and by extension, potentially embarrass themselves.

10. Social anxiety.

A woman with blonde hair sits on a gray couch, leaning forward with hands clasped near her face, appearing deep in thought or worried. She wears a light blue collared shirt and a gray cardigan. The background is blurred with some greenery visible.

The more intelligent a person is, the more overall awareness they have. Because of this, they’re hyper-aware of people’s subtle body language, and pick up on when someone is bored or annoyed with them. Intelligent people tend to be so worried about being disliked or judged that they’re paralyzed with anxiety about socializing at all.

11. Overthinking.

A man with a beard sits on the floor in a sunlit room, leaning against a wall. He is wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, with one hand resting on his knee and the other on the floor. Sunlight creates rectangular patterns on the floor and wall.

Their natural inclination towards perfectionism makes them overthink everything. As such, they might obsess so much about what to say to someone that they don’t say anything at all. Or, if they do speak up, they’ll analyze their words (and the other’s response) for decades after the interaction has taken place.

12. Leadership avoidance.

A group of five people sitting around a table, collaborating and discussing. They are looking at documents and blueprints, smiling and engaged in conversation. The atmosphere appears positive and productive.

No matter how intelligent a person might be, if they lack self-confidence, they’re likely to be uncomfortable being in any kind of leadership role. Not only will they question their own capability, but they’ll also worry about not being taken seriously by their subordinates, or making an egregious error that’ll lead everyone to ruin.