Can you be smart and absent-minded?
Most individuals who are absent-minded are not unintelligent. They usually have high IQs, are highly creative, and tend to be on the intellectual side. They may be well-read, emotionally intelligent, and have a particular skillset.
It can have three different causes: a low level of attention ("blanking" or "zoning out") intense attention to a single object of focus (hyperfocus) that makes a person oblivious to events around them; unwarranted distraction of attention from the object of focus by irrelevant thoughts or environmental events.
Scientists, poets, philosophers and creative people are most notorious for their absentminded ways, hence the 'Absent-minded Professor' syndrome. Several anecdotes revolve around Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton due to their scattered, forgetful ways.
The main reason for being absent minded is lack of focus and attention, which leads to being inattentive. If your mind is always busy with something else, you don't pay attention to what you are doing at the moment. When you are not attentive you don't remember well what you did.
New research by the University of Toronto found that being forgetful could actually be a sign of greater intelligence. The findings suggest that your memory optimises decision making by only remembering valuable information and forgetting the unimportant details - essentially making room for what matters.
New research suggests that highly intelligent people find it tricky to focus their minds because they have so many brilliant ideas constantly whizzing around their brains (#geniusproblems).
- Simplify your life. ...
- Get proper rest and nutrition so you are in a well-rested frame of mind.
- Keep to a schedule. ...
- Get plenty of exercise, both physical and mental. ...
- Keep items that you use every day in the same place all the time.
: lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions : preoccupied. was too absent-minded to notice what time it was. : tending to forget or fail to notice things : given to absence of mind (see absence sense 3) an absent-minded person prone to forgetting appointments.
- Don't rely on technology. Many of us no longer try to recall the name of a song or a restaurant we like; we'll whip out our iPhones and use Google to find the answer instead. ...
- Get some exercise. ...
- Be sociable. ...
- Play games. ...
- Learn to play an instrument.
It could be said that the downfall of this is that many creative people develop a tendency to overthink. If this sounds like you, you'll be pleased to know that there's a very logical reason for this. Much research has confirmed the connection between creativity and overthinking.
Are creative geniuses rare?
Unlike the common myth however, creativity is not in our DNA, nor is it a talent that few are born or gifted with. According to a study by Dr. George Land and Dr. Beth Jarman, mostly everyone, that is 98% of people to be exact, are born creative geniuses.
But as it turns out, individuals with high emotional intelligence are more likely to be creative than those with a lower emotional IQ, according to a study recently published in the journal Imagination, Cognition, and Personality.

Stress and anxiety affect memory because they make it harder for you to concentrate and lock new information and skills into memory. You may end up forgetting something simply because you were not really paying attention or had too much on your mind.
- Intense need for mental stimulation and engagement.
- Ability to learn new topics quickly.
- Ability to process new and complex information rapidly.
- Desire to explore specific topics in great depth.
- Insatiable curiosity, often demonstrated by many questions.
Difficulties talking or talking late. Having problems remembering things. Inability to connect actions with consequences. Difficulty with problem-solving or logical thinking.
It is important to know that students who display poor working memory behavior will not necessarily have low IQ scores. Many of them can have average IQ scores.
Intelligent people often override common sense with their considerable brain power — but this isn't always a good thing. Smart people think in situations where they should feel, like in relationships. They may avoid the correct response because it doesn't seem rational when we all know that life isn't always rational.
Research has shown that there is a high correlation between being intelligent and socially anxious. The higher your IQ, the higher the chance your social apprehension is higher than usual. Of course, that doesn't mean that your social anxiety should be classified as a disorder.
Many High-IQ People Tend to Be Overthinkers: They Incessantly Overanalyze Everything. There's this old Zen parable that relates how over-analysis is a common attribute of intelligent people.
Psychologists have found a connection between such everyday lapses and the DRD2 gene. Those who have a certain variant of this gene are more easily distracted and experience a significantly higher incidence of lapses due to a lack of attention. Misplaced your keys?
Why I forget things so easily?
Forgetfulness can arise from stress, depression, lack of sleep or thyroid problems. Other causes include side effects from certain medicines, an unhealthy diet or not having enough fluids in your body (dehydration). Taking care of these underlying causes may help resolve your memory problems.
He was a profound student, though absent-minded, preferring the seclusion of a college to the episcopal office. She is generally extremely absent-minded, but remembers the most vital things. His screen character was usually absent-minded and flustered.
Mind blanking is associated with specific brain regions (Broca's area, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex; 2). In other words, mind blanking is a normal neurocognitive phenomenon. Mind blanking can occur spontaneously (without clear reason) or when the brain is overloaded.
OPPOSITES FOR absent-minded
attentive, alert, heedful, observant.
Brain fog can be a symptom of a nutrient deficiency, sleep disorder, bacterial overgrowth from overconsumption of sugar, depression, or even a thyroid condition. Other common brain fog causes include eating too much and too often, inactivity, not getting enough sleep, chronic stress, and a poor diet.
Emptying the mind is a useful tool to learn as it helps you give your brain a break. According to the dictionary, to empty your mind means to try your best to think about nothing (8). It means to purposely put a stop to the constant stream of thoughts that are with us every day.
Empty Feeling, feeling like your thoughts and emotions are empty and lifeless, is a common symptom of anxiety disorder, including anxiety and panic attacks, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
INFP and INFJ: The Overthinkers
We start off with INFPs and INFJs: two Introverted personalities that often experience bouts of anxiety. When it comes to these types, their anxiety can stem from an inclination to overthinking.
Overthinking usually falls into two categories: ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. If you're struggling with overthinking, you may feel “stuck” or unable to take any action at all. It can be hard to get the thoughts out of your mind or concentrate on anything else.
Research shows that overthinking is prevalent among young (25-35-year-olds) and middle-aged adults (45-55-year- olds). Overthinking tends to be worse among women. And too much thinking can lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, emotional distress, and self-destructive behaviours.
How can you tell a hidden genius?
- 1- Recognizing your limits. If you actually realize how much you don't know, you're considered a true genius. ...
- 2- You can feel what others are thinking. ...
- 3- Controlling your impulses. ...
- 4- You love chocolate. ...
- 5- Self-awareness. ...
- 6- Talk to yourself? ...
- 7- Artistic and musical.
People who have genius traits tend to think about problems and concepts in a much more dynamic way. As a result, they are unlikely to accept information and facts on face value. Instead, they will want to defy and test conventional thinking.
- DRIVE. Geniuses have a strong desire to work hard and long. ...
- COURAGE. It takes courage to do things others consider impossible. ...
- DEVOTION TO GOALS. ...
- KNOWLEDGE. ...
- HONESTY. ...
- OPTIMISM. ...
- ABILITY TO JUDGE. ...
- ENTHUSIASM.
- Curious. Creative people enjoy learning new things, so their free time may include reading books or watching videos about topics they find interesting. ...
- Playful. ...
- Open-minded. ...
- Flexible. ...
- Sensitive. ...
- Independent. ...
- Risk-taking. ...
- Intuitive.
- They are risk takers. Creative thinkers are risk takers. ...
- They have the dare to fail attitude. Failure for them is a learning curve. ...
- They are willing to be different. ...
- They are impulsive, fickle and change their mind quite often.
Named after psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their knowledge or ability, particularly in areas with which they have little to no experience.
According to Dr. Woodley, there may be a link between absent-mindedness and genius. He believes that people who are considered geniuses have brains that are wired to be unable to deal with small details. Geniuses are “literally not hardwired to be able to learn those kind of tasks,” Dr. Woodley told The Telegraph.
They're open-minded
Smart people don't close themselves off to new ideas or opportunities. Hammett writes that intelligent people are "willing to accept and consider other views with value and broad-mindedness," and that they are "open to alternative solutions."
- Lack of Professional Success.
- Always Being in the Center of Conflict. ...
- You Are Always Rushing Around and Way too Busy.
- You Talk Much More than You Listen. ...
- Your Reading Habits are Hardly Challenging.
- You're creative. Dr. ...
- You're messy. ...
- You're curious. ...
- You talk to yourself. ...
- You have high self-control. ...
- You're good with being by yourself. ...
- You're funny. ...
- You're open-minded.
Can you tell if someone is smart by looking at their brain?
In predicting intelligence from brain scans, the algorithm is doing something that humans cannot, because even an experienced neuroscientist cannot look at a brain scan and tell how intelligent a person is.
great minds think alike (fools seldom differ)
Used to emphasize a coincidence, or two people reaching the same conclusion in any manner at the same time.
- Intense need for mental stimulation and engagement.
- Ability to learn new topics quickly.
- Ability to process new and complex information rapidly.
- Desire to explore specific topics in great depth.
- Insatiable curiosity, often demonstrated by many questions.
Relationally intelligent introverts are often highly self-aware, observant, and are excellent listeners. In fact, one study conducted in 2018 by Newport Healthcare found that introverts tend to make more accurate observations about human behavior than extroverts. Introverts tend to “read” people and situations better.
Yes, some smart people lack common sense. Why? Intelligent people often override common sense with their considerable brain power — but this isn't always a good thing. Smart people think in situations where they should feel, like in relationships.
They successfully start each of their conversations with the right tone and energy. Smart people make eye contact, they pay attention to their body language, they ask smart questions, and they give compliments. They also make you laugh, they really listen, and they tell a great story.
For highly intelligent people, whilst they are most interested in finding solutions for real-life problems, they also enjoy pondering deep philosophical ideas and abstract concepts. From a young age, they have an insatiable curiosity about life; They thrive on learning.