Psychologist reveals two ‘annoying’ habits that mean you’re intelligent
Mark Travers explained how these small things can have a big meaning
Sometimes, people have habits that others judge as being pretty hard to be around, but it could be signs they’re very intelligent.
Throughout life, you’re always going to find someone who does something that you just can’t stand.
From biting their nails, to twirling their hair, or even chewing too loudly - habits of any aspect can be ‘annoying’.
However, one person's nightmare could instead be the tell-tale sign that someone else is a highly intelligent being.
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According to a 2025 study, one habit predicted higher creative performance if they just allowed themselves to freely partake in the ‘thing’.
A 2024 study also confirmed the science behind why, and while it might look lazy, the brain is definitely active during it.
So, what am I waffling on about?
Mark Travers, Ph.D., an American psychologist, revealed all in an article for Forbes.
Daydreaming
Do you find yourself staring out the window and zoning out as your mind takes you on a journey of hypothetical situations?
While it has long been associated with not paying attention, particularly when others are trying to talk to the person at hand, it has actually been linked to creativity and cognition.
The 2025 study, for example, went on to analyse 1,300 adults, and revealed with neuroimaging data that there was increased connectivity between large-scale brain networks linked to executive control and the default mode network for self-generated thought and imagination.
Those who let their minds wander also faired better with switching their mental sets quickly.
The 2024 study in PNAS Nexus looked at 3,300 participants, determining that ‘idle’ thoughts served an ‘adaptive purpose’.
Talking to yourself
Personally, I’m so happy to see this up here.
While I do both, talking to myself is my favourite habit (where else can I get an expert opinion?).
Whether you’re whispering, arguing, or simply processing out loud - talking to yourself has been linked to self-regulation and self-concept clarity, per a 2023 study of university students.
It also helps mindfulness and your self-talk.
Scientists at Bangor University also found that people were more concentrated and absorbed what they read better when speaking the words out loud.
The study’s co-author, psychologist Dr Paloma Mari-Beffa, explained that the benefits may be ‘from simply hearing oneself, as auditory commands seem to be better controllers of behavior than written ones’.
She added: “The stereotype of the mad scientist talking to themselves, lost in their own inner world, might reflect the reality of a genius who uses all the means at their disposal to increase their brain power.”
Talking to yourself and naming your worries or emotions has also been proven to help people reduce its intensity by 50 percent, per experts.
However, this only works if you’re not ruminating (obsessively thinking) about negative things and saying horrible words to yourself.
Britt Jones