People Watching: That person looks confident; that person looks smart- Can you tell? (men, IQ)

[orangeapple]

I can see this with "vibes" and perhaps body language, facial expression & over all demeanor.
I don't think the obvious stereotypes apply though.

I personally don't even try to sum people up. I've had it done to me, inaccurately, too many times. Most admit their impression of me changed once they spoke to me & got to know me.

[goodheathen]

But did they mistake you for dumb by appearance alone? I doubt that happens to many people. Caring and sense of humor basically are blind traits, but intelligence shows on the outside. Now that I think about, it's probably more than the face - clothing, hairstyle, etc. must indicate intelligence in various ways.

[MikeNigh]

Not with 100% certainty but definitely there are cues which are more and less likely.

[MOKAN]

Sometimes, based on stereotypes, people mistake blondes or otherwise beautiful young, socially-oriented women for being dumb. The funny thing is many times the young women are smarter than the people who think they are dumb. I think some people mistake beautiful, bubbly, and socially-oriented for dumb, but the fact is some people simply don't feel the need to "act smart" all the time and would consider that pedantic. They understand context and know there's a time and place. That said, the people who think said young women are dumb might be engaging in a defense mechanism that isn't exactly logical.

[Ruth4Truth]

There is no "look" for discerning a smart person. People misjudge others all the time. A genius can be mistaken for average or for an airhead just because they have a naive look or are shy. Someone with a naturally mature look can be mistaken for highly intelligent even though they're average. Studies have shown that there's a bias towards very attractive people and also towards what's called "facial maturity" when assessing intelligence. A plain face or a baby face will tend to be assumed to be of average intelligence or below-average.

[Dreamingx]

I think you can tell if someone is confident. They generally carry themselves with more ease and comfort and aren't afraid to embrace the world around them.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by goodheathen

But did they mistake you for dumb by appearance alone? I doubt that happens to many people.

You'd be surprised how many people arrogant types can write off just by looking at them. Clothing (business attire, for example) and good grooming notwithstanding.

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

You'd be surprised how many people arrogant types can write off just by looking at them. Clothing (business attire, for example) and good grooming notwithstanding.

How do you know this and can you give more explanation?

[goodheathen]

Unlike the norm on forums, I can change my mind when confronted with reasonable points. So yeah, blonde women and women with very shapely figures probably often have their intelligence underestimated. But by much, like from "smart" to "dumb"? I'm skeptical. Because intelligent people generally are averse to looking stupid or trashy. For example, you won't find many smart men outdoors wearing just wife-beaters.

Another issue here is valued knowledge and good judgment vs. raw brainpower. I believe studies about facial maturity judgments tend toward the former, whereas facial configuration is more indicative of the latter.

[BirdieBelle]

Any casting director will tell you there are dozens of different kinds of "smart."

I think it's sad that your dad taught you to judge people superficially in this way. Based on your other threads, it had not served you well.

I'm sure your dad included himself in the "smart" category.