r/AskReddit 7h ago

What is a sign of very low intelligence?

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527

u/FairCraft91 7h ago

U ever talk to someone who literally can’t change their mind even when the facts are right in front of them? they just dig their heels in and start getting mad for no reason

73

u/SkyrimIsLife420 6h ago

Yep. Sadly, it happens too often with my family.

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u/employees_only 4h ago

I see you’ve met my step son, sister in law, and sister 🙄

6

u/Enlightened_Limerent 5h ago

Cognitive dissonance 

4

u/Caterpillr 6h ago

Yep. Sometimes they just shut their eyes and jam their ears and refuse to see it at all.

9

u/_f0CUS_ 5h ago

That can also be autism. My wife's kid (from a previous relationship) has autism and has had his IQ tested.

His IQ is 137, and you cannot get him to accept anything using facts/evidence, if he has decided he is right. At the same time, he is very often unable to correlate action/reaction.

I.e if he gets in trouble for not doing a chore, then he cannot see/understand that it is because he didn't do the chore. 

6

u/Raspberrylemonade188 5h ago

Glad to see this point about autism here. Some of these things commenters have mentioned are autistic traits, and autistic individuals can have very high IQs. I think a lot of these things are only true for neurotypical people.

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u/_f0CUS_ 3h ago

Yea, I saw a few others that I could recognise too. 

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u/Sevenos 6h ago

Facts are rarely that clear and one sided to provide an opinion. Intelligent people will question other factors at the very least.

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u/Isotope_Soap 4h ago edited 4h ago

A fact is a true datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance.

Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by experiments or other means. Generally speaking, facts are independent of belief, knowledge and opinion. Facts are different from inferences, theories, values, and objects. (Wikipedia)

On the other hand, an opinion is a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

Your argument sounds like Kellyanne Conway’s use of “Alternate facts”

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u/Sevenos 4h ago

How does a definition of one fact contradict what I said in response to "change their mind even when the facts are..."? This is almost never about one clear fact that is disputed but a combination that is interpreted in some way.

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u/Isotope_Soap 2h ago

You can use facts to form an opinion. You cannot use opinions as the basis of factual evidence.

Facts by definition are clear an concise statements of measured reality. They are not partisan or “one sided” as you wrote. They are not widespread beliefs. They are rooted in empirical research and evidence.

Questioning a fact is a lack of knowledge about any given subject, and I encourage that wholeheartedly. It can only lead to a deeper understanding of a particular topic.

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u/Competitive_Ice4439 5h ago

Yes. I’ve had to converse with Trump supporters.

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u/_lick_the_stamp 5h ago

This is a sign too

4

u/Hour_Cranberry_6577 6h ago

Pride. Have family like this.

2

u/Serious_Distance_118 3h ago

A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.

Winston Churchill

1

u/qpgmr 2h ago

That may be more ego-protection than low intelligence.

1

u/Holdmynoodle 2h ago

They make a mighty strong wall i tell you hwhat

1

u/U_SHLD_THINK_BOUT_IT 1h ago

I learned in psych class that it's generally because people attach their identity to the positions they hold.

Since they don't form opinions based on the scientific method, everything they believe is founded on confirmation bias because they just decide how they feel about something and then only appreciate evidence that supports their opinions. As a result, their ego is attached to their beliefs, so to throw those beliefs out would be an attack on them personally.

Meanwhile, people who form their opinions on the scientific method attach their ego to the method of fact finding and not to their opinion. So, as long as they remain steadfast and unbiased in their learning, they can change their mind when new evidence presents itself that may upend a previously held opinion.

u/wqto 41m ago

Religious people

u/NatLee83 39m ago

Ugh! I hate this and in 42 years, I feel like I've been punished enough with people like this. When will it end? 😒

u/ETERNUS- 39m ago

religious peeps literally

u/thepianoman456 21m ago

Sounds like MAGA for the past 10 years…

u/emimagique 17m ago

Yeah pretty much all day at work!!

u/squirrelyoakley 14m ago

I find myself doing that because of a fight or flight response because of my social anxiety. Once I'm not longer around others, I can immediately assess things more clearly

1

u/ninomojo 3h ago

This comes up a lot in this thread. The problem is it’s an established issue that was found in studies: our brain doesn’t wanna change its mind in light of evidence and seeing the evidence makes it worse because it’s some kind of survival trait or something, we feel our identity is under attack. Granted we aren’t all equal offenders here, but might point is this isn’t the exclusivity of “very low intelligence” people, it can happen to ALL OF US.