That’s not how top performers think. Here are four things I noticed truly smart people never do.

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First of all, truly intelligent people always know what they’re doing. So if they don’t go into a 30-minute lecture explaining to you why they did this or that, it’s probably because they don’t see the point — or don’t have the time.

But then, intelligence is more than just about intellect....

Over my career as a copywriter, I’ve interviewed dozens of top performers. I’ve been privileged to have genuine, deep 1-on-1 conversations with heads of multi-million dollar businesses. These are aggressively smart people, who make me feel humbled just by their presence.

It’s comical how di...

Instead, they test things with brutal immediacy.

Ironically, a hallmark trait of highly intelligent people is humility. Intelligence is a by-product of experience and knowledge, and smart people are painfully aware of the things they don’t know or can’t do.

Pseudo-smart people, on the other hand, will usually have a super-smart reason why they’re doing whatever it is what they’re doing. They’ll talk about markets, industries, news, latest research. They’ll try to convince you that the entire world is behind them on their decision. And then they’ll s...

Instead, they often act on an impulse.

Intelligent people will sometimes act childishly, but do not mistake their free-willed behavior with aimlessness.

Many of the people I’ve interviewed explain their actions via seemingly arbitrary reasons. They’ll say things “because I l...

Another reason is that they’re good listeners. Aggressively smart people are smart for a reason — they’ve had lots and lots of other aggressively smart people tell them things about life and business. To do that, they’ve learned to be good listeners.

It’s also an ego thing. If you know you ...

Instead, they take immediate action. They’ll sign contracts on an impulse and cut them off just as brutally. If they find something interesting, they’ll turn 140% of their energy to that thing alone, and then leave it as soon as they realize it didn’t work.

Here’s how to id...

Instead, they lead with borderline honesty and directness.

Another thing that stands out with aggressively smart people is their directness and honesty.

Truly intelligent people value their time, and they value yours. That’s why you’ll seldom hear a smart person chit-chattin...

Instead, they listen more than they talk.

Another hallmark of highly intelligent people is that they’re rarely the centerpiece of the conversation. You’ll rarely hear them dominate over someone— unless they have a reason to.

Partly it’s because truly smart people realize how...

I think it’s a sort of a filter. It’s not that smart people don’t enjoy being nice — or that they don’t know how to be pleasant.

I think they do it to gauge your reaction. If you appreciate them being direct, they know they’re dealing with another smart person. If you get confused and insul...