Can you tell if a person is smart by just looking?

I agree with you that looks can be deceiving. I can't categories if a persons look describe of his personality in terms of cleverness, being an intelligent one, being dump or whatsoever he/she looks like? I don't know if there is a perfect terms to describe an intelligent people by its look. Describe a fool people or dumb head, by it's appearance?

Well, now a days, you can actually judge a book by its cover. There are a slight few that can still surprise you with how their looks can throw you off. Others who meet me at first think that I am a serious person who you can't joke around with but, as they get to know me better, at ease or get familiar, they realize that their first impressions weren't accurate at all. I also see that possibility for those that I get to know. Even though I can slightly say what type of person they are or what kind of personality they might have, I don't totally leave it up to that but, I still try to look at not only their looks but also their actions.

I think we are all pretty much guilty of stereotyping people by appearance. Thankfully, if we give them a chance when we have a less than positive idea of someone, they tend to surprise you. I know I am bad about looking at someone, or hearing the way they speak, and assuming they aren't that smart. And I always feel bad when I am way off base.

i agree that looks can be deceiving. you can not tell a person if they are intelligent or smart by looking only. for me first impression doesnt always last. first impressions are just impressions but it does not always last. if they speak and if they talk about themselves then you can see how intellectual a person is and how smart when they start talking then from that you can rate the first impression

I believe you can. Even if you allow that the person is aware of how important a first impression is (when applying for a job, for example), you can still tell by their demenaour what kind of person they are and whether they are smart or not. I rely a lot on the impressions I have of other people, and nowadays I´m seldom wrong. It did and does happen, though, and if I get it wrong I get it totally wrong. Facial expression, body language, the way people talk are like an advert. They can almost tell you a person's life story. It took me many years though to develop that insight and practice it. But by now I have no qualms to say 'such and such' is stupid. I don't mean it as an insult, but simply describe their intelligence level. Mind you, a stupid person can still be smart, street-smart, for example. So, to sum up, people can be an open book just by their looks, it´s just a question of practice and trusting your judgement.

I tend not to judge a book by it's cover but by title and then strange as it seems I usually look at the end of the story and if that suit me then I would buy the book and i usually never wrong. With people [ nice looking or not] I just wait and see what they have to say but at the end of the day [ to me] first impression count a lot. what do you think of this saying? [ the habit make a monk] well to me the monk makes the habit if you know what I mean?

I honestly cannot tell if someone is smart just by looking at them. You really cannot judge a book by its cover, as they say. I am deceived by looks sometimes but not alot.

the way he/she is doing things, body language etc, will be helpful for finding smartness, if he acts like a fox it will soon revealed.

Of course not. You cannot tell much about any person 'just by looking'. I don't judge a person based on how they look alone. I will take appearance and combine it with their actions - what they say, how they say it, how they interact with people - before I make a decision. One thing that really irritates me is people who think that people who are attractive aren't smart - or that people who are attractive have good personalities too. Some are attractive but jerks... some people even ASSUME that attractive people are stuck up! I hate it!! Yes SOME are but definitely not all! Besides, what does smart LOOK like?

I totally agree with what you said that looks can be deceiving. Not everyone who looks smart physically are really smart though i would say others really are smart. We can't judge a person by just the outside appearance for other makes a facade about themselves. I would prefer talking and knowing the person before i make any conclusion of how smart they really are.:) I think that's how we should always do. Don't judge a book by it's cover, over used but true.

I was ready to answer that you had already answered your own question when I realized that you had asked If others have been deceived by looks, also. Yes, I'm sure that all of us have been deceived by looks. Not only can one look smart and actually be pretty dumb, but some people look athletic but are not. The reverse can also be true. The best player on our high school girl's basketball team was very small, and the tallest girl would frequently fall over her own feet. Some people look kind but can be exceedingly cruel. The only way to really know a person is to spend time with them, preferably in several different circumstances.

I do agree that looks can be decieving hence it is better to know the person better first than to decide instantly whether he/she is smart or not. Speaking on averages, nowadays girls are outshining boys in almost everything. When it comes to identifying smart people, I usually don't go for the looks, I try and analyse the behaviour and way of communication of that person. I believe if a person can understand, relate, perceive, connect and respond to others is definitely a smart person. I guess that makes all myLot members smart!! Yipee!

I would say in this department looks are quite deceiving. I've often seen someone who looks bright and witty and then when talking to them found them to be a complete dud. The bottom line is that you can't judge a book by its cover.

Perhaps more on what they say or do.

Nope I can't because as you said looks can be deceiving. And someone we would think is smart or dumb and be opposite of what we think. And sometimes a person can be smart in one job/subject but isn't so good in others. So we tend to be judgmental about it sometimes.

I think I can. But I need to be spending time talking or interacting with others to sort of detect this. I think first impressions is important but it doesn't necessary has to last. I'll be willing for a 2nd opinion anytime, so the smart thingy could change too, with time..

I usually try to not judge people from their looks, but sometimes you just can't help it. As for figuring out whether or not a person is intelligent just by looking at them, that's usually pretty difficult. I just entered a program in university that's supposed to contain the 70 top students of my year, but when I first saw everyone in my class, lots of them don't look like they would be the "smart" kind. I mean, I guess I don't really look smart either, but sometimes a person just looks really nerdy, and they usually turn out to be that way. But in my class, lots of people don't look that way at all, yet they are there so I have to conclude that they must be intelligent or else they wouldn't have been accepted into the program.

Hiya patofgold, When I was just started to work I had the un privilege to work with an Adonis who thought and looked smart except that I saw straight through him. All those smart answers did´nt do anything for me what a creep was what I was thinking inside. I was working as an Office Junior and you had to be the dogsbody for a while. More than once for all those smart remarks he made to me I give him his toast the last by then it was almost cold and he was to lazy to go and change it. He was very nice looking on the outside with nothing on the inside lol.

I stick with the "dont judge the book by its cover" saying because like you just said, looks can be deceiving.

U can never say that a person is smart because of his/her looks, its in the skills, ideas, and knowledge that he/she have not the looks. Never depend on the looks.