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How to Identify a Smart Person in 3 Minutes

What’s the fastest way to identify the most intelligent people in a group? Start with an easy question. Then ask a complex one.

Overeager responders are often so desperate for brownie points that they forget to consider whether their contribution is even all that valuable and skip the fact-checking and analysis to go straight for the win. There’s another reason why smart folks might hesitate to answer obvious questions: They suspect it’s a trap.