Whether it's accepting challenges without feeling deterred by them, or approaching problems with creative solutions, the signs you're genuinely intelligent, according to research, aren't always about book-smarts. Here are 11 signs you're genuinely intelligent, according to research1. When faced with a challenge, if it immediately sparks your curiosity as you start strategizing and analyzing your way to results, it's one of the glaring signs you're genuinely intelligent, according to research. You learn from failurePeopleImages | ShutterstockBeing able to learn from your mistakes is one of the major signs you're genuinely intelligent, according to research. If you want to dig deeper on certain topics and really understand how things work, it's yet another of the signs you're genuinely intelligent, according to research.