We’re taught not to judge a book by its cover, but sometimes it’s hard not to. After meeting someone for the first time, you can often tell whether they’re well-educated or not. Here are 19 habits that suggest someone isn’t so educated.
Poor Communication Skills
A telltale sign that someone isn’t well educated is that they struggle with communication. For these kinds of people, it may be hard to explain things and get their point across. They may use words incorrectly or have a limited range of vocabulary.
Lack of Critical Thinking
A lack of critical thinking can sometimes be a sign that someone has lower intelligence. According to Psychology Today, “There has been a decline in people’s ability to think deeply and reflectively in the past few years.” An uneducated individual may jump to conclusions or accept information without questioning it.
Poor Reading Habits
Most of us learn how to read from an early age at school. An individual who struggles to read often shows a lack of education. Sometimes, it can be obvious that a person knows how to read but doesn’t read often, which makes their skill deteriorate.
Resistance to Learning New Things
Some people have the view that learning is for when you’re in school and have no interest in further education. They tend to show no interest in learning and developing new skills, especially if it involves stepping out of their comfort zone. Instead, they stick to the basic skills they already have.
Unrefined Social Etiquette
You can sometimes spot an uneducated person relatively easily in a social environment. They often lack the correct social skills during gatherings and may start talking over somebody or showing inappropriate behavior. Sometimes even speaking to someone they’ve just met as if they’re a friend shows a lack of education.
Mismanagement of Finances
People who are poor with money often lack the skills to be in control of their lives. Advisors Magazine reports, “Numerous statistics show financial illiteracy is a major problem in the U.S., reflected in enormous personal debt.” Uneducated people may spend all their money at once and then struggle to budget and plan for the future.
Inconsistent Work Ethic
In most workplaces, there are individuals who turn up late or struggle with managing their schedules. This lack of professionalism is often a sign that the individual lacks thorough education. This can also be spotted in the employees who lack effort in their work, doing the very basics to get by.
Neglecting Health and Hygiene
A lack of health and hygiene can often be due to a lack of education. Most of us have been taught from a young age the importance of being hygienic and prioritizing our health. Uneducated people can overlook general cleanliness. They may have a poor diet or not include exercise in their lifestyle.
Limited Understanding of Global Issues
People who show only a strong interest in their own culture and are reluctant to understand others’ beliefs can be poorly educated. These people don’t care about what’s going on in the world and don’t see the benefits of learning about other countries.
Dependence on Technology for Basic Tasks
According to the University of the People, technology can impact our mental, physical, and emotional health. Uneducated people may use the calculator on their phone instead of their brain or use a GPS because they don’t know how to read a map. Choosing technology for basic tasks can be detrimental to developing or maintaining everyday life skills.
Disorganized Living and Working Spaces
People who have messy desks or bedrooms may lack education. They don’t know or understand the positive impact a clear, clean environment can have on their lives. Instead, they’re often searching for misplaced documents and lack the structure and routine of their lives.
Ineffective Communication in Writing
When communicating with someone through writing, there are usually clear signs that someone isn’t well-educated. Their writing style may be basic, or there might be lots of spelling mistakes and words used incorrectly in sentences. Another sign may be their lack of ability to organize their thoughts logically within the text.
Quick to Anger or Frustration
Sometimes you can tell a person lacks education by how they manage their emotions. You may witness an individual show anger or frustration at a task, and this can be due to their disappointment in not being able to understand it. A lack of intelligence can be overwhelming for people in certain circumstances.
Lack of Political Awareness
As reported by The Regulatory Review, “Political ignorance is a ubiquitous and persistent problem in modern democracy. It strengthens the case for limiting and decentralizing political power, and for judicial review.” This can make you question if there is any point in having a democracy if people don’t understand how to vote.
Nonexistent or Poor Planning Skills
People who struggle to plan ahead usually lack a good level of education. These kinds of people can often be surprised by the most obvious outcomes of their actions. They don’t see the importance of pursuing long-term goals, as they don’t understand the benefits that come from them.
Low Adaptability to Change
When people struggle to adapt to change, this can be a sign they lack the correct education. They often get so used to their current circumstances that they won’t entertain changes in a workplace, social setting, or their own beliefs. This limits their education, as they don’t grow and learn new skills.
Inability to Handle Criticism
People who struggle to handle constructive criticism are often like this because they lack the education and understanding of the benefits of personal growth. They can be dismissive when receiving feedback or ignore it completely, as they interpret it as an attack on them personally.
Superficial Relationships
If you’re in a superficial relationship, it could be because one or both of you lack the education and importance of having something meaningful. These relationships lack deep conversations, meaning individuals struggle to resolve conflicts effectively. This then hinders the relationship from moving in a positive direction.
Unawareness of Personal Impact on Environment
According to The Valhalla, “When we are not recycling, we are directly affecting the earth that we walk on.” The lack of education among people is having a negative impact on the planet. Uneducated individuals show little interest or concern for the environment and lack doing the basics, like recycling and waste reduction.
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