15 Signs That You Are HPI (High Intellectual Potential)
Tree thinking, hypersensitivity, feeling of permanent mismatch... Discover the revealing characteristics that may indicate a High Intellectual Potential.
Have you always felt "different"? Your brain seems to be working at full speed, you feel emotions with particular intensity, and you often feel out of sync with others? These characteristics could be signs of High Intellectual Potential. Discover the 15 signs that can reveal an HPI.
🧠 What is HPI exactly?
High Intellectual Potential (HPI), also called "giftedness" or "talent," refers to individuals whose intelligence quotient (IQ) is greater than or equal to 130. This threshold, defined by the World Health Organization, corresponds to the 2.3% of the population with the highest cognitive abilities.
But HPI is not just a number. It is a different brain function that manifests in all aspects of life: the way of thinking, feeling, perceiving the world, and interacting with others.
"HPI individuals are like zebras: unique in their stripes, recognizable among themselves, but difficult to tame in a world made for horses."
— Jeanne Siaud-Facchin, psychologist specializing in HPI
⚠️ HPI ≠ "Super-intelligent"
Being HPI does not mean being better than others. It is a different mode of operation, with its strengths (speed of understanding, creativity) but also its difficulties (hypersensitivity, feeling of mismatch). Many HPI individuals suffer precisely from not fitting the "genius" image attributed to them.
🎯 First Step: Assess Your IQ
An IQ above 130 is the first criterion for HPI. Our free test gives you an initial indication in 15 minutes.
Take the IQ Test →💭 Cognitive Signs (1-5)
The cognitive signs concern how the HPI brain processes information. They are often the first to be noticed, starting in childhood.
Tree Thinking
Your mind does not work linearly (A → B → C) but in a branching manner: one idea leads to ten others, which lead to a hundred. You make connections that others do not see, but you can also get lost in your own thoughts. This mental richness is as exhausting as it is stimulating.
Exceptional Speed of Understanding
You grasp concepts very quickly, often before the explanation is finished. At school, you were bored because the pace was too slow. You hate having to be explained the same thing multiple times and struggle to understand why others "do not get it."
Insatiable Curiosity and Devouring Passions
You need to understand the "why" of everything. When a subject fascinates you, you dive deep into it for weeks or months, accumulating impressive expertise. Then you move on to something else, sometimes leaving projects unfinished.
Exceptional Memory and Associations of Ideas
You easily retain information, especially those that interest you. Your memory works by associations: a detail can bring back a very old memory with surprising accuracy. You often surprise others by recalling conversations from years ago.
Need for Meaning and Logic
You cannot stand doing something "just because." You need to understand the logic behind rules, processes, and decisions. The arbitrary revolts you. This quest for meaning can make you critical of established systems.
💗 Emotional Signs (6-10)
The emotional intelligence of HPI individuals is often as developed as their cognitive intelligence. But this heightened sensitivity can be difficult to manage in daily life.
Emotional Hypersensitivity
You feel emotions with an intensity that others do not understand. A criticism can devastate you, a joy can overwhelm you. You are an "emotional sponge" that absorbs the emotions of others as well. This sensitivity is both your greatest strength and your greatest vulnerability.
Sensorial Hypersensitivity
Your senses are on constant alert. A background noise that no one else notices distracts you. Clothing tags irritate you unbearably. Certain food textures disgust you. This hyperesthesia can make noisy or stimulating environments exhausting.
Acute Sense of Justice
Injustice deeply revolts you, even when it does not directly concern you. You defend the weak, and you are outraged by abuses of power. This highly developed moral sense can put you in difficulty when you refuse compromises that others easily accept.
Highly Developed Empathy
You intuitively perceive what others feel, sometimes before they themselves are aware of it. You read micro-expressions, unspoken words, and tensions. This empathy can be a gift for helping others, but also a burden when you absorb their suffering.
Perfectionism and Fear of Failure
You set very high standards for yourself and are your harshest critic. The fear of not measuring up can paralyze you (procrastination) or push you to exhaustion. You struggle to accept your mistakes and to be lenient with yourself.
💡 Hypersensitivity is Not a Weakness
Contrary to popular belief, the hypersensitivity of HPI individuals is not a flaw to be corrected. It is a neurological characteristic that, when well understood and channeled, becomes a strength: creativity, intuition, ability to understand others, emotional depth... The challenge is to learn to manage it, not to suppress it.
👥 Social Signs (11-15)
The different functioning of HPI naturally impacts social relationships. Many HPI individuals describe a feeling of permanent mismatch with their surroundings.
Feeling of Permanent Mismatch
For as long as you can remember, you have felt like you are not "on the same wavelength" as others. Your interests, your humor, your worldview seem different. You feel like an "alien" or an "extraterrestrial" among humans. This mismatch can create a deep sense of loneliness.
Difficulty with Arbitrary Authority
You respect authority when it is legitimate and competent, but you cannot stand authority imposed by mere status. "Because I am your boss" is not a valid reason in your eyes. This attitude has often put you in difficulty at school or work.
Preference for Deep Relationships
"Small talks" and superficial relationships bore or exhaust you. You prefer to have a few close friends with whom you can have deep and authentic conversations. Quantity does not interest you; only quality matters.
Impostor Syndrome
Despite your abilities, you constantly doubt your worth. You attribute your successes to luck rather than your skills. You fear being "exposed" as not being as intelligent as people think. This syndrome is paradoxically very common among HPI individuals.
Need for Solitude to Recharge
Social interactions, even pleasant ones, tire you out. You need time alone to "recharge your batteries," process all the accumulated information, and regain your balance. This is not asociality; it is a physiological necessity.
🧠 Do You Recognize Yourself in These Signs?
The first step to confirming an HPI is to assess your IQ. Our free test gives you an initial indication.
Test My IQ →Stimulate My Brain →
🔬 How to Get Diagnosed with HPI?
Recognizing yourself in these signs is not enough to establish an HPI diagnosis. Only a complete psychometric assessment conducted by a qualified professional (psychologist or neuropsychologist) can confirm a High Potential.
The Steps of Diagnosis
1. Self-Assessment
Start with an online IQ test to get an initial indication of your level.
2. Consultation
Make an appointment with a psychologist specializing in HPI to discuss your background.
3. WAIS/WISC Assessment
Take the official test (WAIS for adults, WISC for children) which lasts about 2-3 hours.
💡 Why Get Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of HPI is not an end in itself, but it can be liberating. Understanding your functioning allows you to: better know and accept yourself, adapt your learning and working strategies, find peers who function the same way, and put words to a feeling of difference felt for a long time.
🌟 Living Fulfilled with Your HPI
HPI is neither a disease nor a superpower. It is a way of being that requires understanding to be lived serenely. Here are some tips for thriving as an HPI.
Nourishing Your Brain
An HPI brain needs stimulation. Intellectual boredom can lead to anxiety or depression. Find activities that excite you, challenges to take on, knowledge to acquire. Daily cognitive training with apps like JOE can help maintain this stimulation.
Managing Hypersensitivity
Learn to protect yourself from overly stimulating environments. Allow yourself moments of calm and solitude. Practice stress management techniques (meditation, breathing, sports). Do not be ashamed of your needs: they are legitimate.
Finding Your Peers
Join associations or HPI groups to meet people who function like you. The feeling of "finally being understood" is often described as liberating. Mensa, AFEP, or local groups can be good starting points.
🎯 Conclusion
If you recognized yourself in several of these 15 signs, you may be part of the 2.3% of the population with High Intellectual Potential. This discovery can be the beginning of a better understanding of yourself.
Remember that these signs are indicators, not a diagnosis. If you wish to confirm an HPI, the first step is to assess your IQ, then consult a professional for a complete assessment.
Whatever the outcome, remember that your worth is not summed up by a number. The most important thing is to understand your functioning to live in harmony with who you truly are.
Ready to learn more about your abilities?
Start with our free IQ test.
