Highly Analytical People Often Notice These 11 Things That Others Miss Entirely
Vadym Ivanov / ShutterstockWhen I read books about Sherlock Holmes, I marveled at how analytical his mind was. Every step, every motion was read by him. I’ve wanted to be like that ever since I read his stories. It’s possible, up to a point, anyway. It requires training and reading for most people to come close to the fictional character’s behavior.
Still, it is possible. There are people who are like Sherlock Holmes out there. Want to know who can act as your pair of 20/20 social eyes? Check out these things highly analytical people tend to see first.
Highly analytical people often notice these 11 things that others miss entirely
1. Changes in their social circle's vibes
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We’ve all been there, right? We’ve all seen a situation where a room goes from giggling to quiet just as a certain person steps in, right? In some cases, you might have been the person who caused that change in vibe.
People who are highly analytical can often tell when that vibe shift will happen before it happens. How do they do it? They will be able to tell based on things like the tone of a person’s voice or even knowledge of a past faux pas. When an analytical person sees all those little factors together, it’s easy to figure out what will happen next.
2. Unusual solutions to common problems
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People who are deeply analytical are also generally high-level thinkers. In other words, they don’t just analyze something. They do something with the information they analyze. In most cases, this means they will come up with multiple crafty solutions to problems they regularly see.
For example, a highly analytical person might notice that they always end up in traffic on their morning commute. Normal folks might get a new route. Highly analytical people might download an app that helps them avoid traffic, find a commuter bus that takes them there faster, or find a new remote position in the company.
3. The deeper meanings in books
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Most of us had a teacher who would ask us to try to find symbolism in the books we'd read in class. If you were like me and others in your class, you probably rolled your eyes when it came to some of the symbols they’d discuss. (As Freud would be misquoted as saying, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.”)
Analytical minds are minds that love seeing a deeper meaning in things like books, movies, and gams. They love to pick up on small symbols that would make an English teacher proud. Whether it’s the way a character looks, a specific frequently-mentioned item, or the name of a location, doesn’t matter. They’ll eat it up!
4. Different viewpoints
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When you’re a regular person, you tend to see your viewpoint—and often yours alone. It may take quite a long time and a lot of explanation to make others see your point. That’s just the way most people are: tunnel-visioned. We tend to want things solved fast, immediately, even if it’s not the best way to go about things.
Analytical people, though? They are different because they want to see other perspectives. In fact, they may even ask people to explain their viewpoints simply because they want to see which viewpoint is the best. Highly analytical minds yearn for a mental challenge, even when it comes to sharing viewpoints.
5. Inaccuracies
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Ooh, may your deity of choice bless you with a highly analytical accountant. Why do I say this? It’s simple: highly analytical people are capable of noticing small inaccuracies in almost every realm of life, including accounting. So, if you tend to struggle with taxes, a highly analytical person will be your lifesaver.
Analytical people are known for their ability to keep things accurate, fully understood, and clear to those around them. They aren’t just the problem-solvers. They’re the people you go to when you want to understand a concept inside and out.
6. When someone is jumping to conclusions
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If there is one thing that highly analytical people absolutely hate with a burning passion, it’s when people jump to conclusions. This is because skipping crucial details can lead you to make the wrong decision. So, they’d rather take their time with any major problem, detail by detail.
Many impatient people will go a little batty waiting for analytical people to finish up their investigation into a matter. However, very few will actually be upset when they see the awesome, bulletproof results that come with that type of heavy analysis.
7. Changes in someone's story
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Did you ever have a person who changed their stories to suit their own needs? If so, you might have noticed that they tend to hate deeply analytical people with a burning passion. Analytical people tend to be problematic for liars because they hang onto every word a person says—and that means they can tell when someone subtly changes the story.
They are the type of people who will notice when a detail changes, like who said what, or when the house layout in a tall tale stops matching up with reality. That’s a trait that keeps them safe, but drives liars crazy.
8. Deception
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While we’re on the subject of things highly analytical people notice, we might as well talk about the other major thing they’re famous for. Because they tend to keep track of all the little details of a situation, highly analytical people also tend to be experts at figuring out deception before the liar is able to strike.
Highly analytical people are often the ones who can pick up on non-verbal cues and mild shifts in behavior that indicate lying. Among friends, they are often the people others rely on to determine someone’s trustworthiness. That’s a big, big deal.
9. Connections between people, events, and groups
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Deception isn’t the only thing that analytical minds tend to pick up on. They also tend to be the ones who are able to figure out connections between people, places, and groups you might never think go together. Analytical minds absolutely love to spot patterns in everyday life.
Every connection that a person has, whether it’s to another person or an event, tends to come with patterns that signify their connection to others. Sometimes, it’s just the way they use certain phrases. Other times, it’s the way they dress or the way they actively avoid each other. Regardless of what pattern they see, an analytical person can usually figure out connections that are often hidden from most other people.
10. Secrets being kept
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If you haven’t guessed by now, highly analytical people tend to be the ones who notice all the details involving deception and lies. While we’ve focused a lot on things involving lies, there are other things they are able to detect that aren’t inherently bad.
People with strong analytical faculties are people who are going to be able to pick up on little secrets. For example, a highly analytical person will be able to put together clues about a surprise party being thrown in their honor or that someone has been watching them from afar. Both can be good things, but many might assume they would be a surprise.
11. Logical fallacies
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Did you ever have a moment when you chose to invest in a project that you quietly knew was going downhill in a desperate bid to get a payoff? Did you stay with someone too long, knowing you weren’t compatible? Or did you choose to buy something just because it was popular? These are examples of logical fallacies that people make in day-to-day life.
Analytical people are more likely to notice when something they’re doing isn’t making sense. Realizing that something isn’t rational tends to make people react differently. Namely, by being more likely to realize they need to put aside feelings to face the facts. Unsurprisingly, this makes them excellent choices for decision-making positions.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.
