If someone brings up these 10 topics in a conversation, they’re probably a high‑level thinker

If someone brings up these 10 topics in a conversation, they’re probably a high‑level thinker

I’ve spent years studying psychology and human behavior, and there’s something fascinating about the topics that naturally emerge when you’re talking to someone who thinks at a deeper level. Whether I’m having coffee in Singapore or cycling through the streets of Saigon, I’ve noticed that certain conversation topics are like intellectual green flags—they signal you’re dealing with someone who sees the world through a more sophisticated lens.

As a psychology graduate and the author of Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How to Live with Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego, I’ve had countless conversations with people from all walks of life. The high-level thinkers always stand out, not because they’re trying to impress, but because of the natural depth and curiosity they bring to discussions.

Here are 10 topics that, in my experience, indicate you’re talking to someone who operates on a higher intellectual plane.

1. Systems thinking and interconnectedness

High-level thinkers don’t just see individual events—they see patterns and connections. They’ll bring up how seemingly unrelated things influence each other. For instance, they might discuss how urban planning affects mental health, or how education policy impacts economic inequality three generations down the line.

These conversations often start with phrases like “Have you noticed how…” or “I’ve been thinking about the connection between…” They’re naturally curious about the invisible threads that connect different aspects of life.

2. Second and third-order consequences

While most people focus on immediate outcomes, high-level thinkers are already three steps ahead. They’ll discuss not just what happens, but what happens because of what happens.

In my conversations with entrepreneurs in Singapore, I’ve noticed the successful ones always talk about ripple effects. They don’t just ask “Will this work?” but “What will this lead to, and what will that lead to?”

3. Cognitive biases and mental models

Someone who brings up confirmation bias, the sunk cost fallacy, or anchoring bias in casual conversation is demonstrating meta-cognitive awareness—they’re thinking about thinking itself.

These individuals understand that our brains have predictable quirks and limitations. They’re interested in how these mental shortcuts both help and hinder us in daily life.

4. The nature of knowledge and certainty

High-level thinkers are comfortable with uncertainty and nuance. They’ll discuss epistemology without using the word—talking about how we know what we know, the difference between correlation and causation, and the limits of human understanding.

They use phrases like “It seems like…” or “Based on what we know so far…” rather than making absolute statements. This intellectual humility is a hallmark of sophisticated thinking.

5. Paradoxes and contradictions

Instead of being frustrated by contradictions, high-level thinkers are fascinated by them. They’ll bring up how something can be both true and false depending on context, or how opposing forces can coexist.

During my time studying Buddhist philosophy, I learned to appreciate paradox as a feature of reality, not a bug. High-level thinkers seem to intuitively understand this.

6. Long-term thinking and compound effects

These individuals naturally think in decades, not days. They’ll discuss how small changes compound over time, whether in personal habits, societal trends, or technological development.

They’re interested in questions like: “What would happen if everyone did this?” or “How will this look in 20 years?”

7. Incentive structures and human behavior

High-level thinkers understand that people respond to incentives, often in unexpected ways. They’ll discuss how reward systems shape behavior, sometimes creating unintended consequences.

They might bring up how performance metrics can distort behavior, or how well-intentioned policies sometimes backfire because they don’t account for human psychology.

8. The role of context and environment

Rather than attributing everything to individual choice or character, sophisticated thinkers consider situational factors. They understand that environment shapes behavior more than we’d like to admit.

They’ll discuss how physical spaces, social norms, and cultural contexts influence decisions and outcomes.

9. Emergence and complexity

High-level thinkers are fascinated by how simple rules can create complex patterns, and how complex systems can exhibit properties that none of their individual parts possess.

They might discuss how consciousness emerges from neural activity, how culture emerges from individual interactions, or how markets emerge from individual transactions.

10. The limits of optimization

While many people are obsessed with optimization, high-level thinkers understand its limits. They’ll discuss concepts like satisficing (choosing “good enough” rather than perfect), the importance of slack in systems, and how over-optimization can create fragility.

They understand that some inefficiency is actually beneficial, and that trying to optimize everything can lead to unexpected problems.

What this means for your conversations

If you find yourself in conversations that naturally drift toward these topics, you’re likely talking to someone who thinks deeply about the world. These aren’t necessarily the loudest people in the room or the ones with the most credentials—they’re simply individuals who are genuinely curious about how things work at a fundamental level.

The beautiful thing about recognizing these patterns is that it can help you identify the people worth spending more time with. In my experience, conversations with high-level thinkers are not just more interesting—they’re more likely to change how you see the world.

And if you want to cultivate this kind of thinking in yourself, start paying attention to these topics. Read about systems thinking, study cognitive biases, and practice looking for connections between seemingly unrelated things. The more you engage with these concepts, the more naturally they’ll emerge in your own conversations.

Remember, high-level thinking isn’t about being smarter than everyone else—it’s about being curious about complexity, comfortable with uncertainty, and interested in understanding the deeper patterns that shape our world.