6 unexpected high intelligence features

Liberal views, atheism, love of solitude and night life. These and other features could say that you are smarter than others.

1. Mental illness

Scientists from the UK and the US have found that high intelligence may be associated with risk of developing bipolar disorder. According to the results of their researchChildhood IQ and risk of bipolar disorder in adulthood: prospective birth cohort studyChildren who are 8 years old had higher the IQ, later were more susceptible to this disease.

Of course, high intelligence - just one of the risk factors. As noted by the authors, the cause of bipolar disorder can be hereditary, difficult childhood, stress or drug abuse.

Nevertheless, the bond crazy with mental disabilities confirmed by other data. So, it was foundThe relationship between intelligence and anxiety: an association with subcortical white matter metabolism the relationship between high IQ and anxiety disorder. Evolutionarily they developed together: the anxiety and intelligence helped our ancestors to survive, because it forced them to always be on your guard and avoid dangerous situations.

2. Liberalism and atheism

Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa (Satoshi Kanazawa) came to the conclusion that people who hold liberal and atheistic beliefs, have higher intelligence.

According to his studyWhy Liberals and Atheists Are More Intelligent, Ultra-conservatives in their teens had an average IQ of 95, while the extreme liberals - 106.5. Slightly smaller gap between the faithful and atheists: middle adolescence first IQ - 97, the second - 103.

The theory is based KanazawaLiberals and atheists smarter? Intelligent people have values ​​novel in human evolutionary history, study finds on the fact that religion and conservatism are the products of centuries of evolution. But to meet the new evolutionary tasks need to be open to different ideas and beliefs. And, of course, be able to think well.

3. Night life

By analogy with the preceding paragraph, Kanazawa suggested that more intelligent people will have a different evolution of the pledged day mode. That is, if our ancestors tried to make the most of the daylight hours, and went to bed at nightfall, now owners of high IQ tend to neglect this habit.

The obtained data psychologistWhy night owls are more intelligent confirmed the hypothesis. People who sleep and wake up later, were on average more intelligent than the early birds.

4. Love of solitude

And one more openingCountry roads, take me home... to my friends: How intelligence, population density, and friendship affect modern happiness Satoshi Kanazawa: smart people are happier if rarely meet with friends. What is interesting for the majority of people still exactly the opposite: the more often they communicate with friends, the better they feel.

ExplanationThe Real Reason Smart People Tend To Be Loners this contradictory fact lies on the surface. A man with high intelligence to focus more on complex tasks and projects, and friendly gatherings from them only distracts.

There is another explanationDo Smart People Make Good Friends?Associated with the evolution. The fact that, historically, people tend to cooperate (for the sake of survival and prosperity). But the smartest quickly adapt to contemporary cultural and technological conditions, so prefer to make their way on their own.

5. The tendency to trust

StudyGeneralized Trust and Intelligence in the United StatesPublished in 2014, it found that high intelligence is associated with the ability to trust people. And it's not just about the relatives and friends, but also to other members of society.

The bottom line is that smart people are just better at recognizing those who can not be trusted. Therefore, the rest they are more open.

6. Physical inactivity

American scientists have found that people who like to think, are less mobile. During his experimentThe physical sacrifice of thinking: Investigating the relationship between thinking and physical activity in everyday life they found that those with low "need for cognition" more physically active during the week.

On the one hand, we can concludeLazy Layabouts Have This Mental AdvantageThat "nemyslitelyam" quickly get bored with intellectual activity and they make haste to do something else. But on the other hand, it is rather a wake-up call for all lovers of long reflection.

Still in doubt in their intellectual abilities? go Layfhakera test and check them in action.