5 surprising traits of smart people
There are all kinds of people in the world, and that really is a beautiful thing. Everyone has a role they play, and a purpose to their life. That said, there are some of us who are smarter than the rest. It’s interesting to consider different factors when determining why certain kinds of people tend to be cleverer than others. Luckily for us, researchers have carried out a host of studies on just this subject.
Let’s take a look at which kinds of people are more likely to be smart, and consider why that might be.
1. Comedians
Research out of the University of New Mexico found that a sense of humour can reveal, among other things, intelligence. A study of 400 students (200 male, 200 female) showed that those with higher general and verbal intelligence scores were likely to be funnier. The ability to produce humour, in turn, is linked with one’s likelihood at mating. The same study suggested that humour evolved through sexual selection as a way to indicate intelligence.
2. Lefties
According to psychologists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Milan, there is a significant link between the hand you use to write and your ability to perform mathematic tasks. Speaking with MailOnline, the researchers revealed that the correlation changes based on age and gender, as well as the type of task being performed.
3. Cat people
A 2014 study of people who identified as either a “cat person” or a “dog person” found that cat lovers were the smarter of the two. By looking at personality traits of the two groups, researchers also determined that cat people are more sensitive, open minded, and introverted. Interestingly, they also tend to have a rebellious nature. Dog people, however, are usually energetic, outgoing, and perform better in social situations.
4. Worry warts
A study published in Elsevier in 2015 examined the connection between intelligence and people who worry. The results showed that those who frequently worried (about future negative events, or by repeatedly revisiting negative past events) scored higher on verbal intelligence tests. Those who tended to worry about things like social situations, and the risk of looking silly, scored lower on non-verbal intelligence scores. The researchers theorised that people with a higher level of verbal intelligence are better equipped to consider past and future events in detail, making them more likely worry.
5. Teen prudes
A 2000 study by Dr Carolyn Tucker Halpern from the University of North Carolina examined the relationship between teens’ sexual activity and their intelligence. The results, controlled for “age, physical maturity, and mother’s education” showed that “a significant curvilinear relationship between intelligence and coital status was demonstrated.” Those with higher levels of intelligence were shown to be less likely to initiate “the full range of partnered sexual activities.” Drawing on the results, Dr Halpern concluded that “higher intelligence acts as a protective factor against early sexual activity during adolescence”.
Do you fall into any of these categories? Or do you perhaps know someone who does?
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