6 unexpected signs of high intelligence

1. Mental illness

Scientists from the United Kingdom and the United States have found that high intelligence may be associated with the risk of developing bipolar disorder. According to the results of their study, children who had a high IQ at the age of 8 were later more susceptible to this disease.

Of course, high intelligence is only one of the risk factors. As the authors note, bipolar disorder can be caused by heredity, difficult childhood, stress or drug abuse.

Nevertheless, the connection between the mind and mental deviations is confirmed by other data. So, a relationship was found between high IQ and anxiety disorder. Evolutionarily, they developed together: both anxiety and intelligence helped our ancestors to survive, because they forced them to always be on their guard and avoid dangerous situations.

2. Liberalism and atheism

Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa concluded that people who hold liberal and atheistic views have higher intelligence.

According to his research, adolescent ultra-conservatives had an average IQ of 95, while extreme liberals had 106.5. A slightly smaller gap between believers and atheists: the average adolescent IQ of the former was 97, the latter was 103.

Kanazawa's theory is based on the fact that religion and conservatism are the products of centuries of evolution. But to solve new evolutionary problems, you need to be open to other ideas and views. And of course, it's good to be able to think.

3. Nocturnal lifestyle

By analogy with the previous point, Kanazawa suggested that smarter people will have a different daily routine from the evolutionary one. That is, if our ancestors tried to make the most of the daytime and went to bed at nightfall, now those with a high IQ tend to neglect this habit.

The data obtained by the psychologist confirmed the hypothesis. People who later fell asleep and woke up were, on average, smarter than the early birds.

4. Love of loneliness

And another discovery by Satoshi Kanazawa: smart people feel happier if they meet with friends less often. Interestingly, for most people, the opposite is true: the more often they communicate with friends, the better they feel.

The explanation for this controversial fact lies on the surface. A person with high intelligence is more focused on complex tasks and projects, and friendly gatherings only distract from them.

There is another explanation related to evolution. The fact is that historically people tend to cooperate (for the sake of survival and prosperity). But the smartest ones adapt faster to modern cultural and technological conditions, so they prefer to make their own way.

5. Inclination to trust

A study published in 2014 found that high intelligence is associated with the ability to trust people. Moreover, we are talking not only about relatives and friends, but also about other representatives of society.

The bottom line is that smart people are simply better at recognizing those who cannot be trusted. Therefore, they are more open to the rest.

6. Low physical activity

American scientists have found that people who like to think are less mobile. In their experiment, they found that those with a low "need for cognition" were more physically active during the work week.

On the one hand, we can conclude that "non-thinkers" quickly get bored with intellectual activity and they rush to do something else. But on the other hand, it is, rather, an alarming signal for all lovers of long reflections.