Study: People With Higher IQs Don't Require A Large Social Circle

Started by stromboli, March 24, 2016, 04:06:25 PM

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stromboli

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a43274/higher-iq-social-circles/

QuoteWhile the average person is happier with a large friend circle, new research reveals those with higher IQs are better off with a small one.

Evolutionary psychologists Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics and Norman Li of Singapore Management University are the authors of this intriguing study published last month in the British Journal of Psychology, and they were driven to find out how friendship affects life satisfaction and overall happiness.

Digging into data from a long-term survey of 15,000 adults aged 18 to 28, Kanazawa and Li noticed two major trends. First of all, urban dwellers were generally less happy than those living in rural areas. Secondly, people reported higher life-satisfaction with increased social interactions.

Using the "the savanna theory of happiness" to back up their research, the researchers hypothesized their findings are rooted in early man and the hunter-gather lifestyle that had people living in tribes, much more akin to small towns that big cities. "Situations and circumstances that would have increased our ancestors' life satisfaction in the ancestral environment may still increase our life satisfaction today," they wrote.

There was also one major finding in the study that threw the researchers for a loop: Highly intelligent people became less satisfied the more time they spend with friends.

"The effect of population density on life satisfaction was therefore more than twice as large for low-IQ individuals than for high-IQ individuals," they wrote. And "more intelligent individuals were actually less satisfied with life if they socialized with their friends more frequently."

The Washington Post reached out to a Brookings Institution researcher who studies the economics of happiness to explain this anomaly.

"The findings in here suggest (and it is no surprise) that those with more intelligence and the capacity to use it ... are less likely to spend so much time socializing because they are focused on some other longer term objective," Carol Graham said.


I am goal and project oriented, think socializing is boring and people are largely stupid. Another one of many reasons I dumped religion. Congregations that attract people repel me. I also don't socialize well at parties.

And based on statements made on the forum, I know there are many here that are similar. We smart.  :biggrin:


Unbeliever

Quote from: stromboli on March 24, 2016, 04:06:25 PM
We smart.  :biggrin:

What do you mean "we," paleface?  :taz:
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

gentle_dissident

I must be stupid, because I am constantly trying to organize people into social gatherings, projects, and community. Those geniuses seem to be mostly into church and family.

I occasionally find someone to hang with for a little while until some insanity puts a stop to it.

Unbeliever

I like this study, since my social circle is about as small as it can get without my being a hermit!
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Baruch

Quote from: Unbeliever on March 24, 2016, 05:15:10 PM
I like this study, since my social circle is about as small as it can get without my being a hermit!

There may be some overlap between "not the life of the party" and "oddball".
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

kilodelta

Does this mean, the less friends and socializing, the smarterer? I must be Eine bier stein.
Faith: pretending to know things you don't know

Mike Cl

I dislike bars, churches, social gatherings and parties.  For me a good book club would be me and two others.  I love pc games but hate mmo's and muds or any co-op game.  It took me awhile for me to accept that I am a loner and another while to accept that I like it that way.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Shiranu

Once more, science proves that being intelligent is not as great as it sounds...
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

AllRight

Quote from: Unbeliever on March 24, 2016, 05:15:10 PM
I like this study, since my social circle is about as small as it can get without my being a hermit!
I resemble that remark!

AllRight

Quote from: Mike Cl on March 24, 2016, 07:26:20 PM
I dislike bars, churches, social gatherings and parties.  For me a good book club would be me and two others.  I love pc games but hate mmo's and muds or any co-op game.  It took me awhile for me to accept that I am a loner and another while to accept that I like it that way.
It took me a while to realize that I am an introvert and happier home alone than out in hordes of people.  I do try to find a balance since my husband is a social butterfly though.

aitm

I am very social and make friends easily but I don't have many real friends because i don't need them and find many others to be demanding because of a "friendship". I would never ask my friends to help me move… I invite them to come over for dinner.

I can also be difficult to deal with, because I will take over if I feel something needs to be done and nobody is doing it. My boss once came to one of my construction meetings and in the middle started to prattle about some shit..I interrupted him and told him we needed to stay focused on the issue. He shut up, and never came to another.

So perhaps I am in the middle, I don't need nor require large social circles, but when I am in them, I tend to take over…..not really smart, kinda arrogant, but shit gets done!
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Hydra009

Quote from: Mike Cl on March 24, 2016, 07:26:20 PMI dislike bars, churches, social gatherings and parties.  For me a good book club would be me and two others.  I love pc games but hate mmo's and muds or any co-op game.  It took me awhile for me to accept that I am a loner and another while to accept that I like it that way.
You had me until co-ops and MMOs.  As good as soloing is, sometimes multiplayer can be great fun.

stromboli

Quote from: aitm on March 24, 2016, 08:05:04 PM
I am very social and make friends easily but I don't have many real friends because i don't need them and find many others to be demanding because of a "friendship". I would never ask my friends to help me move… I invite them to come over for dinner.

I can also be difficult to deal with, because I will take over if I feel something needs to be done and nobody is doing it. My boss once came to one of my construction meetings and in the middle started to prattle about some shit..I interrupted him and told him we needed to stay focused on the issue. He shut up, and never came to another.

So perhaps I am in the middle, I don't need nor require large social circles, but when I am in them, I tend to take over…..not really smart, kinda arrogant, but shit gets done!

But you are goal oriented. You want to get on with the project and don't want to deal with the BS in the middle. Same thing.

Mike Cl

Quote from: AllRight on March 24, 2016, 08:02:30 PM
It took me a while to realize that I am an introvert and happier home alone than out in hordes of people.  I do try to find a balance since my husband is a social butterfly though.
Introvert--that was the word I was searching for.  I happily cop to that now.  If the Type A personality never stops--then I guess I'm a Type Z.  :)
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

GSOgymrat

I attribute my preference for limited social interaction to my introverted brain, not intelligence. I'm not exceptionally intelligent.

http://www.quietrev.com/6-illustrations-that-show-what-its-like-in-an-introverts-head/#.VsXKpDXXbj4.facebook