Are you too smart? (Page 2)

After combing schools for the creme de la creme, Lewis selected 1,500 pupils with an IQ of 140 or more of which 80 of them had IQs above 170. Together, they became known as the “Termites”.

The Terman Study is one of the most famous longitudinal studies ever performed - and so far, the longest. Professor Lewis Terman studied gifted children. The study began in 1921 and was originally slated to last for 10 years. However, the study was so interesting and the collected data was so good that the study continued through the lifetime of the subjects. The last big data collection was in 1992, however researchers continued to follow all subjects until they died.

As you might imagine, a good number of those Termites hit the jackpot, achieving both wealth and fame. When their show hit the airwaves on CBS, they were raking in salaries double the average white-collar worker's paycheck. But, as in any group, not everyone danced to Terman's tune. Some opted for more "down-to-earth" career paths, like becoming police officers, sailors, or typists, among others. And this got Terman thinking – "Intellect and success aren't exactly peas in a pod," he concluded. And, surprise, surprise, their genius didn't necessarily translate into personal bliss.

Over the course of their lives, their marriage, alcoholism, and suicide statistics matched up with the national average. In a nutshell, their intelligence didn't guarantee a better life. At best, it didn't boost their life satisfaction, and at worst, it might've even left them feeling unfulfilled. Now, don't get us wrong – not every high IQ individual is a brooding, tortured genius.

So, why don't the perks of being a smarty-pants pay off in the long run?

One idea is that knowing you're a cut above can sometimes feel like carrying around a burden. When the surviving Termites reminisced about their 80-year journey, many admitted that they couldn't shake the feeling of not living up to their youthful aspirations. It's like they were hauling the weight of their own potential, especially when everyone around them had such high hopes.

This heavy sense of responsibility, particularly when combined with the expectations of others, is a recurring theme among gifted children and adults.

Another common complaint, often heard in student bars and internet forums, is that smarter people somehow have a clearer vision of the world’s failings. Where the rest of the world are blinkered from existential anxiety, smarter people lay awake agonising over the human condition or other people’s problems.

So, another sign of being too intelligent is constant worrying, anxiety and...

Now, studies have found that those with higher IQs do tend to experience more anxiety throughout the day. Surprisingly, most of their concerns are of the mundane, day-to-day variety. Take, for instance, the high-IQ students from the Termite program who were studied. They were far more likely to find themselves replaying an awkward conversation than pondering the "big questions." It's not that their worries were necessarily more profound; they just had more frequent and prolonged episodes of deep thought. If something unfavorable occurred, they'd dwell on it as if it were an ancient scroll of wisdom.

So, the common problem here is that intelligent people dedicate a significant amount of time to contemplation and analysis. In this scenario, you might come to realize how somber it gets when you attempt to find the existential significance of every concept and life experience. In simpler terms, you may try to uncover the meaning of life until you're on the verge of an existential crisis, only to realize that, well, nothing truly means anything.

What I'm getting at is that these bright minds might find it nearly impossible to make a choice. The potential consequences of their decisions lead them down a rabbit hole of over-analysis, often resulting in, you guessed it, no decision being made at all.

Here's the harsh reality: being exceptionally smart doesn't necessarily mean you make wiser decisions. In fact, it can sometimes lead to choices that are, well, a tad less brilliant.

Did you realize that folks who absolutely crush those cognitive tests are more prone to overlooking their own shortcomings? But wait, there's more. Those test-topping, brainy folks also tend to have a "bias blind spot." This means they struggle to spot their own flaws, even when they're perfectly capable of pointing out the shortcomings of others. It's like having a "I'm a genius, no need to check for errors" blindfold on.

Oh, and then there's the gambler's fallacy.

The gambler's fallacy, also known as the Monte Carlo fallacy or the fallacy of the maturity of chances, is the mistaken belief that, if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future.

This can also lead stock investors to sell their shares before they reach peak value – in the belief that their luck has to run out sooner or later.

And let's not forget about relying on gut instincts over rational thinking. This preference for following your intuition might explain why a surprising number of people believe in the paranormal. It might also clarify why someone with an IQ of 140 is roughly twice as likely to max out their credit card. In a nutshell, being a smarty-pants doesn't always translate to sensible choices and a picture-perfect life.

So, if intelligence doesn't necessarily lead to rational decisions and a better life, what does?

Being exceptionally smart often comes with a profound realization of the limits of one's own intellect. No matter how hard you try, you'll never grasp or fathom everything in the vast realm of knowledge.

Intelligence is a curse when… the more you know, the more you feel the less you know.

In the future, employers might start shifting their focus away from IQ and towards evaluating different qualities. Google, for instance, has already announced its plans to assess candidates for traits like intellectual humility, rather than just pure cognitive firepower.

Regardless of your IQ score, many, including myself, firmly believe that wisdom can be cultivated. It's often easier for us to shed our preconceived notions when considering others rather than turning the introspective lens on ourselves.

Arguably, life's greatest challenge will always be coaxing people into admitting their own imperfections. If you've coasted through life on the laurels of your intelligence, it can be exceptionally tough to acknowledge that it might have been clouding your judgment.

Is the wisest person not really the one who can admit he knows nothing?

Share your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for dropping by my blog post! Stay safe out there.