If you’re a moderately brilliant person, you probably socialize less than your friends and you worry about if that’s normal, reasonable, and acceptable. Most of us already know that smart people tend to worry more than others and are more likely to have social anxiety since they are more perceptive than the average person. According to a study that was published in the British Journal of Psychology, people with high IQs actually prefer their own company, and there’s a very intriguing explanation for this.
Let’s start with what is already known: Evolutionary psychologists have discovered, according to the study, that people who are typically more clever enjoy life less from routine social interaction. They polled people between the ages of 18 and 28 and found that individuals who attended social gatherings with friends more frequently and lived in more densely populated regions reported feeling less happy.
According to the study, the “savannah theory”—or the notion that the things that naturally make us happy are still true now just as they were at the dawn of civilization—is at the heart of modern happiness. It is assumed that smarter individuals are better able to deal with the issues of contemporary life and are more likely to “leave the group” in order to pursue their own, more fulfilling lives. In essence, the intelligent prefer to socialize less because they do not need a sense of tribal affiliation to find meaning in their lives. When offered the option of “belonging” or not, they are the ones who are actually more likely to select their own path.
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The fact that happiness levels are typically higher in smaller communities than in larger ones lends evidence to this. This trend is referred to as the “urban-rural happiness gradient.” There are several potential causes for this, but the most likely one is that honest connections and smaller-scale social environments are where people thrive. In small communities, there is a feeling of community and belonging. You greet the same people as you walk out to the deli in the morning, which prevents you from getting lost in the crowd in a bigger metropolis. In a smaller town, as in a bigger city, people are valued more for who they are and how they connect with others than for their achievements or external looks. The main idea is still valid: a select group of deep, real connections is where brilliant people (and happy people!) thrive. This is often disregarded by intelligent people in favor of their personal intere