Attention all loners, hold on to that happiness because a study just proved that intelligent people are actually happier alone.
Researchers from the Singapore Management University, Singapore and the London School of Economics and Political Science explained why smart people don’t enjoy the company of other people because two can be a crowd.
The research study is based on the ‘Savannah Theory’ (sounds wild already) also called the evolutionary legacy hypothesis.
The study didn’t exactly look at the lives and IQ of all the sample subjects. What it did focus on was the correlation between population and happiness in different areas. The data was taken from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) for the years 2001-2002. That may sound like cheating but apparently research studies that are based on existing data and evidence (like this one) are far stronger, rather than those which start from scratch and take years to be confirmed.
About the Study
The sample population included a total of 15,197 individuals with ages ranging from 18 to 28. Where the people lived (urban or rural area) was also taken into consideration.
So basically we humans are pack people or tribal in nature. We evolved but our brain can only manage a tribe that numbers 150 people, or 100 people for some. So despite digital globalization, the world may be a village, but not our brains.
The Savannah theory is also called the mismatch hypothesis, so it figures.
Believe it or not, groups larger than 200 people tend to break up easily due to the lack of better cooperation and accommodation. Sounds like less is more.
But Hold On for a Second
Before we jump to the conclusion that the smarter you are, the smaller your network is, the thing is that smart people are actually better evolved for urban environments. Not only that, but the negative effect from the presence of more people is more pronounced in people of average intelligence.
Thing is that smart people may not enjoy fostering close ties with others. So they have larger networks and less friends. This seems mind-boggling at first, but to put it simply, smart people enjoy being alone for the most part. They may forego healthy friendships and close relationships but have larger networks because their contacts are strategic and goal-oriented.
Doesn’t this make smart people sound shallow? Yet another study that proves that socializing with friends is actually a sign of higher intelligence. So either smart people are good at socializing but hate it secretly. Makes sense why they’re happier alone.
Greetings,
Not bragging, networking!
Good blog. Being a loner with a 130 IQ, you have confirmed a few things about my personality and brought them to light. Thanks.
I can attest that being a loner does not neccesarily mean that one is unsociable. It’s that we value our space and “me” time more than the status quo. Also, I would venture to say, that many loner’s tend to be right brain people. They have creative, vivid imaginations and are often artists. Which makes sense, as artists require a quiet enviroment to create in. Idle chit-chat and other recreational pursuits are a bore and precious waste of time.
Not to mention, much less stressful.