Study: Intelligent people are unsportsmanlike and drink more alcohol

study of intelligence
Intelligent people are unsportsmanlike and drink more alcohol

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Sport, enough sleep, no drugs: do intelligent people live in ways that would be beneficial to their health? A study suggests that the opposite might be the case.

Actually, one would think that intelligent people know what is good for them. Namely enough sleep, a healthy diet with little alcohol and enough sport to keep body and mind fit. In fact, psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics and Political Science in one study found that this is not always the case. Instead, smart people are often very tolerant – including when it comes to their health.

Unhealthy lifestyle despite high intelligence

The study examined the characteristics and values ​​of people with high intelligence. It turned out that clever personalities tend to represent more modern, liberal values. They can also often do less with religion than not so bright minds.

But when it comes to the more liberal lifestyle, many people with high IQs seem to take it a step further: they tend to stay up late and drink alcohol more regularly, albeit in moderation, than people with lower IQs. In addition, smart people don’t move as much as less smart people on average.

The Savannah Theory: Smart people do better in the modern world

But shouldn’t intelligent people know what this unhealthy lifestyle can do? Do they just not care? According to Satoshi Kanazawa, these results are related to the “savannah theory”. This states that people with a higher IQ tend to cope better with situations and developments in modern life. The brains of less smart people, on the other hand, often have problems with achievements that are relatively new in evolutionary terms, such as the media or urban life. Instead, such people live more conservative and traditional values.

And since alcohol as an intoxicating drug and media consumption on the Internet and television – which lead to lack of exercise and going to bed late – did not play a role in the Stone Age, according to the savannah theory, not so intelligent people are not very inclined to it.

We dare to doubt whether every night owl who likes to drink a few beers is a genius and every teetotal marathon runner is automatically less smart – but the psychologist was probably not interested in such generalizations in his study. Rather, it is about examining how the brains of intelligent people and those of less intelligent people deal with certain values ​​and possibilities.

Source used: forschung-und-wissen.de, psychologytoday.com

Bridget

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