(I loved this as soon as I read it, I have a feeling you guys will feel the same way!)
If you’ve got a friend who loves to walk on the fringe- she might just be a genius! Through various studies, science is now telling us that those with “unlikely behaviors” might have higher intelligence than we realize!
1. If your friend loves to swear…
Language Sciences Journal published a study which found that people who curse have a greater vocabulary than those who don’t and are more articulate! I’m not kidding. Although I’m as surprised as you are.
2. You LOVE a good mess.
There are many people, I am not one of them, who see messes as something more like “organized chaos”. Researchers from the University of Minnesota had two groups brainstorm new uses for ping pong balls and found that the group in messier conditions came up with more creative ideas and were even inspired to break free from “tradition.”
3. The sound of chewing drives you INSANE
I’ve got a good friend who has misophonia which literally means, “hatred of sound”. This unrecognized disorder (and yet, 20% of the world’s population has it) sees negative emotions, thoughts, and physical reactions triggered by specific sounds. It is also called “soft sound sensitivity syndrome,” “select sound sensitivity syndrome”, “decreased sound tolerance”, and “sound-rage”. Researchers have found that these people tend to be more creative thinkers than those who don’t suffer with the condition.
4. If you chat away to yourself
I only talk to myself when I need a good pep talk and it turns out- it’s good for me! According to Gigi Engle, from Elite Daily, there has been numerous research which suggests talking to yourself is beneficial because it helps your brain to work more efficiently and help you reach your goals.
5. If your friend loves a strong drink
From the Viral Thread article: “Psychology Today found a correlation between childhood intelligence and alcohol consumption in adulthood, believe it or not. So why is this the case? Apparently it’s because modern alcohol production is an “evolutionarily novel” phenomenon, and that “more intelligent individuals are more likely to engage in evolutionarily novel behavior.””
6. Her/his phone is the ultimate distraction
I’m SURE many will disagree with this but it has been suggested that evidence shows technology distracts BUT, in the right environment and with the right techniques, could make us smarter. I’m not sure I agree we should learn to multitask with our iPhones…I call more research on this one.
7. Late night is your love language
The University of Madrid conducted a study with 1,000 teenagers and found that the ones who enjoyed later bedtimes scored higher than morning types on inductive reasoning tests. However, only if they are allowed to take that test at a later time – I assume.
8. Sex toys.
Get this: research found that students attending Oxford or Cambridge (two of England’s top universities) spent more money on sex toys than their peers at other universities. Does that feel like a stretch to you?
9. If you are an avid doodler
A study found that those who love to doodle are able to better be focused, grasp new concepts, and retain information.
(Here’s a fun video about a neuroscience experience which found that people who are scatterbrained are more intelligent…but watch the bits of language- especially if you’ve got little ones around!)
Do what you will with this fun list! I suspect if you’ve said “yes” to more than 5 of these statements that you’ll whole-heartedly agree – I’m a genius! Enjoy your weekend Health Nuts!
XO- Erin Source: Viral Thread
