At least, that’s what a recent study in the British Journal of Psychology claims. The question that evolutionary psychologists Kanazawa and Li were looking to answer is what makes a life well-lived and how intelligence, population density and friendship can affect our happiness.
The psychologists theorized that the lifestyle of our ancient ancestors form the basis of what makes us happy in modern times,
“Situations and circumstances that would have increased our ancestors’ life satisfaction in the ancestral environment may still increase our life satisfaction today.”
Their study was carried out on 15,000 adults aged between 18 – 28 and their results weren’t actually all that surprising.
Firstly, their findings showed that people who lived in more densely populated areas were less satisfied with their life in general, compared to those who live in less populated areas.
The second finding that the psychologists discovered was that the more social a person is with their close friends, the greater they said their happiness was.
These correlations were diminished or even reversed when the results of intelligent people were analyzed. In other words – when smart people spend time with their friends, it makes them less happy.
Why would intelligent people not gain happiness when they’re around close family and friends? There may be many explanations, including the one given by Carol Graham, a researcher who studies the economics of happiness,
“The findings in here suggest (and it is no surprise) that those with more intelligence and the capacity to use it … are less likely to spend so much time socializing because they are focused on some other longer-term objective.“
This generally makes sense since those intelligent people are so focused on achieving their intellectual goals, anything that takes away from those ambitions makes them unhappy.
The modern day human life has changed rapidly since our ancestors’ time and with technological advances rapidly improving, there may be a kind of mismatch between our brains and the way our bodies are designed to handle situations, according to Kanazawa and Li.
So there we have it. We thought that human interaction would make people happier, but it turns out intelligent people are better off alone.
What do you think of these recent findings? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments.
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Humans need time alone to focus in our own depths and to understand our own experience. Is not so simple to find two minds or more that can synchronise at the same level. Socially this days, the main focus of attention are technology, mixed up with superficiality and stupidity.
I say the same. Most people would drown in a puddle these days. When your a person of depth it becomes lonely being around people. I find freedom and contentment in my own company, where I don't have to deal with other people's self created drama.
so intelligent people will generally not have goals that involve others?
I've spent the weekend alone rather than socialise because I have a goal upcoming and I'm focusing on putting my energy into that, and because I really want this opportunity. But it doesn't mean I don't enjoy socialising. I can be the most sociable person, but I have a long term goal which is my focus right now. And for that I need alone time.
Yes they could, as long as those people can help meet and serve their long term goals and objectives
Not have goals that involve their current friendship group
Background:
- a "directional speaker" focuses sound on an individual.
- brain waves can affect electromagnetic waves and the change can be measured "seismically".
So, the intelligent person can be used as the intellectual slave while the less intelligent party.
There's a flaw in the research design. The study stopped at age 28. As a psychologist, I believe the parameters are too narrow to really understand whether people are happier alone or with others.
I agree. I am not a psychologist but as a 57 year old it struck me that studying people up to the age of 28 was rather limiting. I am happier alone, and reasonably intelligent but I would have liked the study to have encompassed all age groups.
Agree with this comment, was a little disappointed at the age span and its parameters. Maybe had they done several studies involving different age/gender groups then studied the overall correlation it may have been a little more interesting.
This aside I am a female in her mid fifties and find being around family, children and friends hard work on the mind, so many people with so many different opinions and often not stopping for a moment to rationalise their thoughts. Stress levels build up quickly as trust in my fellow man can often be compromised and is time consuming in unravelling what gossip or just plain dross!!
So I applaud and love my alone time to recharge and re-evaluate my own peace and sanity, in what is an ever growing World of psychosis/paranoia and unhealthy tendancies.:-(
I agree. I do not like to be around people and it is because I know the effects of stress so I have set my life to try to achieve as little stress as possible in it. This mainly includes not being around people after working hours. I have found that my life is much less stressful because I have complete charge of it and I do what I want.
I can completely relate to this - thank you for putting it into words! :)