Complex Numbers

Ignorant Bliss

Dropping another bucket into the "JAFBG"  [XGC] well...

Do you think intelligence and happiness are interconnected? Is an intelligent person more or less likely to be happy?

Obviously they are negatively correlated, because I'm hyperintelligent and grumpy as fuck.

Okay, yes, that's a joke on many levels. Also, one data point doesn't mean anything, and my opinion isn't worth the toilet paper it's smeared on. So, putting aside for the moment my War on Happiness, let's see what the science says.

But before I do, I will make a prediction, and let's see if I'm right. If I am, then you will all have to agree that I'm a supergenius; if I'm wrong, you can call me an ignorant dumbass.

That prediction is: Higher IQ will be associated with lower "happiness" (which as I've noted before isn't a quantifiable thing and is necessarily subjective). Probably because we giant-brains see the world as it is and are utterly appalled by all the willful ignorance and dumbassery, while the willfully ignorant dumbasses achieve brainless bliss.

Here's one. The relationship between happiness and intelligent quotient: the contribution of socio-economic and clinical factors   (PubMed)

Results: Happiness is significantly associated with IQ. Those in the lowest IQ range (70-99) reported the lowest levels of happiness compared with the highest IQ group (120-129). Mediation analysis using the continuous IQ variable found dependency in activities of daily living, income, health and neurotic symptoms were strong mediators of the relationship, as they reduced the association between happiness and IQ by 50%.

Conclusions: Those with lower IQ are less happy than those with higher IQ. Interventions that target modifiable variables such as income (e.g. through enhancing education and employment opportunities) and neurotic symptoms (e.g. through better detection of mental health problems) may improve levels of happiness in the lower IQ groups.

Wait, that can't be right. Besides, the study only goes up to 129, and mine's in the 180 range. I gotta find an article that supports my confirmation bias.

New research suggests that IQ leads to greater well-being by enabling one to acquire the financial and educational means necessary to live a better life   (Scientific American)

Crap, you're not helping here. Now I have to venture into the fetid swamp of Psychology Today.

The Surprising Connection Between Intelligence and Happiness  

It turns out that IQ—even assessed in childhood—does predict the emotional ups and downs a person will have over the course of her life. People who were below average in intelligence experienced significantly more variability in their life satisfaction than did those who were above average.

No, no, no, no lalalalalala.

I know, I can usually trust BBC...

IQ linked to levels of happiness  

People with lower intelligence are more likely to be unhappy than their brighter colleagues, according to UK researchers.

Goddammit. (Yes, I know that one just quotes one of the same studies.)

Okay, so I'm a grumpy, ignorant dumbass. Now sod off.

On a more serious note, this sort of thing should demonstrate why science is important. You can come to your own conclusions based on lived experience or personal observations, but those are utterly useless for drawing general conclusions. Like, "I've never worn a seatbelt and I'm fine!" or "I got the 'rona and just had the sniffles, so this whole thing is overblown!"

It's also wise to, when presented with evidence that contradicts your previously-held beliefs, don't dig your heels into your previously-held beliefs no matter what. Doing that, you look like a toddler having a meltdown in the cereal aisle.

At the same time, we can't just accept studies at face value all the time. Things like "intelligence" can have a few different definitions, and as with a lot of science, the layperson's definition isn't necessarily the same as the technical definition. For instance, a lot of people think that intelligence means being able to remember lists of facts, basically what's needed to win a trivia contest. That's not intelligence, though; that's memory. It may be correlated, but intelligence is way more than remembering shit. Also, again, happiness isn't really measurable and is subject to different interpretations.

Your lived experience is important when it comes to storytelling, but it's otherwise completely meaningless, and the sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be.

But what do I know? I'm an idiot.

In conclusion, you really need to look at this graph  , but I'm not taking up space in my portfolio to make it an embedded image. Just click on the link.