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Why aren't smart people happier?

theseedsofscience.pub

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Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#71

Post by fsckboy »

Ardon wrote: post #53

Might be useful to ask a different question: What makes people happy? It's things like relationships, satisfying work, accomplishment. (and many, many more) Then the real question emerges: How many of those happiness 'sources' are made better by intelligence? What percentage? Relationships? Seems like no. Work? Also seems like no, lots of work doesn't make use of a high IQ that people enjoy nonetheless. Accomplishmen…

>why people who can jump high aren't more empathetic. There's no direct link between the two

but there is a direct link! have you ever watched a Slam Dunk competition? people strive to jump the highest, and zero empathy is shown

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#72

Post by tayo42 »

esseph wrote: post #61
vorpalhex wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's trivially false. Ancient people were always working, and we can see this in people who maintain primative lifestyles. Take bread. You start the oven at 4am. By 5am it is hot enough for your meats. By 7am extinguish, by 8am start your bread and go until 6-7pm. Now you get to start your dough for tomorrow, typically working until 11pm. Historically bakers were known to sleep in flour hoppers as they were spared…

This is easily proven incorrect. Ancient Rome worked on an 8 day workweek, and traditionally the 8th day was a rest day. Ancient Greeks didn't have weekly days off... but they had up to 120 festivals a year where shops and businesses would be shut down.

To tag on iirc Hawaiians used to take multiple month breaks from working hard when they were done harvesting

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#73

Post by knowitnone3 »

supportengineer wrote: post #28
codyklimdev wrote: post #15

I think beyond a certain level surplus IQ begins to cause problems. While still useful, the amount of self-sabotage and thought spirals the brain can generate with the extra power can cause neuroses and unhappiness on a larger scale than those less intelligent are capable of. Combine it with higher societal expectations and it's no great mystery to me why smarter people seem unhappier. Just my thoughts anyways. I'm a…

In the Bay Area, I feel surrounded by such people. They solve imaginary problems to get a promotion. But they are competing with thousands of other, equally smart people, to also get promotions. So it's non-stop change for no reason, and wasting resources.

No reason? You even stated the reason "for promotion". It's OK if you are not aiming for promotions but don't judge others when they do.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#74

Post by qgin »

I don't think I have ever seen someone change their long-term average happiness more than a small amount with maybe two exceptions:

1. Someone trapped in a truly off-the-charts stressful environment and then removing themselves from it

2. Psychiatric drugs

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#75

Post by Mouvelie »

Are smart people even fulfilled ? How many smart people work on industries they can't wait to quit ? On problems they don't even care ?

I feel like everyone within 2-standard division of the IQ mean is still susceptible to the never-ending that being rich and having money is all that matters instead of, I don't know, supporting life on the only habitable planet we know.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#76

Post by hurrrpromotions »

knowitnone3 wrote: post #73
supportengineer wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Bay Area, I feel surrounded by such people. They solve imaginary problems to get a promotion. But they are competing with thousands of other, equally smart people, to also get promotions. So it's non-stop change for no reason, and wasting resources.

No reason? You even stated the reason "for promotion". It's OK if you are not aiming for promotions but don't judge others when they do.

Found the treadmill runner whose self worth is defined by their job title.

Lol

We’re not judging you because you want a promotion. We’re judging you because you selfishly make a ton of work for everyone else so you can feel better about your pointless life.

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#77

Post by energy123 »

codyklimdev wrote: post #15

I think beyond a certain level surplus IQ begins to cause problems. While still useful, the amount of self-sabotage and thought spirals the brain can generate with the extra power can cause neuroses and unhappiness on a larger scale than those less intelligent are capable of. Combine it with higher societal expectations and it's no great mystery to me why smarter people seem unhappier. Just my thoughts anyways. I'm a…

Does an inability to inhibit the default mode network correlate with IQ?

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#78

Post by m463 »

Ardon wrote: post #53

Might be useful to ask a different question: What makes people happy? It's things like relationships, satisfying work, accomplishment. (and many, many more) Then the real question emerges: How many of those happiness 'sources' are made better by intelligence? What percentage? Relationships? Seems like no. Work? Also seems like no, lots of work doesn't make use of a high IQ that people enjoy nonetheless. Accomplishmen…

something to do, someone to love, something to look forward to

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#79

Post by ajkjk »

knowitnone3 wrote: post #73
supportengineer wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Bay Area, I feel surrounded by such people. They solve imaginary problems to get a promotion. But they are competing with thousands of other, equally smart people, to also get promotions. So it's non-stop change for no reason, and wasting resources.

No reason? You even stated the reason "for promotion". It's OK if you are not aiming for promotions but don't judge others when they do.

no reason in the real world. no reason that matters / makes you fulfilled / makes you feel proud to be doing your job

success in this industry is proportional to your ability to not notice or not believe that your work is pointless

Re: Why aren't smart people happier?

#80

Post by thewebguyd »

dingnuts wrote: post #70
ASalazarMX wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, you could just ask "Why aren't people happy?". I don't see how IQ could make you happier. Smart people are not as smart as they think, they usually perform better because they're overspecialized. Now, emotional intelligence, that would greatly influece your happiness. The hurdles you're talking about are emotional, not intellectual.

usually when people talk about emotional intelligence, they mean Big 5 Agreeableness plus Openness, which can be measured. If your hypothesis is correct there should be data on the potential correlation between those traits and self reported happiness

There is a lot of data on the Big Five and correlation with subjective well being (self reported happiness).

Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness are all strong predictors of higher life satisfaction and positive emotions. High levels of neuroticism are strongly associated with lower life satisfaction, and openness is mostly neutral.

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