IQ is often dismissed as antiquated, misguided, or less important than personality traits. But according to Stuart Ritchie, an intelligence researcher at the University of Edinburgh, there’s a massive amount of data showing that it’s one of the best predictors of someone’s longevity, health, and prosperity. And psychologists have been able to replicate these findings over and over.
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Here are nine facts that help explain IQ and why it matters.
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1) Most people have average intelligence.
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2) Having a higher IQ protects you from death. This is an uncomfortable one: According to the research, people with high IQs tend to be healthier and live longer than the rest of us.
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3) IQ is correlated with career success and wealth, but not necessarily happiness. Like mortality, the association between IQ and career success is positive.
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4) You’re probably stuck with what you got. Studies have found if you’re a smart kid, you’ll be a smart old person.
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5) Intelligence peaks in your mid- to late 20s, and then slowly declines.
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6) Around half the variance in IQ can be explained by genetics.
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7) Genes are not the only thing that matters in intelligence.
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8) Humans are getting smarter. Hurray! Mean IQ scores appear to be increasing between 2 and 3 points per decade.
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9) IQ is increasing faster in developing countries.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: IQ, explained in 9 charts
