Share this post
One of the indictments of civilizations is that happiness and intelligence are so rarely found in the same person. – William Feather
While many people would agree with William Feather’s statement, this is not a true statement, according to a 2012 study published in Psychological Medicine.
Happiness is significantly associated with a higher IQ. Those in the lowest IQ range [70–99] reported the lowest levels of happiness compared with the highest IQ group.
The study of 6,870 people showed low intelligence was often linked with lower income and poor mental health, which contributed to unhappiness. The study flies in the face of public sentiment about happiness and intelligence - one that's been around for a long time when we consider the long-held belief that "ignorance is bliss." Yet, happiness requires the use of cognitive functions.
"The truth is, unhappiness and fear take less thought than happiness does," says Shawn Achor, a leading expert on human potential, CEO of Good Think Inc., author of The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work, and the educator who taught and designed the happiness course at Harvard.
Based on his research and 12 years of experience at Harvard, Achor supports organizations to increase happiness and meaning, raise success rates and profitability, and create positive transformations that ripple into more successful cultures. This TEDx Talk by Achor may increase your happiness and your intelligence.
