9 Signs You May Be Smarter Than the Average Person
Intelligence is certainly a valuable trait. Scientists have been attempting to pinpoint the traits of highly intelligent people for decades. Their findings may surprise you. Below are nine traits that most highly intelligent people share.
1. You Do Not Smoke.
It is a scientific fact that those who smoke have an average IQ that is around seven points lower than nonsmokers.
2. You Took Music Lessons as a Child
People who took music lessons as a child have a different brain structure than those who did not. Musicians tend to score higher on visual intelligence tests.
3. You Are the Oldest of Your Siblings
An article in the New York Times stated that a study in 2007 showed that the eldest children in a family of siblings have an IQ averaging three points higher than their younger siblings.
4. You are Thin
Obesity affects IQ in a negative way. According to business website Business Insider, obesity seems to lower IQ over time. However, overweight people are not born with lower IQs.
5. You Have a Cat
Researchers from a Wisconsin University have found that people who identify as being “cat people” score higher on intelligence tests than people who identify as “dog people.”
6. You Were Breast-Fed
Recent studies from Britain and New Zealand have found a relationship between breastfeeding and intelligence quotient. It was discovered that children who were breast-fed scored and average of seven points higher on intelligence tests than babies who were fed formula.
7. You Have Experimented with Drugs
Researchers were surprised to find that people with higher IQ’s were 50% to 60% more likely to try drugs. This may be due to the fact that smarter people tend to be open to new experiences.
8. You Are Left-Handed
Left-handed people tend to have a higher IQ than right-handed people. This may be due to the fact that lefties use the right brain more efficiently than right-handed people, who rely more on the left brain.
9. You Are Tall
Studies have shown that taller children perform better on tests, and this trait carries throughout adulthood as well.
Did any of the items on this list surprise you? You may have just found out that you are smarter than you think, so don’t be so disappointed the next time your younger sibling shows you up at the family reunion or you can’t find your left-handed pair of scissors- just pet your cat and smile. You will always have your high IQ to fall back on.
