Anxious individuals often exhibit unusual habits such as nail-biting, stuttering, and fidgeting.
However, there’s a silver lining: research suggests they may be more intelligent than others.
What is anxiety, and how can it be described? Researchers aimed to find answers.
According to studies, anxious individuals tend to be more intelligent.
In 2015, a university in Ontario, Canada, conducted a study involving 100 students to assess their levels of worry. Participants responded to statements such as, “I am always worrying about something.”
They discovered that students with higher levels of anxiety tended to score better on verbal intelligence tests.
This isn’t the first study to explore this connection.
In 2012, psychologists from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya asked 80 students to evaluate artwork presented by a software program designed to simulate a computer virus. An actress would then seek technical support.
The students were instructed to get help, and through four additional challenges meant to induce anxiety, those who were more anxious focused more effectively on resolving the virus issue.
When individuals are highly stimulated and anxious, they can more easily tune out distractions and concentrate on a single task. This focus enabled them to tackle the computer virus successfully.
Another study found that people who worry are quicker to recognize threats compared to those without anxiety.
Jeremy Coplan, a psychiatrist at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York, also noted that individuals with more severe generalized anxiety disorder tend to have higher IQs than those with milder anxiety.
Researchers suggest that “a worried mind is a searching mind,” indicating that smarter individuals may have the cognitive flexibility to consider multiple perspectives on any situation, for better or worse.
This aligns with the idea that “children predisposed to anxiety may be more attentive or diligent in school, which can enhance their intelligence. Moreover, intelligent people may find more reasons to worry.”
Of course, there are exceptions.
A 2012 study indicated that anxiety can negatively affect IQ. In that study, the control group had higher IQs due to experiencing less anxiety and worry.
Robert Epstein, a psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, stated, “There are exceptions, but the basic finding stands. One reason for the negative correlation is straightforward: when people are anxious, they don’t think clearly.”
However, the prevailing belief remains that anxiety can indicate a person’s significant mental capabilities. Many of history’s greatest thinkers, such as Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, and Nikola Tesla, struggled with anxiety disorders.
So yes, you may be a chronic worrier, but it seems that your anxiety could be a precursor to great achievements.
