Night owls and messy minds: Signs you might be highly intelligent, studies reveal

Thekabarnews.com—Recent psychological research shows that people with high IQs do not always follow the rules for beneficial habits. Researchers have found that behaviors often viewed as negative—such as staying up late, swearing frequently, or working in a messy space—may actually correlate with stronger cognitive performance.

A widely cited study from the University of Minnesota found that people with higher cognitive scores were 34 percent more likely to work in messy environments. In addition, researchers found that people who are very analytical tend to care more about creativity, ideas, and solving problems than they do about cleanliness and organization.

A different study that came out in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that people who stay up late often do better on some mental tasks than people who wake up early. The results showed that people who stay up late are up to 40 percent more likely to stick to a late-night schedule than people who sleep normally. They also do better on problem-solving tests.

Researchers who study language have also looked into the connection between swearing and intelligence. One study found that people who can quickly think of many swear words are better at speaking. Furthermore, people who swore a lot did 15 to 18 percent better on vocabulary tests than people who didn’t.

But experts say that these traits alone do not mean someone is smart. A high IQ involves multiple components, including adaptability, creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. Additionally, poor habits such as inadequate sleep or disorganization can negatively impact your health and productivity.

The main point is that intelligence doesn’t always go along with what people usually think of as order and discipline. Many people think that being neat and getting up early means you are successful. However, research shows that cognitive excellence can show up in other ways as well.

Intelligence is complex and multifaceted. These findings emphasize that behaviors formerly considered “bad habits” may simply reflect differing cognitive priorities rather than individual shortcomings.