Scientists have finally confirmed what we’ve always been hoping for; being lazy is a sign of increased intelligence.
Now there looks like there is actually a legitimate reason for dodging the gym and it’s all down to your intellect…
According to new research, people who are more intelligent spend more time lounging around than their more physical friends, the Independent reports.
A US-based study supports the theory, people with higher IQs don’t get bored easily, therefore they’re happy to spend more time thinking.
Whereas people with lower intellects, apparently need more stimulation from physical or external activity to fend off boredom.
Scientists from the Florida Gulf Coast University decided to re-ignite a 30-year-old test called ‘the need for cognition,’ to see how their students responded to different scenarios.
The quiz required participants to rate how much they agreed with statements, challenging their ‘thinking’ abilities and how necessary it is for each individual to think in their daily lives.
The statements included phrases such as ‘I really enjoy a task that involves coming up with new solutions to problems’ and ‘I only think as hard as I have to.’
A selection of ‘thinkers’ and ‘non thinkers’ were then selected from those surveyed and their movements were tracked for a week to test their activity levels.
Intriguingly, they found the ‘thinkers’ were a lot less active than the ‘non-thinkers,’ although their weekend activity showed no difference between the two.
Their findings were described as ‘highly significant’ and ‘robust’ in the Journal of Health Psychology, although the reason for their shared activity levels at a weekend has not been explained.
This may be an interesting outcome, as being more intelligent is all well and good, but it could have negative impacts on a person’s health, if they are prone to increased laziness.
The British Psychological Society said:
Ultimately, an important factor that may help more thoughtful individuals combat their lower average activity levels is awareness.
Awareness of their tendency to be less active, coupled with an awareness of the cost associated with inactivity, more thoughtful people may then choose to become more active throughout the day.
Well that’s just confirmed all my suspicions about life. I knew there was a reason I had zero desire to re-activate my gym membership…
It’s not because I can’t be bothered at all… Honestly… It’s science.
