Why do smart kids grow up to be heavier drinkers?
A pair of new studies suggests a correlation between intelligence and a thirst for alcohol. What's the connection?
POSTED ON OCTOBER 26, 2010, AT 1:11 PM
More likely to tipple in the future? Photo: Corbis SEE ALL 23 PHOTOS
Best Opinion: Psychology Today, Food & Wine Blog, The Frisky
Don't worry, all that excessive drinking is just a sign of your intelligence. According to two long-term studies — oneAmerican, one British — there's a correlation between smarts and a thirst for alcohol. The "more intelligent children in both studies grew up to drink alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities than less intelligent children," says Liz Day atDiscover. Why might this be the case?
It's all about evolution: Drinking alcohol was "unintentional, accidental, and haphazard until about 10,000 years ago," says Satoshi Kanazawaat at Psychology Today. Smart people are generally early adopters and, in the context of human history, "the substance [alcohol] and the method of consumption are both evolutionarily novel."
"Why intelligent people drink more alcohol"
Alcohol makes up for boring early years: "I'm surprised" by the findings, says Joanne Hinkel at The Frisky, so "here’s my pop-psychology theory" to explain it: "All that studying in childhood repressed kids so much that they’re still trying to compensate well into adulthood for all that fun they missed." Granted, that's just a theory.
"Brain types booze more — are you surprised?"
Drinking is the only way to deal with morons: Smart people "booze so we can tolerate everyone else," says Greg at Food & Wine Blog. When sober, we tend to "take people’s responses at literal face value." But after a few drinks, "we can relax a bit, stop being so anal with semantics and let comments slide a bit."
"Speculative reasons why smart people drink more"
- http://theweek.com/article/index/208561/why-do-smart-kids-grow-up-to-be-heavier-drinkers
This totally explains my Alcoholism through my college years.
5 comments:
Huh, interesting. Never even considered a correlation like that.
Cooooool
I was an A student, now I am a drifter
... Cool shit!
Unsurprising research is unsurprising! This happens with people who go straight to uni after high school graduation. Good grades just means uptight strict parents, drinking cheap booze doesn't seem very smart though.
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