The Results & Features of a Person with a High IQ | Jordan Peterson

Summary

In the video, Dr. Jordan Peterson discusses the significant impact of high IQ on various life outcomes, including health, longevity, and success in education and occupation. He highlights IQ's predictive power over wealth and its association with physiological factors like brain size and neuron efficiency. Peterson also addresses the mystery of industriousness, which doesn't correlate with IQ despite its strong influence on planning and execution of long-term goals. The video emphasizes the importance of nutrition in IQ development and the historical context of its impact.

Takeaways

• 🧠 IQ is a strong predictor of health, longevity, resistance to post-traumatic stress disorder, occupational status, educational success, and income.
• 👶 Being born with a high IQ (at the 95th percentile) is a more powerful predictor of long-term life outcomes than being born into a wealthy family.
• 🤔 The relationship between IQ and physiological integrity of the cortex is suggested, possibly influencing emotional and motivational responses.
• 🚫 High IQ does not necessarily correlate with reduced impulsiveness or organized behavior, as personality disorders can coexist with high intelligence.
• 🔄 The correlation between IQ and industriousness is surprisingly zero, indicating that industriousness is not a cognitive feature and is a mystery yet to be solved.
• 🏗️ Industrious people are capable of effective long-term planning and execution, but this ability is not linked to their IQ levels.
• 🧐 The nature of what makes people industrious is unknown and remains a significant challenge for researchers.
• 📏 People with higher IQs tend to have slightly larger heads and brains relative to body size, and their neurons have thicker axons for more efficient signal transmission.
• ⚡ High IQ is associated with faster reflexes and simple reflex tests, indicating a physiological component to intelligence.
• 🧠 The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is lower for those with high IQ, potentially due to a more robust brain capable of sustaining damage without noticeable effects.
• 🥗 Nutrition is a significant factor in IQ variation, with historical associations between IQ and nutritional status being more pronounced in the past.

Q & A

What is an IQ and why is it considered a good predictor of various life outcomes?

An IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a measure of cognitive abilities and it is considered a good predictor of life outcomes because it correlates with health, longevity, resistance to post-traumatic stress disorder, occupational status, educational success, and income.

According to the video, which factor is a more powerful predictor of long-term life outcomes: being born into wealth or having a high IQ?

Having a high IQ is a more powerful predictor of long-term life outcomes than being born into wealth, especially when considering the 95th percentile for intelligence.

What is the relationship between disgust sensitivity and IQ as mentioned in the video?

The video suggests that higher IQ individuals tend to be less sensitive to disgust, although the exact reason for this correlation is not clearly understood.

How might the physiological integrity of the cortex relate to IQ?

The video implies that IQ might be related to the physiological integrity of the cortex, suggesting that a more powerful cortex could have more inhibitory capacity over fundamental motivations and emotions.

Why might the relationship between IQ and industriousness be considered a mystery?

The relationship between IQ and industriousness is considered a mystery because despite the common assumption that intelligence would be associated with long-term planning and industrious behavior, the correlation between the two is actually zero.

What does the video suggest about the ability to not procrastinate and its relation to cognitive features?

The video suggests that the ability to not procrastinate, which one might assume to be a cognitive feature, does not seem to be correlated with IQ, indicating that it's not a straightforward cognitive trait.

What is the significance of the industriousness trait in relation to IQ, according to the video?

Industriousness is significant because it is as potent a predictor as IQ, yet the exact nature of what makes people industrious remains unknown and is a subject of ongoing research.

How does the video relate the size of a person's head or brain to their IQ?

The video suggests that people with higher IQs tend to have slightly bigger heads and brains when controlled for body size, and their neuronal axons are thicker, potentially allowing for more efficient electrical message transmission.

What physiological differences are associated with higher IQs in terms of simple reflexes?

Higher IQs are associated with speed in simple reflex tests, indicating that even at a basic processing level, there is a physiological component to intelligence.

How does the video connect high IQ with the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease?

The video suggests that individuals with high IQs are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, possibly due to a more robust brain that can sustain damage without showing significant effects.

What historical perspective does the video provide on the relationship between nutrition and IQ?

The video indicates that 150 years ago, people's IQ was closely associated with their nutritional status, but modern societies have reduced this association due to improved nutrition availability.