Is the myth of the mad scientist reasonable according to science? You know, that very intelligent character, often caricatured in movies, who doesn't get involved with anyone because he is too busy with his experiments. Well, this could be the case according to a study by an expert in biopsychology.
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Not liking people, a sign of intelligence?
In works of fiction, the most intelligent people are typically not the most socially-skilled people to exist. They are often solitary and despise their fellow human beings. The perfect example is the famous Dr. House played by Hugh Laurie in the American series of the same name. A genius doctor who has no empathy and mistreats his employees.
According to the biopsychologist Sebastian Ocklenburg, the fact that this character often has a hard time getting along with others might actually be a sign of superior intelligence. In some of his experiments, Dr. Ocklenburg studied teenagers who were still in school for more than a year and the results are amazing. The most successful students at school did not appreciate their peers and were instead more solitary.
A study to be studied further
However, students in a class have more sympathy for those who are more successful. A curious paradox. But this experiment has not yet been fully proven. Studies on the behaviour and social circles of people who are considered intelligent have yet to be done, especially on older people in the workplace.
Whatever the case, we cannot forget that though these studies can reveal some pretty interesting information about the human condition, they can't be taken at face value. After all, we are all quite different individuals with different ways of relating to one another, despite how intelligent we might or might not be.
