People with a difficult temper tend to be more intelligent, study finds

Research in Australia suggests that people with bad moods may have higher IQs.

Are you in a bad mood all day and no one can stand you? Relax. According to a recent study, being in a bad mood makes you smarter.

Many people think that happiness lasts a lifetime, that you have to wear a smile, optimism and a good mood every day. It is forbidden to get angry or complain, because if you do, you are a loser. It is a postmodern maxim that drinks from the rise of self-help books and the philosophy of entrepreneurship.

In the world of these people, there are no layoffs but rather transitional stages and there are no salary cuts but adjustments. In today's world, it is not allowed to feel worry, fear or rejection, because you have to surf the wave of the good vibes constantly.

The problems of false optimism

Regarding this common behavior, psychologist Juan Cruz warns: "False positivism does the same damage as excessive negativity. It is the opposite extreme and prevents the individual from connecting with his or her emotions and problems, which prevents change and overcoming them". Therefore, putting a good face on everything is not good, and now, moreover, a study has confirmed that bad people are more likely to be negative, a study has confirmed that grumpy and sad people have a sharper intelligence..

It seems that being constantly happy allows us to live life superficially without examining in depth what is going on. What may at first seem ideal, can have a negative effect on intelligence and our abilities to analyze and understand reality.

The relationship between bad mood and intelligence

The study was published in Australasian Science and was conducted at the University of New South Wales in Australia. It was carried out by Joseph ForgasThe experiment consisted of a series of experiments in which the participants' moods were manipulated by means of movies and positive or negative memories. a series of experiments in which the mood of the participants was manipulated by means of movies and positive or negative memories..

Professor Forgas found that being in a bad mood helps us think more clearly. Contrary to people with inordinate optimism, angry people make better decisions and are more disbelieving.

"Bad mood improves the ability to judge others and also increases memory" states Forgas. The article explains that while a positive mood facilitates creativity, flexibility and cooperation, a bad mood improves attention and facilitates more cautious thinking. Furthermore, he adds, "Moody people have a better ability to cope with complicated situations because their brain promotes more adaptive information processing strategies."

Negative state also improves intelligence

Forgas explains that people with a more depressed mood have a greater ability to argue their opinions in writing.. Moreover, it is in states of seriousness that our mind processes reasoning and common sense better. The same study concludes that a moderately negative mood has a positive effect on communication style.

On the other hand, earlier research by the same Forgas concluded that time has a similar impact on intelligence as emotional states. According to his results, wet and sad days improve memory, while sunny days favor forgetfulness.

Urban myths and racial and religious prejudice

For this study, Forgas and his team conducted several experiments that began by inducing emotional states in participants through the viewing of movies. In one of the experiments, subjects were asked to judge the truth of urban myths and rumors and found that participants in negative moods were less likely to believe these claims than those in negative moods..

On the other hand, people in bad moods were less likely to make decisions based on racial or religious biases, and they made fewer errors when asked to recall events they had witnessed. Finally, people with negative emotional states produced more effective persuasive messages.