11 Things Low IQ People Love That Normal People Can't Stand
People with a low IQ tend to prefer more passive, low-touch hobbies.
Look Studio / Shutterstock While many people praise a person’s intelligence and craft high IQs as inherently superior, there are a number of skills that low-IQ people and performers do incredibly well, from creativity to forming deep connections and even persevering through difficult and challenging times. IQ levels tell us a lot about a person’s cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, and learning capabilities, but much less about their creative, emotional, and social tendencies.
Many of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can’t stand aren’t inherently “bad” habits or behaviors, but rather coping mechanisms, hobbies, and routines that provide comfort and security to people who may lack certain cognitive and intellectual abilities. They may not find reading long, complex novels, strategic board games, and debates insightful, but other things do serve as entertainment and comfort in their lives.
Here are 11 things low-IQ people love that normal people can’t stand
1. Celebrity gossip
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According to a study from the BMC Psychology journal, people who worship celebrities more also tend to score lower on cognitive IQ tests. They appreciate the escapism and misguided sense of control that idolizing celebrities and picking apart their lives brings, while the average person may find it simply superficial and annoying.
This is also one of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can't stand because of the amount of time they spend scrolling online, engaging on social media, and consuming content online. They've inherently thrown themselves into communities and onto platforms where celebrity gossip is inevitable and inescapable.
2. Reality TV
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IQ tests generally give a very rigid perspective on a person’s intelligence, considering it only characterizes their ability to take one very specific test. They may be gifted in other areas of life or simply struggling with emotional or personal turmoil that makes performance more difficult.
However, according to a study published in the Applied Developmental Science journal, most people with low IQs tend to have lower job performance in traditional corporate roles, not only because they struggle with problem-solving and cognitive abilities like focus and concentration, but also because of low self-esteem. They’re more likely to have physically laborious jobs or long hours in inflexible industries, so of course they appreciate mindless entertainment like reality TV.
While the average person may enjoy the freedom of active hobbies like working out, meeting new people, or investing in creative pursuits, many of these low-IQ people are too mentally drained, exhausted, and worn out to do anything but escape and distract themselves.
3. Conspiracy theories
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Conspiracy theories are often one of the things that low-IQ people love and accept on a surface level. At the same time, their higher-IQ counterparts find mental stimulation, debate-worthy material, and excitement in picking them apart and thinking critically about their fallacies.
According to a study published in Psychiatry Research, people with low IQs are more likely to struggle with reasoning and even jump to conclusions, which is part of the reason they find immediate excitement in conspiracy theories. They may not find the same depth and mental stimulation in unpacking and challenging them, but they're one of the things they love all the same.
4. Breaking social norms and rules
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Breaking rules is one of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can’t stand. While many people believe this is strictly because of their likelihood to get caught, it’s actually more nuanced, with employment opportunities, socioeconomic factors, and education accessibility playing a strong role in both their IQ and heightened risk for criminal behaviors.
They generally find breaking social norms and rules to be exciting, exhilarating, and a means for garnering attention that they may lack in other areas of life. At the same time, normal people consider this behavior to be irresponsible or annoying. Research backs up this claim, arguing that the lower a person’s IQ, the more likely they are to break the law.
5. Luck-based games
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According to a 2019 study, many high-IQ people tend to prefer strategy-based games over luck-based ones, because they're more mentally stimulating and challenging. They provide an opportunity for players to practice conflict-resolution, problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, and critical thinking, which are also some of the behaviors that lower-IQ peers struggle with.
That's why luck-based games are one of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can't stand. They prefer to unwind, relax, and still connect with other people, even if it means there's not an added element of strategy.
6. Misusing fake news or opinions
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Many people with low IQs have a “concrete mindset,” in comparison to a growth one, where people are open to shifting their beliefs, collaborating with others, and learning new things. Because of this, they tend to adopt, hold, and vehemently defend their personal beliefs and values.
Even if they’re using an argument, defending a decision, or misusing opinions incorrectly, they’re going to double down, rather than lean into the discomfort of changing their mind and listening to someone with differing thoughts.
7. Idolizing other people
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Many people tend to be more confident in overestimating their abilities when they have a lower IQ, so it’s not surprising that they also have an internal sense of low self-esteem driving them. They feel pressure to overcompensate or persuade people into viewing them as more competent.
This is part of the reason why they also tend to idolize other people, whether they are peers, celebrities, or influencers online. There’s a sense of misguided control they receive over their own lives when they hyper-focus on others.
8. Organized religion
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Research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin argues that people with lower IQs are more likely to resort to organized religion than others. They find meaning and comfort in ideas, beliefs, and values rooted in faith, rather than questioning and spirituality.
It’s one of the things low-IQ people love that higher-scoring individuals can’t stand, but that’s not to say that a person’s religion or spiritual beliefs indicate their intelligence level, only the kinds of coping mechanisms, practices, and comforting behaviors they adopt on a daily basis.
9. Passive social media scrolling
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Passively scrolling online and engaging with social media is often associated with lower cognitive abilities and IQ, according to a study from the Frontiers in Pediatrics journal. For many, distractions online and passivity on social media are a form of comfort, escapism, and distraction. They spend more time working in physically intensive and demanding jobs, and oftentimes dealing with the weight of financial struggle.
That’s why it’s one of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can’t stand. The average person is coming home from their job, or logging off from a work-from-home situation, and managing their free time with much less emotional and physical baggage, so they have the energy for active habits and hobbies.
People with alternative and laborious jobs are simply looking for comfort and distraction, using passive scrolling and mindless entertainment as a way to recharge, no matter how misguided it actually is in boosting their productivity and emotional battery.
10. Casual gaming
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Many people with higher IQs tend to seek out mental stimulation, whether it’s in their professional jobs or within their hobbies and habits at home. That’s why casual gaming that lacks cognitive depth and stimulation is one of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can’t stand.
It offers an element of escapism, without relying heavily on the problem-solving skills, strategy, and concentration that many people with lower IQs struggle with.
11. Passively listening to music
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Whether they're listening while doing chores or working, consuming music rather than actively playing it is often one of the things low-IQ people love that normal people can’t stand. While some individuals with average to high intelligence may use classical or instrumental music as a tool for focus, others with lower intelligence may use it for entertainment.
High-IQ people gain a lot from actively engaging with music and art, like playing an instrument, while low-IQ people use it as an escape from reality or a comforting element in their daily routines.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
