People Born In The 1970s Are Almost Always Smarter Than Other Generations In These 11 Distinct Ways
Alexander Mass from Pexels | Canva Pro While Gen Xers born in the ‘70s may just now be reaching their peak years of cognitive and intellectual abilities, according to a study published in the Journal of Intelligence, their childhood experiences and young-adult habits still play a role in their wild intelligence. They’re growing and learning toward this pinnacle age, but compared to many other generations, they’re already much smarter.
From knowing how to read and research without AI to growing into adaptability with technology, people born in the 1970s are almost always smarter than other generations in these distinct ways. Even in the workplace, they’re bridging gaps between generations that might otherwise stay disconnected and fragmented forever.
1. They know how to research without AI
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According to an MIT study, modern advancements and AI tools are harming critical thinking skills, especially for young people, replacing traditional research, reading, and learning with these shortcuts. However, Gen Xers born in the 1970s know how to research without AI. They’ve cultivated reading comprehension skills and critical thinking before cell phones, Google, and ChatGPT, and even with the pressure to use them today, they still have a solid foundation of intellect.
Their appreciation for analog habits and true problem-solving is just one of the reasons Gen Xers are almost always smarter than other younger generations.
2. They’ve grown into technology
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Rather than being raised by it and entertaining themselves with technology as young kids, people born in the ‘70s developed their critical thinking skills and comfort with boredom before technology and cell phones completely took over. They had the chance to adapt to new technologies in early adulthood, without growing up in a world completely founded on ease, convenience, and accessibility.
Even today, according to a study published in the Kybernetes journal, Gen Xers mainly use technology for workplace and research purposes, sidestepping the all-consuming nature of using it to fill their alone time and distract from quietness.
3. They have self-control
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Gen Xers tend to be more disciplined than other generations, mastering self-control, impulse management, and healthy decision-making skills to a higher degree. Whether it’s in their personal lives and routines or the workplace, they’re not immediately swayed by comfort, instant gratification, or ease.
Especially in our culture that teaches young people to prioritize convenience at the expense of building resilience and emotional regulation skills, it’s no surprise that people born in the 1970s are often more intelligent and empathetic. They prioritize things like intentionality and work ethic instead of entitlement and personal ease.
4. They’re independently competent
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Part of the reason Gen Xers tend to boast higher levels of competence and self-reliance is that they’ve been called the “Latchkey Generation.” They spent their most impressionable years at home alone or playing outdoors without supervision, so of course, as adults, they know what it means to fill their time, make decisions, and work through hardship without hand-holding.
Compared to many younger generations today who are being catered to and protected by overbearing parents, these Gen Xers had to learn independence out of obligation, rather than choice.
5. They’re financially literate
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According to a study from the Finra Investor Education Foundation, Gen Xers largely report healthy financial relationships and money habits. Not only do they understand how to manage their money, save, and make intentional purchases, but they also know how to avoid the consumerist pressures that younger generations often fall into.
From overspending on trends to garner a sense of belonging to feeding status systems that cultivate materialism and overconsumption, they avoid things that don’t feed into the lifestyle they’ve been growing through delayed gratification and self-control for their entire lives.
6. They can have a conversation with anyone
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Compared to Gen Zers and other young people today who are developing social anxiety and loneliness at the hands of instant gratification, technology, and mindless entertainment, Gen Xers were forced to learn how to have conversations and interact with people in person from a young age.
From walking to school alone to mediating issues with a teacher without parental intervention, people born in the 1970s are almost always smarter and more social today because of these experiences early in life. They didn’t have the option to hide behind a screen or fill their time with technology. They had to be social out of obligation.
7. They can read a room instantly
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Social awareness often comes from a balance of emotional regulation and practice. The more you spend interacting with people, reading social cues, and noticing body language or tone, the better you are at reading any room you step into.
That’s why Gen Xers born in the 1970s are often smarter than other generations. They’ve been offered space early in life to learn to regulate their emotions without coddling, while still being offered conversations and interactions to hone their social skills.
8. They’re relatively private
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Without growing up with all the pressure to curate a social presence online and compare themselves to others on social media, it’s no surprise that Gen X’s intelligence stems partially from privacy. They don’t feel the need to share everything and cultivate a sense of self-assuredness in their lives and choices that don’t stem from external validation.
While “quitting” entirely from social media isn’t always as wonderful as it seems, Gen Xers naturally have a healthy distance from it that protects their privacy and well-being in life.
9. They’re resourceful
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Without overbearing or overprotective parents lingering over their shoulders throughout childhood, many people born in the 1970s had the chance to practice critical thinking and problem-solving on their own. They learned to make the best of their situation and grow resourcefulness, even if it meant replacing ease with adversity and discomfort.
It’s the resourcefulness, the ability to figure things out, that is a strong predictor of both success and intelligence. No matter the situation they’re in, the people they’re around, or the obligations on their plates, they know how to make it work.
10. They’re comfortable with solitude
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While it might seem like a small part of a person’s daily life, an appreciation for alone time is more powerful than most realize. Especially for people born in the 1970s, who were expected to spend time alone with two working parents, it feels inevitable.
However, according to neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli, this preference for and appreciation of alone time is something most intelligent people have in common. They don’t run from the creativity idleness brings or the reflection that quiet time offers. In fact, they tend to seek it out while everyone else leans on busyness and distraction.
11. They’re readers
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Of course, most people understand the power of reading for general intelligence, comprehension, and critical thinking. However, there’s also a level of empathy and perspective that comes from reading for fun, especially fiction novels, according to a study published in PLOS One.
Gen Xers may believe reading is a second-nature hobby everyone does, but it’s actually one of the distinct ways they master their intelligence in comparison to other generations. Even if it’s the act of going to the library, which they still visit frequently, they're building community and thriving in comparison to most disconnected, comfort-seeking young people.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
