That's a really interesting way of thinking about it. I've recently been thinking about it as people's thinking in terms of Breadth First thinking vs Depth First thinking, though I like your thoughts a lot. From my (albeit limited, this is not a statistical sample) experience, it seems like smarter people are the ones who tend to worry more. Almost as though they can chase through situations quicker and come up with possible (bad) results that give them reason to worry. It kinda plays into that ignorance is bliss mantra, but that's just my experience.
I think rapid cognition is a gift, but the problem is that our gifted programs...or training for people who are like this isn't good enough to teach them how to handle their own brains. I think there should be more work done into helping people unlock AND manage their intellectual assets. Right now I think the situation in the US focuses more on the former and less on the latter. I feel like I'm advocating that smart kids go learn under Professor Xavier or something.
>From my (albeit limited, this is not a statistical sample) experience, it seems like smarter people are the ones who tend to worry more. Almost as though they can chase through situations quicker and come up with possible (bad) results that give them reason to worry. It kinda plays into that ignorance is bliss mantra, but that's just my experience.
My mother is a frantic worrier and pretty intelligent IMO. I have a tendency towards worrying but when my mind dwells on negative situations I try to practice considering what the good outcomes might be or indeed to go overboard and consider the most outrageously impossible worst outcome.
I read about this technique from a link here a couple of years ago I think, it helps a little. One can spirally negatively with thoughts of possible scenarios very readily and when I remember this is a useful check on that.
Freedom from unnecessary (that is, things you have no control over) worry is one of the basic tenets of Stoicism. After learning about that, it seems foolish that things like this aren't common knowledge or taught in schools. The reduction in stress from just this one single realization is huge.
Looks like smart people are the worrying type: Moutafi 2004 found the personality trait of neuroticism (worry), along with extroversion and conscientiousness, to account for about 13% of the variance in general intelligence.
I think rapid cognition is a gift, but the problem is that our gifted programs...or training for people who are like this isn't good enough to teach them how to handle their own brains. I think there should be more work done into helping people unlock AND manage their intellectual assets. Right now I think the situation in the US focuses more on the former and less on the latter. I feel like I'm advocating that smart kids go learn under Professor Xavier or something.