Science Associates Social Anxiety With High IQ Levels and Empathic Abilities

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, anxiety was one of the most common mental disorders in America. Since then, however, the number of people with anxiety has jumped from 18% of the population to 24%. And social anxiety is also on the rise. (1, 2)

While a six percent increase may not seem like much, with the increasing population, the number of Americans with an anxiety disorder increased from approximately 52 million in 2003 to 79 million in 2023. That’s a greater than 50% increase in 20 years.

Fifteen million of those suffer from social anxiety. (3)

What do all these numbers mean?

Well, clearly stress plays a role in the lives of millions of Americans. But you already knew that. The question that follows is, what can we do about it?

Unfortunately, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, only one third of those suffering from anxiety are actually being treated. (4)

It becomes obvious, then, that anxiety affects not only the personal and social lives of those who suffer from it, but also society as a whole.

Businesses concerned about their bottom line may inadvertently contribute to the problem, as well. Social anxiety disorder, that worry about being judged by others, certainly affects the workplace, perhaps even influencing the bottom line. (5, 6)

Ironically, despite its debilitating effects on a person’s social and personal life, anxiety actually potentially correlates with higher IQ levels and greater empathic abilities.

Who wouldn’t want a hire with a higher IQ? Some jobs beg for empathic qualities, too. You need to explore your strengths and avoid jobs that target your weaknesses. (7)

The Science of Social Anxiety

A study done by Lakehead University that was designed to assess the verbal-linguistic ability of individuals showed that those with generalized anxiety disorder scored higher on intelligence tests than those without the disorder. (8)

The study reads:

Verbal intelligence was a unique positive predictor of worry and rumination severity. Non-verbal intelligence was a unique negative predictor of post-event processing. (8)

Another study conducted at the SUNY Downstate Medical Centre in New York, headed by psychiatrist Professor Jeremy Coplan, found higher IQ levels in those diagnosed with severe anxiety than those without the disorder. (9)

The findings, published in Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience, led the scientists involved to conclude that worrying is actually a beneficial trait. (9)

Professor Coplan told The Telegraph: (10)

“While excessive worry is generally seen as a negative trait and high intelligence as a positive one, worry may cause our species to avoid dangerous situations, regardless of how remote a possibility they may be.

“In essence, worry may make people ‘take no chances,’ and such people may have higher survival rates. Thus, like intelligence, worry may confer a benefit upon the species.” (10)

Social Anxiety and Empathic Abilities

It makes sense, actually. If you care more about others and are in tune to their feelings, then you likely have an empathic nature.

A study done by researchers at the University of Haifa’s Department of Psychology found this by using self-rating scales in high socially anxious individuals as well as low socially anxious individuals. (11)

The study’s conclusion reads:

Results support the hypothesis that high socially anxious individuals may demonstrate a unique social-cognitive abilities profile with elevated cognitive empathy tendencies and high accuracy in affective mental state attributions. (11)

Over at The Mind Unleashed, Anna LeMind hypothesized that this may be due to socially anxious people being so attuned to others’ emotions that they find social interactions “too devastating” to engage in. (12)

It’s similar to the idea that ignorance is bliss. Even if you don’t have social anxiety, you probably remember being much happier and “lighter” when you were a kid. Then you realized the nuances of things like relationships or even how complicated the world can seem at times.

But as you grow and become more tuned in to things, that changes.

I think it might be helpful for those of us with anxiety to look at things that way. Yes, it is a debilitating condition at times. However, it also allows us to analyze things. We can understand the emotions of others in a way that less anxious people may not have the urge to.