Peers and Intelligence As noted, there is compelling evidence of similarity in intelligence between friends.
Intelligent people value friendships and relationships just like anyone else, but they tend to be more selective with how they spend their time. It isn't that they don't cherish friendships and frequent socialization occurrences, but they also cherish their personal pursuits.
Some people have higher social needs than others, which means they may want to have a greater number of friends. Those who value their alone time may need fewer friends, and that's OK too. In general, based on 2021 survey data, the average person in America has between 3 and 5 close friends.
People who are uncomfortable with others or prefer to be alone may have a hard time maintaining friendships. Personality issues such as being pushy, too talkative, or controlling can be off-putting to others. Talking to an objective third party such as a therapist can help reveal issues that interfere with friendships.
The people who seem to make friends easily tend to be naturally curious, empowerment speaker and author Suzanne Brown tells us. It's easy for them to ask questions, and they actively look for things they may have in common. “The questions they ask seem to have a natural flow,” Brown says.
Friendships. It can be difficult for introverts to make new friends because getting to know someone takes so much energy. However, introverts don't need a wide circle of friends. They prefer one or two close friends, even though they may know many people and have many acquaintances.
If your friend doesn't respect your feelings, it's an unhealthy relationship. Feeling anxious or negative in your friendship is a sign that it may be best to end it. Your friend is dishonest or holds back information. “Deep connections require trust,” Schmitt says.
Characteristics of Social Intelligence
A socially intelligent person (someone with high SI) displays strong social competencies and nourishing behaviours that make other people feel valued, trusted, and respected. High SI people are often amiable and affable, and they generally interact well with others.
One of the ultimate reasons why intelligent people have fewer friends is a simple fact that they tend to listen more than they like to talk. In a group of friends, you'll find the introverted genius sitting back, observing those around them, listening, and trying to understand their thinking.
Research has shown that there is a high correlation between being intelligent and socially anxious. The higher your IQ, the higher the chance your social apprehension is higher than usual. Of course, that doesn't mean that your social anxiety should be classified as a disorder.
This isn't necessarily true, and while not all quiet people are necessarily smart, highly intelligent people will often refrain from speaking if they are accessing a situation. They will take some time to think about what was said and prepare an adequate response, and they find silence better than pointless small talk.
Studies have found that introverts get more easily distracted than their extroverted counterparts. Because of this, they might be annoyed when someone steps into their office for a quick chat. They also get annoyed by interruptions when they speak. Extroverts are often guilty of interrupting others while talking.
While introverts make up an estimated 25% to 40% of the population, there are still many misconceptions about this personality type. It is also important to note that being an introvert does not mean that you are socially anxious or shy.
True introverts are rare.
“The vast majority of the population is neither an introvert or extrovert. They are ambiverts,” said Smith. Ambiverts display characteristics of both introversion and extraversion and Smith suspects that most people fall into this category.
Bad friends are often manipulative, untrustworthy, and dishonest. They try to get you involved in their drama no matter how much it doesn't concern you. A bad friend is always asking for your help but never does anything for you.
Here is what Aristotle and Taylor Swift mean by “a friend to all is a friend to none.” They aren't saying that the more friends you have, the less quality you bring. What they are saying is that those who bring us the most happiness are deserving of the most love, and that is only right.
In the Friendship section of our Life Satisfaction surveys, we ask, “How often do you go out accompanied by your friends?” Here are some notable results: 26% of Introverts and 44% of Extraverts say friends accompany them 80–100% of the time.
True friendships are admittedly rare, but they are possible if you know how to be one yourself and what to expect from others you want to call friends.
Nearly six in 10 (59 percent) Americans say they have one person they consider their best friend. Forty percent say they do not. Notably, these types of friendships are common, and their prevalence hardly varies at all among the public.