Comments on: Go away, I'm thinking.

Go away, I'm thinking.

footnote — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 20:54:48 -0800

By: porpoise

porpoise — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 20:58:46 -0800

By: porpoise

porpoise — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:05:24 -0800

This is the only PubMed reference for (a) Bichsel, J (as reported in the newspiece)... is there a psychology/psychiatry journal specific search engine? (... and for Thomas Baker).

By: internet!Hannah

internet!Hannah — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:06:42 -0800

Since both intelligence and "grumpiness" are characteristics that are very difficult to define and measure, I would say that you could likely find the evidence to support an answer either way, and never be completely correct. Also, even the article states that since subjects weren't studied as they age, deciding correlation versus causation isn't possible, which makes this little more than an vaguely interesting observation. Still, it's an intruiging idea, and I would not be opposed to seeing more long-term studies centered around this apparent theme.

By: PareidoliaticBoy

PareidoliaticBoy — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:07:21 -0800

What kind of frikken moron would ask such a stupid question?

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:08:03 -0800

Are smart people grumpier? Duh. STFU.

By: Servo5678

Servo5678 — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:19:28 -0800

Are smart people grumpier?
Yes, dammit! Actually, I find that I'm more cynical than grumpy.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:26:28 -0800

If so, Metafilter would be called Mensafilter.

By: chudmonkey

chudmonkey — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:27:19 -0800

Ignorance is bliss. We've known that one for years.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:40:40 -0800

I love the icredibly focused, successfully medicaded happy persons who gaze directly into my eyes in the ADHD medication ads accompanying the content.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:42:35 -0800

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:45:08 -0800

By: trondant

trondant — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:47:52 -0800

that little brat has the chart upside down

By: VulcanMike

VulcanMike — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:55:15 -0800

Given recent events, if you're not grumpy, you are stupid.

By: VulcanMike

VulcanMike — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 21:59:49 -0800

longsleeves wrote "I love the icredibly focused, successfully medicaded happy persons who gaze directly into my eyes in the ADHD medication ads accompanying the content." I guess I'm also grumpy because my ADD meds make me focus on mundane things and that ultimately makes me grumpier. Looking at my previous post, I suppose the two are more connected than I originally realized.

By: rob511

rob511 — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:00:43 -0800

"Hey, kid, get offa my Stenotaphrum secundatum!"

By: clevershark

clevershark — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:01:57 -0800

In today's world only complete morons can be happy anyway. F*ck them!

By: StrasbourgSecaucus

StrasbourgSecaucus — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:11:24 -0800

we aren't grumpy. we're just frustrated with the rest of you.

By: IronLizard

IronLizard — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:12:10 -0800

(sits back to watch everyone act pissy to prove their high intelligence while realizing that mefi's age demographic indicates the grumpy here are actually generally rather dull, due to their relative youth. statistically speaking, of course.)

By: clevershark

clevershark — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:25:29 -0800

I wonder what quonsar would say...

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 22:59:48 -0800

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:11:34 -0800

Whenever I explain the Davison (aka my) Theorem: Optimism is inversely related to intelligence (soon to be published) at a party I invariably get some idiot exclaim "Oh that's so cynical!" I simply reply "Yes. Yes, it is."

By: caddis

caddis — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:16:48 -0800

we aren't grumpy. we're just frustrated with the rest of you. posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 1:11 AM EST on August 13 [+] [!] :)

By: Hicksu

Hicksu — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:25:35 -0800

All this time that I thought I was happy,.. now I know that I'm really just to dumb to see the difference.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:34:36 -0800

that little brat has the chart upside down Uh, the result would be the same on both ends, only the middle would be diffrent (you'd have a clump of happy average people rather then happy sad people). Now if she had the chart mirrored...

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:37:23 -0800

Given recent events, if you're not grumpy, you are stupid. You picked the arrest acceleration? I would have gone with the funding cut for liquid explosive detection coupled with the claim that voting for democrats and leaving iraq would show everyone that we're soft on terrorism. But grumpy isn't really the right word. More like panicked.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:38:46 -0800

Oh hey guys, the study says that smart people are not, in fact, grumpy, at least when young. So um, stop acting grumpy, morons.

By: nlindstrom

nlindstrom — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:12:48 -0800

Let's go ride bikes!

By: IronLizard

IronLizard — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 02:14:22 -0800

longsleeves writes "(sits back to watch everyone act pissy to prove their high intelligence while realizing that mefi's age demographic indicates the grumpy here are actually generally rather dull, due to their relative youth. statistically speaking, of course

"I'm sorry, what?" Did you bother to read the article? (This being exactly what I meant, a great many would react to the title and not realize the study suggests that grumpiness and intelligence go together in the 60+ crowd and NOT under. The vast majority of MeFi users are far below 60......).

By: spazzm

spazzm — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 02:43:41 -0800

"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." -Hemingway

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 03:50:46 -0800

That Einstein - what a grouch.

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 03:59:27 -0800

the study suggests that grumpiness and intelligence go together in the 60+ crowd and NOT under. Irrelevant. I've been an old man since I was 15.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 04:47:09 -0800

Oh hey guys, the study says that smart people are not, in fact, grumpy, at least when young. So um, stop acting grumpy, morons. *everybody shuts up* Yep, the first fucking line in the article says:

Grumpy and brainy may go together in older folks; but young people tend to be more open and friendly if they're bright, researchers report.

And later:

But, among younger subjects (19-60), openness and extroversion, or friendliness, were tied to higher intelligence scores. This was not so for the older group (61-89). Instead, a lack of agreeableness was a predictor for the highest test scores in those over 60. That is, high scorers tended to be grumpier in the over-60 group.

I think the key here is that young smart people are pissing off old smart people. Stay off their lawns, for Christ's sake. (Meanwhile, dim, morose youngsters are slowly becoming happy bingo-playing oldsters.)

By: The Great Big Mulp

The Great Big Mulp — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 07:47:07 -0800

"Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, 'In this world, Elwood, you must be' - she always called me Elwood - 'In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me."

By: jefbla

jefbla — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 08:02:47 -0800

The over 60 smart people aren't grumpy, they're just constipated.

By: Sailor Martin

Sailor Martin — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 08:16:07 -0800

I'm pretty happy, but I have drunk myself stupid.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 08:51:44 -0800

Let's go ride bikes! posted by nlindstrom at 3:12 AM EST on August 13 [+] [!] I don't know how. :-(

By: [insert clever name here]

[insert clever name here] — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 08:57:40 -0800

So lets see, the young bright folks are excited about changing the world; and the older they get, the more they realize they can't, the grumpier they get? Seems logical to me. :P

By: psmealey

psmealey — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 09:13:14 -0800

Seems like an obvious conclusion, but it seems there are plenty of grumpy idiots around these days as well. To wit: Mel Gibson, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter and that guy holding up the "Get a Brain, Morans" sign.

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 09:55:58 -0800

psmealey : "Seems like an obvious conclusion, but it seems there are plenty of grumpy idiots around these days as well." Mel Gibson - Age 50 Sean Hannity - Age 45 Bill O'Reilly - Age 57 Ann Coulter - Age 45 guy holding up the "Get a Brain, Morans" sign - Unknown, estimated age 38 So, yeah, that's perfectly in keeping with the study's results: Intelligent people under age 60 are generally happy, intelligent people over age 60 are generally grumpy. Most MeFi residents, Gibson, Hannity, O'Reilly, Coulter, and Morans Moranis are grumpy and under age 60, hence...

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 09:57:06 -0800

And, yes, I know that the study does not imply that the inverse is also true. Just being snarky. But happily snarky!

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 10:11:41 -0800

This is taking the "mad scientists" stereotype too far.

By: owhydididoit

owhydididoit — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 11:37:17 -0800

Maybe smart old folks just don't watch enough TV.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 14:52:43 -0800

Are smart people grumpier? Oh, fuck off, you annoying little telephone canvasser. Eat my balls!

By: caddis

caddis — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:25:32 -0800

~~footnote~~ five fresh fish ate my balls

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:55:35 -0800

And they were salty balls!

By: Ritchie

Ritchie — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 01:41:52 -0800

I'm really quite a cheerful fellow, I just fake being grumpy in order to seem smarter.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 13:35:23 -0800

For a young'un, I sure am a cranky little bitch, and have been since first grade when I was all, "Why the hell does Mr. Rogers take his shoes off? That's not his HOUSE." So I guess I really should be a member of the older cranky generation...

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 14:17:15 -0800

Grumpy and Dopey have been my fave dwarves since childhood. That can't be a coincidence.