Individuals with lower-than-average IQ levels have shared their experiences on social media, discussing the unique challenges they face, such as missing ‘obvious details’ during daily activities.
An IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a standardized assessment of a person’s mental faculties.
According to Healthline, an IQ test can provide insights into a person’s reasoning, spatial visualization, memory, and overall cognitive abilities.
However, these tests have limitations; they may not accurately measure creativity or critical thinking skills.
As such, it’s advisable to interpret IQ test results with caution.
A Human Rights Watch report indicates that most people in the U.S. have an IQ between 80 and 120, with an average around 100.
Scores between 80-89 are considered Low Average, while scores from 70-79 fall into the ‘Well Below Average’ category.
An IQ below 70 is classified as Extremely Low, a category that Healthline notes is rare.
On Reddit, users with lower-than-average IQs have been sharing their personal stories and how these impact their lives.
The discussion was initiated by a user named IronFires, who posted: “People with confirmed below-average intelligence, how has your intelligence affected your life experience, and what would you want the world to know about what it’s like to be you?”
One user recounted taking a school admission IQ test, mistakenly looking for “secret bonus answers,” and realizing, “I’m not smart.”
They admitted, “There’s quite a few times I miss what might seem like obvious details,” adding that life can be more stressful due to second-guessing themselves.
Another user noted a significant disparity in their cognitive abilities, saying, “I was in the 90th percentile for reasoning, and in the 10th percentile for speed. My entire life has been that feeling of after a conversation, you realize what you should have said.”
One individual highlighted that low intelligence didn’t prevent them from reaching significant career milestones.
They explained, “I was in learning disability programs from grade 1 to grade 7, and repeated a year of middle school. I am now a resident doctor at the top university program in Canada.”
Another user expressed frustration at being judged for not ‘functioning relatively normally.’
They shared, “Talking slowly or, getting annoyed because I’ve asked you to repeat something, or pushing me out of the way when I don’t react fast enough…that’s just rubbing it in.”
They further explained the difficulty in improving processing speed, saying, “I’m stuck where I’m at in this regard, and it’s hard to ‘try harder’ when I’m already running at 110 [percent] just to keep up with the rest of the world.”
According to Dr. Angela Hassiotis from University College London’s Mental Health Sciences Unit, individuals with lower IQs tend to report lower levels of happiness.
Her research, published in Psychological Medicine, included 6,870 participants who answered questions about their education, health, income, and social life.
Happiness was measured on a three-point scale, and verbal IQ was estimated using the National Adult Reading Test (NART).
Findings indicated that individuals with IQs in the range of 70-89 were likely to be ‘socially disadvantaged and less happy compared to people with higher IQ’
Dr. Hassiotis noted that “people with a lower IQ were less likely to be happier due to socio-economic disadvantages like lower income.”
“They also report more symptoms of psychological distress and require more support with daily living skills,” she added.
Healthline outlines several methods for boosting IQ levels.
These include engaging in memory games, solving crossword puzzles, and playing sudoku.
Activities such as Scrabble, Pictionary, brainteasers, building 3-D models, and learning a musical instrument can also contribute to increased IQ levels.