Monday, January 03, 2005

DUMB IT DOWN, AND YOU'LL GET MARRIED OFF

Uh oh. Attention ladies: Better buy your bottles of blonde hairdye and schedule yourselves for a brain reduction, if you want to get married. The London Times reports that while women are really looking for brains in a man, not the same thing can be said for men seeking women. The study they cite measured the IQ of 900 men and women when they were 11 years old. Then 40 years later, they were revisited to find out if they had ever married. "The finding that IQ in early life appears to be associated with the likelihood to marry is important because factors in childhood may determine a person's marital status in adulthood, which may in turn influence future health and mortality," says the study, to appear in the Journal of Personality and Individual differences. For boys, there is a 35% increase in the likelihood of marriage for each 16-point rise in IQ. For girls, there is a 40% drop. I guess this means that the smarter we are, the more hesitant we are to rush into a relationship that isn't meant for long-term success. At least, that's how I'm spinning it. Brilliant, did you say? Damn you. Hat tip: Janice

6 comments:

annabel lee said...

Thank you thank you thank you! That explains it...I'm too smart for the dating scene. Which means that I'm smarter than my sister, who's married. Nanny nanny boo boo.

Shoshana said...

This just makes me mad - I spent half my time growing pretending to be dumb and just when I have gotten comfortable with being intelligent, here's an article that says I have it all wrong again! I guess I am doomed unless brain damage is in my future.

M-n said...

I married one of the smartest girls I've ever met. Dumb people bore me, and the thought of spending the rest of my life with one strikes me mute with horror.

Anonymous said...

What? I like intelekchul conversations with smart chicks. I love their glasses and the way they dress like the liberry ladies. Smart chicks are hot. Bring 'em on!

ck
Jewlicious

Anonymous said...

Some of the most intelligent women I have ever met have been natural blondes. Blonde hair is not a marker for low IQ, although perhaps black hair that is dyed blonde is.

I take it that you have black hair.

Esther Kustanowitz said...

Black hair? Me? No. But if you thought my comment in the opening paragraph about blondes was meant to be taken literally, maybe I should clarify that I'm not advocating brain reductions either.