60-Second Science

The feeling of scarcity makes us less intelligent.

A study from 2013 tested sugar cane farmers in India.

Sugar cane farmers live off of the profits of their harvest for the whole year.

By the time for the next harvest, money is often tight.

Researchers tested the farmers before harvest, when money was tight, and then after harvest when they had more breathing room.

They found that farmers consistently tested 10-13 IQ points lower before harvest than after.

Same person. Different mental bandwidth.

How this applies to daily life:

We can’t control the situations we endure.

But we can control how we react to those situations.

When we’re in a stressful situation, breathing exercises, meditation, talking to friends, journaling and other methods can help us see the bigger picture in order to regain those 10-13 IQ points.