Having a low IQ is primarily genetic, though there are environmental impacts that are often overlooked. However, none of that helps a person with cognitive limitations, and their days are packed with challenges that many of us dismiss. Yet, it is something as simple as being born with blonde hair or brown eyes, so society should be more welcoming and gain more understanding of what life is like for those who have lower IQs.
People get easily frustrated with you
Your coworkers could snap at you despite knowing you simply do not understand the task. It appears as if you’re doing something wrong on purpose, which only raises your anxiety and anger. It leads to an additional lack of focus, which further frustrates your coworker.
Everyone sees you as Forrest Gump
Science debunked the idea that low-IQ people have childlike optimism. A 2012 study published by Cambridge University Press found that happiness is significantly associated with a higher IQ. Those in the lowest IQ range, between 70 and 99, were found to have the lowest happiness levels.
Every task is more challenging
Some tasks take up to five times longer if you have a lower-than-average IQ. They are more challenging because of a lack of support and concentration, which only deepens the sense of uselessness and fear of getting fired or rejected in any other way.
Lack of education
On average, a person with an IQ of 80-85 has up to seven years of education. Those ranked higher can reach high school, but most do not finish it. For people with average intelligence, many things can go wrong and lead them to become school dropouts, but if someone’s born with an unfair disadvantage, this means they will be stuck with low-income jobs.
Smaller social circle
A University of Delaware study found that people with below-average IQ do not make friends lightly. This means that they are more likely to experience loneliness and lack of support, which can only worsen their mental health.
Even reading is harder
People with lower IQs may struggle with reading. Some might need help understanding what they are reading, while others will take longer to finish the page than those with average intelligence. This makes everyday tasks even harder.
Changing routine is a task
If you have a lower IQ, you most likely enjoy routine because adapting to changes brings more issues. With the lack of planning abilities and difficulty focusing, changes in daily routines can be overwhelming and burdening.
People see you as one-dimension being
Despite their limitations, low-IQ people can have dreams and goals. They might need more time to reach their goals, but the daily lack of encouragement, assumptions, and jokes instead of identifying strengths makes a person feel like they are supposed to play a one-dimensional role.
Poor judgment
Though many studies were conducted, not many discussed the everyday struggles of those with lower IQs and their judgment. However, the link was created, and the conclusions were that people with cognitive limitations were seven times more likely to go to prison and five times more likely to live in poverty.
Not understanding how your behavior affects others
Cognitive limitations do not offer explanations on how your actions affect others, nor do you have a clear sense of boundaries. This is expected since people with lower IQs often have a limited understanding of social interactions and lack knowledge that their actions come with consequences.
Poor memory
People with lower IQs may have difficulty remembering. This includes short-term memory, like forgetting current events, and long-term memory, like struggling to remember past experiences or learned information.
Life of crime
A Queensland University of Technology study confirmed that a large number of people whose IQs were under the average of 110 were jailed. Additionally, the 2012 study showed that low intelligence was often correlated with poor mental health.
Poor problem-solving abilities
From simple tasks, like driving, to something more complex, a low IQ makes every problem more extensive and challenging. With poor problem-solving abilities, people face relationship troubles, can become victims of bullying and SA, and are more likely to take their own lives, Swedish researchers found in a study published in Scientific American.
Low IQ scores are haunting
Knowing you’re different is tricky, but others make things more awkward by flaunting their scores. This does not mean that people go around talking about their IQs, but their confidence speaks for itself. And if a person knows they scored low, it dramatically influences their faith in themselves.
There is no special skill
People assume you must have some unique quality if you have a low IQ. Some people might have this “gift,” but most of the time, a person with cognitive limitations is just that: a person with certain restraints, and what you see is what you get. People trying to dig up something deeper only make the person feel worse, and usually, it happens almost daily.
Cognitive limitations come with no support
People with lower IQs are a minority, and due to their struggles, they need more support and understanding in everyday life. There is a significant social stigma despite knowing that their ability to obtain an education, find and keep a job, and get ahead in society is complex and that support would provide a better life.
Lack of understanding of self-care
Self-care includes dietary needs, exercise, and spending time with loved ones. Yet, people with mild cognitive limitations have a higher risk of lack of health care, poor health due to illness and violence, and mental health conditions, Tymchuk, Lakin, and Luckassonf found in 2001 after reviewing several studies regarding low IQ.
Regulating emotions
Low IQ may manifest as impulsive behavior and difficulty managing emotions. People with high IQ can also struggle with emotional intelligence, but they can address their issues more easily. Additionally, people with low IQ are more likely to suffer from mental health issues, and therefore, their inability to regulate emotions is more complicated.
Kate Smith, a self-proclaimed word nerd who relishes the power of language to inform, entertain, and inspire. Kate's passion for sharing knowledge and sparking meaningful conversations fuels her every word.