A philosophy expert has sparked a debate online after claiming he can instantly tell if someone is "intelligent or not" by a particular personality trait. Julian de Medeiros took to TikTok to explain that there is a "simple theory - an observation" that dates back to the German philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer who lived from 1788 to 1860.
"He basically argued that the more intelligent someone is, the more they struggle with interactions," Julian explained. "Or as he put it - the more intelligent someone is, the more at risk they are of becoming antisocial.". Exploring Schopenhauer's theory further, Julian added that it was based on the belief that "intelligent people like to be alone" and tend to be "natural introverts".
He continued: "In fact they have a small, select group of people they trust and they feel a little bit uncomfortable when surrounded by other people, especially strangers. According to Julian, Schopenhauer believed intelligent people are also "very sensitive to sound" and really like to be "in control of their environment". He closed: "So Schopenhauer was basically saying that the more intelligent someone is, the more they relish time and space and the more they like to be alone and keep their own company.".
Julian's explanatory clip quickly went viral, amassing more than three million views in a week, attracting a broad range of views on the theory. "That's because intelligence is not measured properly," one TikTok user said. "Intelligence should also include emotional intelligence, not just analytically.".
