Science Reveals Why Intelligent People Have Short Attention Spans

February 12, 2016

Do you find it hard to concentrate at work? Research suggests it might be because you are smart.

A study conducted by Steelcase revealed that intelligent people tend to have multiple ideas running through their brains at once which makes it a challenge to focus.

The UK-based company surveyed more than 10,000 workers in 17 countries and studied their work habits. The findings showed that intelligent people succumb to distractions easily because they hold many things in their minds at once.

Bostjan Ljubic, Vice President of Steelcase, said:

“Employers are always on the lookout for the brightest people available, however the difficulty to withstand multiple tasks and distractions in the office affects smart people in the same way as everyone else, if not more.

“The ways in which we work are changing more rapidly than ever before and the brain is being subjected to stresses and distractions which can lead to overload and statistics show that distractions in the workplace are on the rise.”

Psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell told the Telegraph UK that intelligent people tend to deal with new ideas as they arise instead of concentrating on what they were doing. He also states that this can lead to a feeling of inadequacy and an inability to deal with the overall workload.

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