The Link Between High Intelligence and Conformity

The relationship between cognitive ability and social alignment is characterised by a distinct correlation between general intelligence and the propensity for intellectual conformity.

While individuals of high intelligence are frequently the primary adherents to prevailing social dogmas, those at the extreme ends of the cognitive spectrum—specifically those with lower aptitude or outlier high intelligence—exhibit various forms of non-conformity.

The Cultural Mediation Hypothesis

General intelligence acts as a predictor for social conformity through a process described as the cultural mediation hypothesis.

Highly intelligent individuals possess the cognitive faculty to accurately perceive the dominant worldview of their era. Once the prevailing ideology is identified, these individuals utilise effortful control—a high degree of self-regulation and impulse control—to override their instinctive reactions and force themselves to believe in and adopt the dominant perspective.

This process is particularly evident during development. While there is no significant difference in IQ between young children holding liberal or conservative views, a gap opens as they age; more intelligent children increasingly adopt liberal or progressive stances as they become better at intuiting and imbibing the dominant social climate.

This explains the concentration of contemporary social ideologies within the upper middle class and academia, where cognitive ability is generally higher.

Status Acquisition and Subtle Dissent

Conformity among the intelligent is not merely passive; it is a strategic tool for status acquisition. Once an individual has adopted the dominant worldview, they compete for status by pushing that worldview slightly further than their peers. For instance, in a society focused on equality and harm avoidance, an intelligent conformist may signal their cognitive superiority by introducing superficially logical arguments for new rights or social categories.

These individuals are careful to ensure their ideas are not heard as genuine dissent. They avoid rocking the boat or causing a backlash from opposing groups, instead maintaining a position as a slightly more advanced fellow traveller within the established regime. This dynamic leads to runaway individualism, where the boundaries of the dominant ideology are constantly expanded by those seeking to signal their intelligence.

Determinants of Non-Conformity

Non-conformity is typically observed in three distinct groups. The first comprises individuals with lower cognitive ability who lack the effortful control necessary to absorb complex dominant ideologies. These individuals rely on instinctive or gut reactions and are unable to reason away their natural inclinations in favour of non-instinctive possibilities.

The second group includes those with psychological traits that predispose them to dissent, such as psychopathic personality traits. Such individuals may possess high intelligence but enjoy the danger and social friction associated with non-conformity. Similarly, individuals characterised by extreme mental instability or intense individualism may reject all impositions of authority, whether from the political left or right.

The third group consists of individuals with outlier high intelligence, which is often associated with autistic traits. These individuals are characterised by an obsession with order, truth, and systematising, often at the expense of empathy. Because they prioritise the empirically correct answer over the feelings of others, they are willing to advocate for conclusions that are seen as offensive or socially unacceptable. They critique the current dispensation regardless of its orientation, driven by a requirement for cognitive consistency rather than social approval.

Future Orientation and the Vanguard

A significant differentiator between the intelligent conformist and the super-intelligent non-conformist is future orientation. While average high intelligence allows an individual to conform to the present dispensation, outlier intelligence enables a person to conceive of future shifts in the social landscape.

These future-oriented individuals can identify from available data that the current system is collapsing or that a new dispensation is emerging. They may accept social exclusion, financial hardship, or persecution in the present to position themselves at the vanguard of the up-and-coming worldview. By taking substantial intellectual risks early, these originators secure significantly higher socio-economic and social rewards once the new system is established.

Societal Tipping Points and the Vicar of Bray

Societal transitions often occur with great speed once a critical mass of non-conformists is reached. When approximately 20 per cent of a population adopts a new perspective, a tipping point is achieved; the general populace loses faith in the old dispensation and migrates rapidly toward the new, more powerful worldview.

This was observed during the 1960s, when a conservative society quickly flipped toward individualist values.

The contrast between the opportunistic conformist and the strategic originator is illustrated by the historical figure of the Vicar of Bray, who repeatedly abandoned his principles to remain in office regardless of the reigning monarch. While the Vicar represents the unscrupulous social conformist, a more intelligent and ambitious individual would have anticipated these changes in advance. By sensing the shift from one regime to the next before it occurred, such an individual would have moved from being a mere vicar to a more elevated position, such as a bishop, within the new hierarchy. Thus, the midwit conforms to the present, while the more intelligent individual anticipates and adapts to the future.