Smart is sexy, measurable, and public: 72% say brains beat beauty.

A shift in the hierarchy of attraction is emerging. According to a new CerebrumIQ survey of 3,481 respondents across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, 72% said they find intelligence more attractive than physical appearance. The number rises further among adults aged 18-36, who are 1.6 times more likely than older groups to prioritise measurable cognitive ability over looks. While the idea that "smart is sexy" has circulated in pop culture for years, the new data suggests it is now being enacted at scale, quantified, displayed, and socially rewarded.

This cultural realignment appears rooted in deeper psychological and economic shifts. In uncertain times, traits such as problem-solving, memory, and adaptability feel not only desirable but essential. When asked about social preferences, 58% of participants said they favoured activities that highlight intelligence, such as puzzles, strategic games, or collaborative problem-solving, over more aesthetically driven engagements. Intelligence is no longer perceived as a quiet internal trait; it has become a visible marker of identity and status.

Among younger adults, intelligence is increasingly treated as a kind of social filter, both in dating and beyond. In the same CerebrumIQ survey, 66% of 18-36-year-olds said they would be less likely to pursue a relationship with someone who lacked curiosity or critical thinking skills. 54% said they had ended or avoided relationships specifically because of what they saw as an intellectual mismatch. Mental sharpness signals not just attraction, but emotional stability, long-term compatibility, and even financial foresight. In some circles, the ability to hold a nuanced conversation or dissect a complex issue carries more social cachet than traditional status symbols. Being articulate, well-informed, or intellectually curious is not just admired but often required.

That shift is not just romantic, it is strategic. In a world where attention spans are fragmented and digital impressions are everything, displaying intelligence has become a high-return investment. Whether through rapid-fire logic debates on streaming platforms or viral brainteasers on dating apps, cognitive agility now functions as a new form of charisma: less about how you look, more about how you think under pressure. The smartest move, for many, is to be visibly smart.

What makes this moment culturally resonant is how intelligence is being reframed. Historically, "book smarts" were often contrasted with charisma or desirability. Today, mental agility, memory, and reasoning are increasingly presented as desirable in their own right. On social platforms, intellectual aesthetics are trending: viral math problems, logic-based dating challenges, and brain-training apps have become part of how people demonstrate competence and depth.

The shift does not negate the value of appearance, but it reconfigures attraction as multidimensional. In a context where attention is scarce and mental clarity is under pressure, being smart is not just sexy; it is seen as a survival trait. The implications are far-reaching, from how people date and network to how they frame self-worth in an information-saturated world.

About CerebrumIQ
CerebrumIQ is a cognitive performance platform designed to strengthen mental skills through a blend of IQ testing, neural training games, intelligence puzzles, educational courses, and expert content. The assessments are calibrated to reflect standard IQ tests and used globally to track and enhance users’ thinking abilities. The platform, used by over a million people worldwide, offers more than 300 lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making, helping users develop essential life skills in a structured, engaging way. CerebrumIQ is redefining how people engage with their mental potential. Unlike entertainment-style brain games, Cerebrum IQ is a structured training ecosystem built to deliver lasting neural growth.

Contact:
CerebrumIQ
pr@cerebrumiq.com
Amelia Botha
PR Manager