The Neuroscience Behind Anti-Intellecutualism

Neuroscience backs up the idea of anti-intellectualism, when people or a group of people feel inferior by someone intellectual due to their deep thinking ability and unconventional ideas, it triggers a survival response as the brains' amygdala become highly active, which is similar to the fear of being in physical danger.

The reason intelligence activates amygdala response lies in human evolution, humans survival was not dependent on a single smartest person or a deep thinker in a community, it was dependent on the communal strength and how they together physically can tackle bigger threats like mammoth and other animals.

Human brain prioritize social acceptance over intellectual pursuit due to ancestral need to safety and harmony in the tribes, Where rejection by the group meant vulnerability and potential death.

The presence of an intellectual person in a room, can disrupt the tribal balance, challenging established beliefs and group dynamics, and triggering an instinctual response that perceive them as a threat rather than a valuable thinker.

References

[[Why Intelligent People Scare Society]] [[Intelligence Is A Threat To Ego]] [[Why Society Don't Like Intellectual People]]