A halfothesis is half a hypothesis. It’s a notion that sounds good if you don’t think about it long. It’s not worthy of full scientific exploration, but it’s sort of fun to noodle about.
My halfothesis is that intelligence is largely determined by the degree of stimulation you get from your external environment, starting from the time you are a baby. The relationship is the inverse. If you get a lot of joy from enjoying the moment, your brain has no reason to do much else. Your brain’s job is to keep you happy, and if looking at a sunset is enough, your brain’s job is done. Like a muscle that gets no exercise, the brain that is easily finished with its work has no reason to become stronger.
On the other hand, if the external environment gives you little joy, you retreat into the relatively richer environment of your own imagination. The continuous exercise of your imagination makes your brain more efficient. That’s my halfothesis.
The next time you are in a large gathering, notice which people are the happiest in a stimulating social setting for an extended period of time. Perhaps everyone seems happy at first, but as the evening wears on, some people will fade faster than others. They will be easily saturated with the stimulation that the physical environment provides and start daydreaming to increase their happiness.
Are the people who start daydreaming first usually the smartest people in the room?