While it's true that no one yet has figured out how to beat the Grim Reaper at his game, smart people appear to be better at holding him off longer.
For starters, smarter people are likely to have more money. The average salaries of skilled readers and those lacking basic skills diverge widely. The people with the best reading skills earned an average of $50,700 in 2003, compared to $22,700 for people without basic skills.
In the United States, 11 million people or one in 20 adults can't read English, and 30 million more have "below basic" skills.
Likewise, the ability to plan ahead – another area where smart people have an advantage – can make a big difference in longevity.
So while it's true that having a high IQ makes you more likely to have wealth and a higher-social-status job, it's making smart and healthy decisions – and not simply the status and savings – that help a person live longer.
