# Americans are split on whether brilliant people are warm

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/americans-are-split-on-whether-brilliant-people-are-warm/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

Americans give brilliant or genius people the benefit of the doubt on niceness, but barely: a narrow majority (51%) thinks they are warm rather than cold, according to a Verasight survey of 509 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026.

The other 49% say brilliant people run cold, not nice, leaving the country almost evenly divided.

## Topline

Are brilliant/genius people warm (nice) or cold (not nice)?

Americans are split on whether brilliant people are warm.

- Warm: 51.1%
- Cold: 48.9%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- Base (unweighted): 509
- Margin of error: +/- 4.6%
- Module: society
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.25](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.25)

## Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=509 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.25](https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26#q-5.25)