Smart people are usually seen as warm
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 491 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026, nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) say smart people are warm, or nice, rather than cold.
The remaining 27% see them the other way, as cold, or not nice.
Topline distribution
Smart people are usually seen as warm.
Are smart people warm (nice) or cold (not nice)?
n = 491 · May 11, 2026 · MoE ±4.7%
Methodology
Full 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 | May 11, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 491 |
| Margin of error | ±4.7% |
| Module | society |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26
Are smart people warm (nice) or cold (not nice)?
Cite this question
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=491 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.7%.