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Anxious people can sometimes exhibit unusual behaviors as an outlet for their discomfort, like biting their nails, stuttering, and fidgeting. And while most people would assume that anyone suffering from this overall uneasiness was at a disadvantage in life, science might beg to differ.

According to research, individuals who are anxious tend to be more intelligent.

In 2015, the University of Ontario, Canada, conducted a study by surveying 100 students to see how much they worry. They were asked how they agreed with statements like, “I am always worrying about something.” They found that students who have more anxiety also tend to score higher on verbal intelligence tests.

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Not to mention, this isn’t the first study on this matter. As reported on by Slatein 2012, psychologists from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya told 80 students “their role was to assess artwork presented by a software program — but this was just a cover story. While doing so, participants ‘accidentally’ activated a supposedly virulent computer virus. (This, of course, happened automatically, regardless of the participants’ behavior.) Next, they were urged by the trained actress running the show to seek technical support urgently.” Guess which students proved to be the ones focused on fixing the virus. Yup, the more anxious ones.

When someone is overly stimulated and anxious about everything, it’s easier for them to block out distractions and focus on one task at a time. Therefore, they were able to effectively combat the computer virus.

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In certain situations, individuals with high IQs exhibit more severe anxiety disorders.

Jeremy Coplana psychiatrist from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York, found that those who have a more severe form of generalized anxiety disorder have a higher IQ than those who have milder forms of anxiety. Researchers believe, “A worried mind is a searching mind, and smarter people may have the cognitive agility to examine multiple angles of any situation, for better or worse.

Researchers noted, “Children who are predisposed to be anxious may be more attentive or diligent in school, for instance, and therefore improve their intelligence. And smart people may find more things to worry about.”

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In a nutshell, smart people are more anxious because they have according to PsychCentral a more heightened sense of self-awareness which would cause anyone to feel more anxious, but more importantly, they have a “strong sense of observation (that) may make them more aware of their surroundings, including real or perceived threats.”

As Slate noted, “The idea that worriers are cannier than average may just seem to make sense — a worried mind is a searching mind, and smarter people may have the cognitive agility to examine multiple angles of any situation, for better or worse.”

Of course, there are exceptions to everything.

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There have been instances where researchers found that anxiety had a negative impact on IQ.

There was also a study conducted in 2012 that showed how anxiety negatively impacted IQ. The control group had a higher IQ because they had less to worry about. Robert Epstein, a psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, said, “There are exceptions, obviously, but the basic finding is sound. One explanation for the negative correlation is pretty straightforward: When people are anxious, they don’t think very clearly.”

Here’s the conundrum as evidenced by Coplan’s study, “Previous studies have indicated that excessive worry tends to exist both in people with higher intelligence and lower intelligence, and less so in people of moderate intelligence. It has been hypothesized that people with lower intelligence suffer more anxiety because they achieve less success in life.”

Maybe, just maybe, the takeaway is beneficial to everyone in the middle when it comes to anxiety. Because according to the research, when it’s put all together in one place, average thinkers are the least anxious of them all. That seems like a pretty smart place to be.

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Nicole Weaver is a senior writer for Showbiz Cheat Sheet whose work has been featured in New York Magazine, Teen Vogue, and more.