This is the cool reason why you might have such a dark sense of humor

If you’ve ever told an edgy, dark joke and been met with awkward, uncomfortable chuckling or glares from the other people in the room, we’ve got some good news for you — because there’s actually a cool reason why you might have such a dark sense of humor. New research shows that individuals who enjoy telling and hearing dark jokes score higher on intelligence tests.

A study published in the journal Cognitive Processing shows that people who understand and enjoy dark humor scored higher on both verbal and nonverbal intelligence.

But wait, there’s more — these participants were also more likely to have higher levels of education and scored lower on aggression and mood disturbance.

Although it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why there’s a link between dark humor and intelligence, researchers believe it may be because cognitive and emotional skills are key to understanding jokes and appreciating their humor.

They went on to explain that, because dark humor is especially complex, high intelligence and low aggression help people understand that twisted jokes are simply jokes — and there’s no need to take them seriously.

So next time there’s an awkward silence after you tell a hilarious, dark joke, don’t despair — pat yourself on the back for being intelligent and emotionally healthy. And never stop telling your twisted jokes — they are much appreciated by many of us.