Sheldon met his ultimate intellectual rival in the form of Paige – but is she actually smarter than him? Here’s what you need to know.
Throughout most of Young Sheldon, the genius Cooper child remains untouchable when it comes to smarts.
Moving from Medford High School through to East Texas Tech – and then eventually his beloved Caltech – very few peers, teachers, or professors have been able to keep up with him.
All of this changed when Sheldon met fellow child genius Paige, but is she actually smarter than him? Here’s everything you need to know.
Young Sheldon: Is Paige smarter than Sheldon?
Judging by their IQ, Sheldon is technically smarter than Paige. However, Paige not only has a high IQ, but also has a much higher EQ than Sheldon.
As both fans of Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory will know, Sheldon has an IQ of 187 – which ranks him as a bonafide genius. However, his emotional intelligence (EQ) is catastrophically low, as evidenced by his behavior in both programs. At the same time, Paige has both an extremely high EQ and IQ, which clocks in at 145.
Though this doesn’t make Paige ‘smarter’ on an intellectual level, she could be seen with all-around intellect in life. Where Sheldon struggles to interact and empathize with others, Paige has no issues, going as far as to rebel alongside Missy in Season 6 by stealing George’s truck to run away to Florida.
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It’s this side of her character that fans relate to the most, with previous seasons showing just how tough Paige’s home life has been up until now.
“I understand her circumstances are tough, and it feels like her parents’ divorce triggered an inevitable identity crisis. while Sheldon didn’t care too much about fitting into society, Paige did which made life really hard for her. I sympathize with her, however, sometimes she behaves like an ah and annoys the hell out of me,” one fan posted on Reddit.
Another weighed in: “I’m not a huge fan, but Sheldon was ugly to Paige first. And then her family life blew up and she knew it was because of her. That’s a tough pill for a kid to swallow. To her, Sheldon’s life is pretty much all together — family together, he knows what he wants, etc.”
Paige was last seen in Season 6, though she is expected to make her return in the Young Sheldon Season 7 finale.
Young Sheldon continues to air on CBS on February 29, 2024.
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