We've all done it. Found an inspirational message that's made us smile, laugh or reaffirmed our beliefs so much we've wanted to re-post it and share it ourselves. Such quotes are the staple of every social media feed.

But they may be less so now a study out this week has found that people who share profound declarations on social media tend to be less intelligent.

The research, with its cut-to-the-chase title On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bulls***t found that people who are more receptive to such quotes get lower scores in cognitive tests. They are also more prone to believing in the paranormal, hold religious beliefs and are taken in by conspiracy theories.

Vindication for anyone who has ever un-friended and un-followed someone who is constantly posting upbeat mottos on their Twitter and Facebook feeds then, it seems.

Posting inspirational quotes linked to lower levels of intelligence, science says