Family and friends are necessary for our individual journey through life. We need them for emotional support to pass through difficult times. We also need them to learn some valuable lessons and skills, and to give us a sense of worth. However, it turns out that highly intelligent people have few friends, even though we know how important it is to have them around us. Why?
Could it be because people feel intimidated by them and will rather stay away from them? Or could it be because they choose to stay away from so many people so that they don’t get carried away in other activities that do not concern education? Well, we are about to find out.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing with you 10 reasons intelligent people have fewer friends.
- Intelligent people enjoy being alone
A study by Psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics measured the happiness levels of 15,000 people with various IQ levels. Each subject’s happiness level was measured on two occasions: when they were socializing with a group of friends and when they were completely alone.
The results showed that people with low to average intelligence levels reported greater self-happiness while in a group, which means that the more friends they had, the happier it made them. However, the exact opposite was true for people with very high intelligence levels. They reported greater happiness when alone. As a matter of fact, those at the top end of the intelligence spectrum actually felt considerably less happy when spending time with friends, which is why they do not like having too many friends.
- Intelligent people do not have as much need for social interaction as the average person
Intelligent people find it interesting to spend their time doing things they consider more important to them, things they feel are more productive and produce results at the end of the day. Hence, socializing is seen as a distraction that’s affecting their goal. Also, intelligent people are known to be skeptical which is why they tend to be more selective with who they spend their time with.
- Their thoughts and actions are mostly contrary to others
Intelligent people have strong mindsets and values. Hence, they think differently than others. Their mind isn’t limited so they always have something different to say, which is why they would rather interact with a few people.
- Intelligent people talk less and listen more
Because they have strong mindsets, they take their time to observe what is going on around them or what people are saying and reacting to an incident. Hence, they stay quiet and lie low. For instance, on social media, they hardly participate in anything or join any discussion. They’d rather listen, and observe everyone there.
- Intelligent people have visions for the future and they want to work toward it
Intelligent people feel uncomfortable telling their dreams to small-minded people because they do not want setbacks or discouragement of any kind. They know what they want and where they are going. As a result, they do not have time to engage in “so-called” fun activities when they have a list of goals to achieve. They do not expect anyone to understand it. They believe when it is the right time for people to see what they’ve been up to, then they will.
- Intelligent people don’t like to get involved in drama
Maybe we all say this to ourselves. However, intelligent people more than others can’t stand getting involved in any drama. Their family is more important to them which is why they will prefer to stay at home with their siblings watching a series.
- They don’t have time for fake hang-outs
Going out is too much stress for intelligent people, especially when they try to keep up with everyone. They don’t care about the latest trends, nor are they bothered that they are missing out on fun activities. Honestly, they are just content with doing things on their own.
- They are satisfied with the number of real friends they have. They don’t want any more
Intelligent people feel that they have figured out who their real friends are, so they don’t need new ones. They know people who are truly concerned about them and people who are just curious. As a result, they do not make friends easily except they meet with someone who thinks just like them and someone who isn’t interested in using them to get something.
- Intelligent people don’t try to prove their worth to anyone
Intelligent people do not feel the need to be accepted by anyone. They are strong and independent. They don’t need Instagram likes or Twitter retweet to feel good about themselves. They are happy as they are, which is what matters to them most.
- People see them as proud because they keep to themselves
People often judge intelligent people as being proud because they do enjoy spending time alone and also because they find it easy to air their opinions even when it contradicts others. Very few people take them seriously and these are the people they make out time for. Because they know their value and worth, they do not bother impressing anyone, which is why they are often seen as threats and marked as proud.
If this is how highly intelligent people feel, then it’s no surprise that they do not hang out with many people. They are totally satisfied in their own small world, which is why they only need a few people to be in that circle. So, if you find yourself with some of the above qualities, you may not bother to be like everyone because you’re good at being you.
Thank you.