Highly intelligent people seem like they have life settled for them because of the ease with which they do certain things.
For instance, they don’t have to study so hard to pass a test. They are able to grasp complicated concepts quickly. They are able to take on challenging but exciting jobs with ease.
Intelligent people also seem to be very good at the things they focus on and pay attention to, thanks to their high IQ.
Though intelligent people are usually highly prized in the media and admired by all. Intelligent people are seen as people who are special in terms of brain function (from their capacity for understanding, creativity, logic, or self-awareness to their problem-solving ability) and general conduct.
The one thing that sets them apart (their intellect) seems to disintegrate them from the rest of the world, leaving them to struggle with several difficulties and challenges that make them isolated in life.
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing with you 10 problems only intelligent people have.
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Intelligent people find it difficult to fit in
Intelligent people think outside of the box, and usually have different ideas, perspectives, and viewpoints from the rest of society. Hence, they find it difficult to mix with the rest of the world. Other people may find them pretentious when in the real sense communicating and relating to these people is the problem.
A recent study found out that smart people tend to spend more time alone because “those with more intelligence and the capacity to use it .. are less likely to spend so much time socializing because they are focused on some other longer-term objective,” Carol Graham, a Brookings Institution researcher who studied the economics of happiness says.
This is why intelligent people are less socially connected when compared to others.
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Intelligent people are pressured to succeed
Being intelligent with such a smart brain is enviable, but having to deal with everyone else’s expectations of what that smart brain should produce is difficult.
Not only do they allow themselves to get pushed by society to compete and succeed in every field, intelligent people expect and demand this of themselves as well which is why they don’t mind being absent from social activities in order to study a little more or work on a project for school because their failure to achieve their very high and demanding goals might lead them to fall into depression and anger.
One study that tracked 1,500 super smart kids (their IQs tested at 140 or more) for decades found that many struggled to live up to their own and others’ hopes for their lives.
When participants of this study were later asked to look back on their lives, many reported that “they had been plagued by the sense that they had somehow failed to live up to their youthful expectations.”
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Intelligent people find it hard to make friends
When intelligent people meet someone new, they ask clever, seemingly innocent questions that help them identify if the person is good enough to be friends with them, and as such, are quick to dismiss a person if they do not see/observe similar characteristics/traits.
Hence, intelligent people become lonely, get used to being alone and result in finding solace in their work.
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Intelligent people suffer analysis paralysis
Because they are smart, they tend to weigh the pros and cons of every decision they make, including making a decision as simple as what to eat for dinner.
This often leads to over analyzing things, which in turn, leads to mental paralysis, where they find making a decision difficult.
Ramit Sethi, Stanford grad and successful entrepreneur, puts it this way, “Since [smart people] can see lots of angles – in fact, they’ve been rewarded for seeing multiple angles – they often can’t accept what’s in front of them. “
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Intelligent people are socially awkward
Because of their level of intellect and focus on school and learning alone, they either had a tendency to be neglected or were often forced out of social interactions.
And unlike the others, talking about cars, money or other material things can be tiring for them. Instead, they would rather have discussions around science, philosophy, or arts, something other people do not find interesting.
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Intelligent people get bored easily
Intelligent people constantly seek changes in their lives and are likely to get bored with their work, catching up with friends, or any other routine. This often leads them to give up easily.
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Intelligent people find it difficult to fall in love
Like everyone else, intelligent people have emotions, but their sense of reasoning and logic is always one step ahead, causing them to struggle with falling in love.
They are hardly attracted by a person’s physical appearance instead; they look out for a person’s level of intelligence and knowledge.
This means they need to spend time with the person to get to know them, share ideas with them and understand their reasoning ability before eventually falling in love with that person.
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Intelligent people are perfectionists
Perfectionism is “the smart person’s version of Fear of Failure,” according to Sethi Ramit. Hence, they’ll keep procrastinating all in the name of perfection.
Most of the time, intelligent people never really get things done until they are pushed to.
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Intelligent people feel alone
Because of their distinctive socially awkward interactions, intelligent people are often misunderstood and underestimated by their families, friends, society, and themselves as well.
As a result, they fail to explore their full creative potential and end up underutilizing most of their gifts. This eventually leaves them feeling lonely and isolated throughout life.
On the other hand, they enjoy being alone and they know how to find happiness by sitting in a quiet place all alone, doing the activities such as reading a book- only by themselves.
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Intelligent people find it difficult to express themselves
Ever heard this quote before? “Quiet people have the loudest minds.”
Intelligent people constantly observe everything in detail, overthink their thoughts, and do not like to talk much about their thoughts. In other words, intelligent people think too much but say too little.
They are usually the quietest in any room (for obvious reasons). Because of their overthinking ability, they know when best to talk, how to act, and what to say.
If you find yourself relating to some, if not all, of these congrats, there is a huge possibility that you are intelligent.
Thank you.