Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink.
Today, we are going to learn about 15 problems only smart people have.
Now, let’s begin.
Overvaluing Intelligence Many people overestimate the value of intelligence.
You can live a happy and successful life even with an average IQ.
Yet a large chunk of people dream of being the smartest person in the room.
People assume intellectuals have overwhelming advantages over everyone else.
You may think their intellect can carry them to greater personal and professional heights.
But the truth is… intelligence isn’t always a gift.
Intelligence people have many unique problems they face on a daily basis, and those problems
begin with their own perspective of their intelligence.
Smart people are usually aware of their intelligence.
They’re rarely egotistical or arrogant, but they do know intelligence is one of their
strong suits.
How do they know?
Because they’ve always valued themselves for their intelligence.
Just like everyone else, smart people overestimate the role of intelligence in their own lives.
When you overvalue one characteristic, you tend to under-value others.
It’s common for intelligent people to fall short in basic or seemingly easy activities,
like holding a conversation or listening when someone else is talking.
Why?
Because they focus too much on their brain power.
Your IQ is just a sliver of who you are.
Whether you’re below average or cresting 140 IQ points, your intelligence doesn’t
define you as a person.
Easy Labor Work ethic is another area where intelligent
people struggle.
Many smart people are not challenged in their lives, so work always comes easy to them.
If you succeed at everything you do, you don’t develop the work ethic to struggle and persevere.
Without a strong work ethic, many intelligent people reach an intellectual plateau.
Yes, you may be smart.
Yes, things may come easily to you.
But, if you don’t have a good work ethic to grow and challenge yourself, your natural
intelligence can only take you so far.
Intentional Isolation Intelligent people enjoy their own company.
They’re typically juggling one too many passions or hobbies, so they dedicate most
of their time to the things they love.
When you have a lot of passions, you tend to spend most of your time alone.
You may prefer the peace and quiet of an office or study to the busy noise of a social environment.
So it’s not uncommon for intelligent people to be loners and introverts.
But even loners and introverts like to socialize.
They still want to make friends, create connections, and bond with the people they like.
Unfortunately, some intelligent people starve themselves of social opportunities.
In other words, they don’t practice talking to people, so they feel scared, awkward, and
shy.
It’s not unusual for intelligent people to feel isolated from the rest of the world.
Sometimes, they isolate themselves on purpose.
Other times, it’s because they struggle to connect with the people they meet.
Either way, many smart people end up alone.
Poor Communication In the same vein, intelligent people have
a hard time communicating with others, even their closest friends.
The simple truth is… hyper-intelligent individuals think differently than the rest of the world.
Their brains operate at a higher level, and that creates different or confusing trains
of thought.
As an intelligent person, you may try to communicate your thoughts to a close confidante.
While your friends get the gist of what you’re saying, you may not feel like you’re properly
explaining yourself.
For intelligent people, this is a daily occurrence.
You think differently.
You analyze problems differently.
As much as you try to explain yourself, there will always be a cognitive gap between the
people who get you and the people who don’t.
Knowledge Gaps It takes an intelligent person to understand
how much they have to learn.
The world is jam-packed with information, from the simplest truths to the most complicated
phenomenon.
There is no possible way a single brain could understand it all.
There’s just too much to learn.
Intelligent people understand this reality better than most, because they’ve explored
subjects and questions on a deeper level.
That exploration has revealed the immense holes in their knowledge.
But here’s the kicker.
The smarter they get, the greater that chasm becomes.
Logical Priorities Some intelligent people use words as a smoke
screen.
Instead of feeling their emotions and engaging with the present, they use language and logic
to decipher their experiences.
But here’s the problem.
Any intelligent person will tell you that reasoning or explaining your emotions is not
the same as feeling them.
Let’s say you’re angry about something.
You could try to think through your anger, stewing on what it means, where it came from,
and why it exists.
But the more you think about your anger, the deeper it gets.
And the longer it takes for you to set yourself free.
Oftentimes, the best way to understand an emotion or experience is to simply live in
the moment.
Don’t analyze.
Don’t think.
If you’re an intellectual person, I’m sure that goes against all your instincts.
Lack of Fulfillment Most intelligent people have high hopes for
their personal and professional lives.
If you have the brainpower to understand more complicated ideas, you should be able to rise
to the occasion, right?
Unfortunately, many smart people experience a lack of fulfillment.
Maybe you don’t have the work ethic or the social skills to succeed in your field.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed by how much you don’t know.
Either way, it’s common for intelligent people to experience disappointment.
External Expectations But you’re not the only one who expects
a lot of you.
When you’re an intelligent person, the world expects more of you too.
You’re labeled “above-average” and praised for leading the intellectual pack; but that
puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your shoulders.
For many intellectual people, the pressure is overwhelming.
They end up crumbling under the weight of other people’s expectations.
And they struggle to achieve their goals.
Logical Extremes Stress is a constant companion for intelligent
people.
The simplest problems may spiral out of control, because smart people stress about every possible
conclusion.
Most of those conclusions are impossible, exaggerated, and even a little bit ridiculous.
But they don’t feel that way in the moment.
In the moment, an intelligence person rides a huge wave of stress to its logical extreme.
Even if that extreme scenario would never actually happen, the possibility weighs on
their mind.
That possibility creates a load of unnecessary stress.
Rarity of Happiness Happiness is rare among intelligent people.
If you look back through history at well-known intellectuals, you might see a rough track
record of frustrated and disappointed geniuses.
But why do intelligent people have such a hard time finding happiness?
Internal and external expectations play a major role in unhappiness, but the answer
is often much simpler.
If you’re a hyper-intelligent person, you may spend your life chasing something you
can’t find, achieve, or understand.
You’re so involved in the things you want to know; you may neglect the happiest things
in your life, like your relationships and your favorite pastimes.
Intelligence can be a double-edged sword.
It gives you the brainpower to pursue greater ideals, but the pursuit of these greater questions
can stand in the way of your lifelong happiness.
Pinpointing Flaws Smart people are critical of themselves.
They have a firm understanding of their flaws, and they take every opportunity to berate
themselves for their mistakes.
In some cases, understanding your flaws is a valuable characteristic.
But seeing your flaws constantly can be emotionally taxing, especially if you’re lacking in
self-esteem.
When you spend too much time worrying about your flaws, those weaknesses overshadow your
strengths.
You lose track of the things you’re good at and ridicule yourself for the things you’re
not.
If you’re an intelligent person, keep an eye on your flaws, but don’t let your weaknesses
take over.
Social Ineptitude Some intelligent people leave poor impressions
on the people they meet.
Why?
Because their intelligence gets the best of them.
Whether someone is intelligent or not, no one likes to be corrected or talked down to,
especially when they’re just trying to have a good time.
But intelligent people have a hard time turning off their brains.
That’s why many intelligent individuals leave a bad taste in people’s mouths.
A smart person might correct your grammar, argue against your beliefs, or interrupt your
story with a story of their own.
At the end of the day, intelligence and social skills don’t always mix.
Persistent Anxiety Do smarter people experience more anxiety
than most?
People with higher IQs are prone to greater anxiety.
But it’s not because intelligent people are worried about lofty, existential problems.
They’re worried about the same things as everyone else.
“Am I making a good impression?”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Does this person like me?”
The problem is… a stronger brain creates more powerful doubts.
It can be extremely difficult for intelligent people to overcome their worries.
Because an intelligent person can always find new reasons to worry, overthink, and panic.
Inactive Decisions Many intelligent people are indecisive.
They’re not lazy or scared.
They’re not unmotivated or uninspired.
They’re indecisive because they over-intellectualize every decision.
The smallest problems can evolve into month-long debates with themselves.
They try to examine problems from every angle.
They want to prepare for every eventuality and preempt every possible hurdle.
Because they over-intellectualize their problems, smart people struggle to get anything done.
They spend too much time thinking, and not enough time doing.
Contrasting Behavior Smart people do relate to other smart people,
but most of the world isn’t hyper-intelligent.
So intelligent individuals may have a hard time understanding most people’s experiences.
In your mind, the world looks, feels, and acts a lot differently.
If you’re a hyper-intelligent person, you might not understand the way your friends
talk, think, or behave.
Why?
Because, if you were standing in their shoes, you would do something completely different.
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