Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink. Today, we will learn about 15 reasons why highly intelligent
people prefer to be alone. Now, let’s begin
1. The One Percent For highly intelligent people,
many social situations are surprisingly isolating. They socialize and meet new people,
just like anybody else, but they rarely encounter others who share their extraordinary intellect.
Let’s say one out of every 100 people is considered highly intelligent. If you met any one
of those 100 people, what are the odds you would encounter the one person who thinks like you?
This is a dilemma that highly intelligent people face every time they socialize with anyone. It’s
easy for the average person to meet someone who shares their intellect, but it’s very
uncommon for highly intelligent people to meet their match. They rarely come across
individuals who truly understand them, so it’s no surprise that smart people prefer to be alone.
2. Erratic Routines Some of the most brilliant
people keep the most unpredictable schedules. They work at all hours of the night and sleep
late into the day. Their jobs are unusual, their hobbies are out of the ordinary.
As a result, many highly intelligent people keep schedules that don’t align with the rest
of the world. Some are night owls. Some are early birds. In either case, most brilliant people live
according to a schedule that only they understand. 3. The Pickiest Friends
Smart people are very picky about whom they spend their time with. This is especially
true of introverted intellectuals. By default, they may judge and criticize the people they
meet. They look for problems in everyone, and they usually find something to complain about.
That’s the downside of being clever and perceptive. A highly intelligent person
can quickly and easily imagine a dozen reasons why any person is not a good fit.
Most of the time, their pickiness is a form of self-defense. Intelligent people are
accustomed to knowing everything, so they may use their brainpower to avoid social risks and
vulnerability. In other words, highly intelligent people prefer to be alone because they know how
painful a bad friendship or relationship can be. 4. Intellectual Stimulation
Many brilliant people prefer to be alone because they find it more fulfilling to converse with
themselves. After all, who understands you better than you? For many highly intelligent people,
self-talk is not only therapeutic but also intellectually stimulating.
It may look and sound strange to the average person, but this is surprisingly common among
the world’s brightest people. They talk to themselves almost every day. Why?
Because they rarely encounter other people who engage them on a similar intellectual level.
5. The Odd Man Out Many people socialize because they’re afraid to
be the odd man out. They don’t like missing things that other people get to experience. They feel
jealous when they see friends and even strangers living more exciting or fulfilling lives.
But highly intelligent individuals don’t mind standing on the sidelines. They don’t envy
friends or strangers or wish they were living someone else’s life. In other words, a highly
intelligent person will happily be the odd man out because their interests often lie elsewhere.
6. Extra Weight Around the world, people rely on
teamwork and cooperation to solve problems. It may require a group of like-minded people to tackle
a single task, but highly intelligent people don’t require the same level of social support.
That doesn’t mean highly intelligent people aren’t team players. In challenging
high-level environments, intellectuals flourish by cooperating with people of similar intelligence.
But when it comes to low-level problems, the most intelligent people would rather work alone.
When a basic problem must be solved, the most competent people find a quick and efficient
solution without asking for help. In group projects and team environments,
many intelligent people feel like their team members are slowing them down. In other words,
most people don’t see problems as clearly as they do, so it’s no surprise that most intelligent
people prefer to work alone. 7. Frivolous Interactions
Socializing has many advantages for many people. For some, socializing is a form of entertainment,
relaxation, or social connectivity. It can lead to friendships, business connections, and romantic
relationships. But most of the time… socializing is not the most productive thing you do.
Highly intellectual people try to be productive as often as possible. They don’t like to waste their
time, so they don’t leave much room in their lives for frivolous social interactions. The
smartest people prefer solitude because they’re most productive when left to their own devices.
8. Patterns of Strangeness It’s safe to say that only a tiny
percentage of people in the world qualify as highly intelligent people. Similarly,
only a tiny percentage of people enjoy solitude more than socializing. Both qualities are uncommon
in the greater population, so it makes sense that the two occur so frequently together.
Intelligent people are more likely to have uncommon social preferences when compared to
someone of average intelligence. For example, the smartest people may not crave or idealize
social relationships as much as the average person. It’s not because they’re antisocial
or socially awkward. They don’t benefit from social connections in the same way as most people.
Everyone knows brilliant people are outliers for their IQs, but the same is true of their
sociability. You and I might think their social habits are out of the ordinary,
but why would the world’s most intelligent people think or act any other way?
9. Small Social Circles Intelligent people may seem shy or introverted,
but their antisocial tendencies may stem from a greater appreciation of their friendships and
relationships. In many cases, the most intelligent people don’t want to create more connections
because their social needs are satisfied by the few strong relationships they regularly maintain.
Many intelligent people are skilled at creating deep, personal connections. They
would much rather bond closely with one person than establish shallow relationships with many
people. That’s why most intellectuals keep very small groups of friends. They don’t
bother expanding their social circles because the friends they have are all the friends they need.
10. Unusual Expectations The most intelligent people see
the world in an unusual way. Whether they are hyper-logical or profoundly artistic,
their perspectives don’t always align with normal social expectations. As a result,
many people find highly intelligent individuals to be strange or difficult to understand.
But highly intelligent people feel the same way about everybody else. In fact,
many of the smartest people crave solitude because other people’s
habits and decisions tend to drive them crazy.
11. Everyday Misunderstandings How would you feel if everyone you
met had trouble understanding you? That’s how most of the smartest people feel every day. They may
have above-average IQs, but highly intelligent people aren’t always the best communicators,
especially when talking to people who don’t share their intellectual interests.
It’s common, for example, for intelligent people to think quickly, often skipping a few steps ahead
in the conversation. They assume that other people can keep up with what they’re saying,
but people are often confused and unsure what to say. When you struggle to communicate with
everyone you meet, spending time alone does not sound like such a bad option.
12. Solitary Stimulation Intelligent people spend
most of their time alone because many of their favorite activities don’t require
more than one person. For example, intelligent people see value in many private, intellectual,
and creative activities like reading and writing. They enjoy getting lost in a good story,
learning about a new subject, and challenging their minds to think and solve problems.
These are all solitary activities, which bring intelligent people a kind of stimulation
that’s hard to find in many social settings. Highly intelligent people like to be alone,
but they don’t do it on purpose. They simply can’t enjoy their favorite hobbies any other way.
13. Tedious Explanations Working with others can be challenging,
especially when people don’t see things the way you do. Instead of solving new problems,
highly intelligent people spend much of their time explaining their decisions to their
teammates and coworkers. By the time they’ve adequately explained the problem, they’ve lost
their momentum and wasted valuable time. Working alone allows the most intelligent
people to accelerate ahead of the competition. They can make quick decisions and produce a
better final product because they don’t have to justify every move they make.
14. Real Social Value Some people rely on the opinions of others to gain
confidence or self-esteem, but intelligent people gather more meaning from their accomplishments,
passions, and intellectual pursuits. To someone with above-average intelligence,
achieving something remarkable is far more meaningful than impressing a group of people.
So, they keep to themselves. They don’t need to get out and socialize because it doesn’t bring
them the same confidence or satisfaction. That doesn’t mean intelligent people don’t
enjoy compliments, good conversations, and emotional connections. But the most
meaningful things in their lives have little to do with their social value.
15. Pointless Conflicts Highly intelligent people dislike pointless
social conflicts. They don’t want to cause drama in their lives, and they have little patience for
the drama of others. Why? Because they see most social conflicts as petty and unnecessary. They
don’t see the merit in arguing for social gain or squabbling over ranks and titles.
Instead, the most brilliant people take a hands-off approach to social
conflict. They keep to themselves so that drama never interferes with their real,
meaningful goals. While others are stirring up disputes and jostling for social status, highly
intellectual individuals prefer to be alone. Thank you for watching TopThink and be
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