Thanks to their high intelligence, most intelligent people seem to have their lives set to run in a smooth and seemingly satisfactory pace. The truth, though, is that because of their intelligence, these people can’t find happiness easily.
While many people would be satisfied with the life of an intelligent person, and would be happy to possess even a fraction of their fascinating minds, the old saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ is what helps less intelligent people to be much happier than the most intelligent ones.
Perhaps you’re wondering why?
Here are six reasons why highly intelligent people have a hard time finding happiness.
- Their over-analysis eventually brings them down in the dumps
High intelligence comes with the gift of analysis – and not just any kind of analysis, but that deep one, which can connect everything to everything else. Intelligent people are used to this kind of analysis to such an extent that they tend to over-analyze everything.
While possessing this ability is indeed a gift, it is also a curse at the same time. Being able to see right through people, understand their motives and next moves, and sniff out their true nature usually leads intelligent people to great disappointment.
It is true that we live in a muddy world full of wrong people, not to mention the global affairs which show just how evil this world can be. Having the advantage of perceiving all this is more of a curse than a gift when regarding happiness.
Perhaps taking a lighter approach and understanding that knowing won’t change anything is the key to happiness?
- Almost everything seems to fall below their high standards
Intelligent people know exactly what they want and anything which falls short of their standards fails to satisfy them. This refers to pretty much everything – from their private relationships, to work and career.
The truth is, in practice, not all expectations are to be met. Creating idealistic views of the world around them is what keeps them dissatisfied with the practical outcomes. This can be easily overcome, though.
Instead of expecting for something to turn out the way you anticipated it should, you could try and work on that same thing and bring it up to the levels of your expectations. If some things are far out of reach, be aware that you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself about things you don’t have control over.
- They judge themselves too hard
Their high standards also include themselves. This is one of the biggest reasons for their unhappiness. Their ability to analyze everything with a single thought pattern involves them into analyzing themselves too – and they compare the results against the highest of standards.
This is not only about their successes and failures, but pretty much everything about themselves. A simple flashback of a past mistake can haunt them for days. Once their standards are not met, they beat themselves over it and they start seeing themselves as inefficient and as being below what they should be.
The thing is, nobody is perfect and nobody should be perfect – that’s what makes us genuinely US. Instead of going all gloomy about your imperfections, bear in mind that even those ‘imperfections’ are beyond reach for many others. If they pose a problem in your head, work on correcting and improving them.
- They aim for bigger and bigger things
Highly intelligent people have so much to offer from their minds. This has them always aiming for things greater than the simple feats of life. They always try to aim for a bigger purpose, meaning and patterns. The intellectual power they possess doesn’t allow them to be satisfied with ordinary things.
Their search for exceptionalism in life and in everything they undertake is what can make them feel stressed out and dissatisfied. Not being able to accept the world and their lives as they are, because they can be so much more, is what thrusts them down in the dumps.
The world needs this kind of thinking and this kind of people, but you should know that feeling down because of the place where you are at won’t change anything.
Turn your aims into action and be happy with every new achievement. Your view on a better world is what keeps the world growing, so don’t get disappointed with what is, but be happy with what you know it can be.
- Very few who can appreciate them or have meaningful conversations with them
Having who you can relate to and who can understand you is a very important thing that can affect your happiness. Unfortunately for highly intelligent people, there are so few who can understand their complex minds.
It’s frustrating to know that you can understand and communicate with anyone about anything, but there are so few who can do the same when your topics of interest are out for discussion. This makes intelligent people feel lonely in a world full of people.
Science has proved that people with high IQ don’t need as much socialization as people with average IQ to be happy. Nonetheless, even people with high IQ want to interact with people and have enjoyable conversations.
It’s true that these people don’t want to engage in small-talk conversations that lead to meaningless or no conclusions at all. That’s why finding likeminded people is their primary focus… which doesn’t always come to satisfactory results. Keep on searching!
- Intelligent people can often develop psychological issues
Many studies have found a connection between psychological disorders, such as bipolar disorders and social anxiety, and people with high IQ. It’s not that all intelligent people suffer from disorders by default, but even those who don’t are susceptible to depression and isolation because of their over-thinking.
The truth is that their dissatisfaction with almost everything about life, as it can be much better than it is, can lead them to feeling lonely, unsocialized, and eventually depressed. Many of the conclusions they come to are the key to developing different psychological issues that can turn their lives around.
If you think that this planet is not good enough for you, think again. You are the best thing that can happen to this planet. Even if not many are aware of the things you are aware of, everybody equally needs the same change you crave for.
Use your brilliance to help this world grow and be happy with the gift you possess. There are always those who will appreciate your perfectionism and scrutiny.
And don’t forget that even if you are destined for great things (and you are) happiness lies in the simplest of things, while success in the greatest ones. Combine the two and work on fulfilling your part in the world, as it’s a great one.
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
