It's freeing to know that self-doubt is a near-universal feeling. If anything, it's the smartest people who doubt themselves the most. Here are some of the ways smart people give self-doubt a chance to take root: They focus on the things they don't know instead of what they do.
The smarter someone is — in the sense of being awake and aware, attuned to their surroundings and curious about the wider world — the more humble they tend to be. One reason so many smart and talented people doubt themselves is that they know the world is vast and their own knowledge is limited.
Intelligent People Tend to Undervalue Themselves
And this is especially true with people who have a very high IQ. We see them as competent people, always able to make the best decisions. Or we see them as people who are highly effective in their work, responsibilities, and daily obligations.
Essentially, emotional intelligence appeared to be a strong determinant of self-esteem and explain away the positive effect of social competence on self-esteem.
Brand new research from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg demonstrates a broad array of people experience imposter syndrome. Previously attributed mostly to women or those earlier in their careers, the study found the syndrome is prevalent across genders, ages and intelligence levels.
High intelligence, low arrogance.
They're likely to expect their work to speak for them and may have trouble selling themselves when necessary. They're more inclined to be facilitative and supportive in a leadership role than aggressive, charismatic or forceful.
They enjoy finding solutions to big problems and are aware of their deep potentials. However, they are often misunderstood. Being different, they are often scapegoated. Others may assume they do not care or dismiss their approach.
One possibility is that the genes associated with intelligence also make you more prone to mental illness, but intelligence doesn't directly increase your risk of mental illness. Another possibility is that people with higher IQs are often more socially isolated, which leads to more anxiety and depression.
Since highly intelligent people are more self-aware, they also focus too much on their own imperfections and character flaws. All this harsh self-criticism distorts their perception of themselves, making them look worse than they are. As a result, insecurity sets in.
However, modern psychologists argue that intelligence and personality are intertwined, noting that personality traits tend to be related to specific cognitive patterns. For example, neuroticism is a personality trait that is related to rumination and compulsive thinking about possible threats.
Tall signs of intelligence
The conclusion comes from a study of the DNA of 6,815 people. Of course, there are still people who are short and intelligent, plus those who are tall and dim. But, on average, there is a small association between being taller and having higher intelligence.
Many people with high level of intelligence lean towards over-thinking and keep analyzing everything that occurs in their life, their surroundings and beyond. Too much thinking can be exhausting at times, especially when your thoughts lead you to conclusions which vex and frustrate you.
Smart people also tend to be averse to failure, having a tendency to see failure as a sign of weakness or that something is wrong with them. The pressure is high to perform. And if life is not unfolding the way they want, smart people get super self-critical and the pressure to “get it right” gets even higher.
Regardless of the hypersensitivity to external stimuli, smart people are usually self-aware. Not only are they attentive to those around them but also concerned about their personal performance. Smart people experience the “spotlight” more often.
Overthinking can be a result of: 1. A root fear: Overthinking stems from a particular insecurity or root fear. This insecurity may be from childhood, a past relationship, or general low self-esteem or trust issues.
There is no one cause of insecurity; many factors can lead to the condition. Insecurity may stem from a traumatic event, crisis such as divorce or bankruptcy, or a loss. It can also result from one's environment, as unpredictability or upset in daily life can cause anxiety and insecurity about ordinary, routine events.
Study of smart people and intelligence (IQ)
In people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, IQ was positively correlated with worry. In other words, people who were more intelligent also worried more. Brain scans found that activity in sub-cortical white matter correlated with both anxiety and intelligence.
For instance, among the 18 studies under scrutiny that did not explicitly state an IQ cut-off point the mean range of IQ among individuals with ADHD reported in the studies is from 102 to 110. Given that lower IQ is associated with ADHD this suggests that individuals with ADHD may be inaccurately represented.
In the absence of a formal diagnosis, individuals affected by Asperger syndrome may be perceived as simply absentminded, socially and physically awkward, or highly intelligent.
Highly effective people spend an inordinate amount of time and energy listening (Covey, 1989). Some psychologists believe that the ability to listen to another person, to empathize with, and to understand their point of view is one of the highest forms of intelligent behavior.
Yes, some smart people lack common sense. Why? Intelligent people often override common sense with their considerable brain power — but this isn't always a good thing. Smart people think in situations where they should feel, like in relationships.
While they might have high standards and big picture concerns, research shows that people with high IQs are actually more likely to be happy; data from the research showed that people with the highest IQs were much happier than those with the lowest IQs.