Despite their intelligence, highly intelligent people may struggle socially. They may find it hard to connect with others, especially those who have different interests or perspectives. They may also find small talk or networking events challenging, as they may prefer more in-depth conversations.
High-IQ people often experience social isolation, which can lead to depression or make them act more introverted than is their nature.
Smart people are more likely to be loners.
Because of their interests and views on bigger ideas than the average person cares to think about, they don't seek out social validation because frankly, they don't need it. This means that they don't spend as much time socializing because it's just not as important to them.
Highly intelligent individuals may be raised to be more individualistic than others, therefore would have less social experience. Highly intelligent individuals may be traumatized, envied for their intellectual gifts, during childhood and thus resented by their peers.
They're more self-conscious
One of the disadvantages of higher intelligence can be a higher degree of awareness of oneself and one's behavior in social interactions. Highly intelligent people may be super conscious of themselves while socializing.
Many people know there's a neurological correlation between being highly creative and mentally ill, but few seem to realize that the same is true between being socially anxious and highly intelligent.
Intelligent people tend to appear quiet because they are natural observers. They are listening and watching what's going on around them.
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.
One explanation behind the struggle of smart people in life is because their self-esteem lies only on their intelligence levels. This makes it difficult for them to work with people who are smarter than them. They aren't good at dealing with failed projects and critical feedback.
You're the silent type
You'll find plenty of misconceptions about quiet people, e.g. being labeled as introverts, socially awkward and so on. This isn't necessarily true, and while not all quiet people are necessarily smart, highly intelligent people will often refrain from speaking if they are accessing a situation.
Unlike their less intelligent counterparts, who may have more opportunities to socialize, intelligent people may prioritize their commitments over leisure activities or social events. This can make it difficult to form and maintain friendships, especially with individuals who do not understand their busy lifestyle.
Loners are smart.
Loners spend less time with others and more time on their own learning and pursuing their own interests. The Washington Post spoke with Carol Graham, a Brookings Institute researcher who studies the economics of happiness, about the fact that smarter people spend more time alone.
According to Carol Graham, who studies the economics of happiness, people with more intelligence and the capacity to use it spend less time socializing because they are focused on some other longer-term objective. Intelligent people are less social because they are more focused on their life goals.
Throw social commitments into the mix, and there's limited time to be alone and be still with your thoughts and creative process. It's common for people with genius qualities to seek out isolation at times, due to a social anxiety and an excessive need for “me” time, in order to practice mindfulness..
You might not learn the value of hard work
One study found that conscientiousness — i.e. how hard you work — is in fact negatively correlated with certain types of intelligence. The researchers propose that highly intelligent people might feel like they don't need to work as hard to accomplish what they want.
Studies have also found that higher IQ is associated with more mental illness, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
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.
They are predicted to have higher educational attainment, better jobs, and a higher income level. Yet, it turns out that a high IQ is also associated with various mental and immunological diseases like depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD as well as allergies, asthma, and immune disorders.
While there are many signs to indicate someone may be highly intelligent, the most common are a pleasant attitude and hardworking nature, excellent memory and recall capacity, good decision-making and problem-solving skills, high curiosity, good language proficiency, and high emotional intelligence.
Research suggests that highly intelligent people get bored easily and spend more time thinking, behaviour that comes across as 'laziness'. A study by the Florida Gulf Coast University looked at a group of 'thinkers' and 'non-thinkers', studying their activity levels over the course of a week.
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.
New research suggests that highly intelligent people find it tricky to focus their minds because they have so many brilliant ideas constantly whizzing around their brains (#geniusproblems).