High-IQ people often experience social isolation, which can lead to depression or make them act more introverted than is their nature. The very intelligent know they're intelligent, so they're prone to setting lofty expectations for themselves that they can't meet.
The most pressing reason why smart people struggle to succeed in life is that they don't hold importance to social skills. Hence, they fail to develop crucial social skills like relationship building, active listening, effective communication, and empathy. This alienates them from the people around them.
Research has shown that there is a high correlation between being intelligent and socially anxious. The higher your IQ, the higher the chance your social apprehension is higher than usual. Of course, that doesn't mean that your social anxiety should be classified as a disorder.
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.
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.
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. They may avoid the correct response because it doesn't seem rational when we all know that life isn't always rational.
The signs of high intellectual power in adults are similar to those in children. They include quick learning, interest in unique topics, and the ability to process information fast, among others.
What screams "highly intelligent person"? They will have unusual, deep, or specialized interests and hobbies you don't typically see people having. This is because they are highly curious about how the world works. They may be very quiet, especially if they possess advanced vocabulary.
Highly intelligent people are usually highly rational, even when they are also emotionally intense. 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.
Like most aspects of human behavior and cognition, intelligence is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
Studies have also found that higher IQ is associated with more mental illness, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
While intelligent people may like to spend more time alone, that doesn't mean they enjoy being isolated. If you're struggling with intellectual loneliness, there are some steps you can take to feel less alone.
Those who are the most gifted—the people who rank among the smartest 1 to 2 percent—tend to be both introverted and sensitive. “We have found that highly gifted individuals are more likely to be introverted than mildly gifted people,” she told me.
Intelligence reveals itself in many ways--be smart enough to recognize the variations. You can throw a stone in any direction and hit someone who is over-confident and thinks they're smarter than they really are. But even more common are people who don't realize they're actually smarter than they think.
People who have genius traits tend to think about problems and concepts in a much more dynamic way. As a result, they are unlikely to accept information and facts on face value. Instead, they will want to defy and test conventional thinking.
(By the way, I SEE YOU!). Talking to yourself, it turns out, is a sign of genius. The smartest people on earth talk to themselves. Look at the inner monologues of the greatest thinkers.
There are many possible reasons why. People with higher IQs often have an increased sense of awareness, deeper levels of empathy, or a fear of failure — all may result in more worry and stress. But anxiety isn't always an obstacle, and it can offer many benefits.
Studies have shown that highly intelligent people actually prefer to stay up later than most and tend to be night owls who work through the night rather than sleep (Zeidner, 1995). This is because they have a lot on their mind, and so, they're always up and about, tackling a lot of problems and challenges.
Psychology Today reported that intelligent people are likely to be nocturnal beings, with those with a higher IQ going bed later on both weeknights and weekends.
In fact, more than 75 percent of people with an IQ above 160 are introverted.
You're not alone. Highly intelligent people can lack social skills more than others, and there are good reasons for it.
Misdiagnosis is not uncommon when high IQ and ADHD collide. Very bright children who are also highly active are sometimes misdiagnosed with ADHD. On the other hand, some highly intelligent children with ADHD can focus on things that interest them for an extended period of time, which can lead to misdiagnosis as well.