Most people regard highly intelligent people as super humans who have it all figured out simply because their brains can help them in any life situation and they don’t have to struggle with the problems of the ordinary people. Yet, the reality is quite different, as no matter how intelligent someone may be, they are, at the end of the day, just human.
Most people around you are not familiar with the way your thought process works
They struggle with issues somewhat different than those of the rest of the world, but still challenging and difficult. If you are a highly intelligent person, these struggles and the lack of understanding from peers can leave you feeling lonely. Maybe your friends and family don’t seem to be mindful of your feelings. In order to help you feel acknowledged and understood, here are some of your most common struggles.
Small talk exhausts you
It can be quite a challenge for you to be involved in small talk about ordinary things. This is because your brain is overwhelmed with great ideas. Topics that interest you likely include science, art, philosophy and those are rarely found in small talk. This makes you feel like you are wasting your time trapped in a suffocating, never-ending list of socially acceptable set phrases. All you really want is a like-minded individual to bounce ideas around with about the important stuff.
You think more than you speak
As your brain is wired to look for all possible solutions and answers to a problem, it may take you more time than a person of average intelligence to give your opinion or draw a conclusion. Moreover, if you are not completely sure you’ve got the right answer or a brilliant idea, you won’t speak at all. Your struggle lies in the fact that most people around you are not familiar with the way your thought process works, and they get confused or regard you as weird, introverted, or uninterested.
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Your job can easily bore you
The need for your brain to be constantly challenged with new, greater ideas and projects can turn your once exciting job into ordinary and boring as you exhaust all ways to be creative with it. This can turn into a day-to-day struggle to finish your tasks. Additionally, in most cases, your boss isn’t so sympathetic to your longings and just wants the job done.
You sometimes have action paralysis
It is hard to be a thinker in a world full of go-getters that appreciate action more than great ideas. As you are too consumed with different ideas, you may at times be missing the action impulse. Unfortunately, people tend to mistake this trait as laziness which leaves you feeling underappreciated.
You are considered socially awkward
As if those aren’t enough, your next struggle comes as a result of all the previous ones. If you are feeling uncomfortable during small talk, refrain from speaking if not sure, don’t get inspired by old and exhausted ideas, or if you feel more comfortable with ideas than execution, people tend to characterize you as socially awkward. Little do they know, this only puts more pressure on you making you feel more self-conscious about your social conduct.
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It is hard for you to fall in love
Finally, your quest for love is slightly more demanding than that of average people. Since you are much more cautious, analytical and independent than the rest, you tend to get mistaken for cold and high maintenance. Additionally, you can lack spontaneity at times, which makes your love interest, lose interest.
However difficult your daily struggles may seem, you don’t need to let them immobilize you from growing. You can work on expressing yourself more to others so that they can get a better understanding of your needs. You will find some common ground.
This piece was published in Life Hacks.