Smart people seem to have all the advantages in life.
They tend to get better jobs, make more money, and generally achieve more success than those who are less mentally gifted.
However, psychologists suspect that people who are highly intelligent face unique challenges in everyday life compared to the average person.
For example, overthinking is common among people with high IQs, meaning they may have trouble sleeping at night or linger in good-natured interactions with others long after they’re over.
Below, four psychologists revealed to DailyMail.com the unique challenges facing highly intelligent people.
Small talk
Highly intelligent people may find small talk particularly boring and mentally exhausting
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Small talk is inevitable, especially when you’re in the elevator on a Monday morning or catching up with your colleagues.
While most of us think nothing of questions like “what’s the weather like” and “did you see the game last night?” those with high intelligence may be especially afraid of them.
Martina Cola, a psycholinguistic researcher at Think in Italiantold DailyMail.com that highly intelligent people “often seek complexity in conversations, making routine or superficial conversations mentally exhausting.”
‘For example, when they have to deal with small talk, which often lacks depth, they may feel disconnected and tired because the conversation does not stimulate them intellectually.
“As a result, maintaining polite conversations becomes tiring because it lacks the cognitive reward they seek.”
Keeping track of trends
Experts told DailyMail.com that people with high IQs may struggle to keep up with the latest trends because they are ‘small or shallow’
Staying up to date with the latest TV shows and fashion items is something that many people take for granted.
But trivial things, like pairing a certain sweater with a certain skirt, may not be a priority for people with high IQs.
Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, a psychotherapist at Hartstein Psychological in New York City, told DailyMail.com: ‘Highly intelligent people don’t often have the mental energy for the small or superficial.
‘Something like following fashion trends can cause a feeling of fatigue because it lacks any kind of mental challenge.
“People who are highly intelligent may feel bored if they are not stimulated, which causes some exhaustion.”
Maintaining friendships and dating
Experts suggested that highly intelligent people may need more personal space, which can lead to problems maintaining friendships and romantic relationships
Exceptionally smart people may also find it difficult to maintain friendships or romantic relationships.
Dr. Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and performance coach in New York City, told DailyMail.com, “I’ve seen very intelligent people struggle with relationships because they sometimes intellectualize things and have trouble forging connections with others based on feelings and emotions.
‘There’s a bit of a double-edged sword here. As they struggle to fit in, they may feel anxious and withdrawn, making it even more difficult to develop friendships.”
This can also cause problems for their dating life.
Imi Lo, a psychotherapist and consultant in Australia, prescribed Psychology today that highly intelligent people often need more personal space and solitude, which can lead to relationship breakdowns.
She also noted that some people with high IQs may also be more sensitive to physical touch, making it difficult to establish trust or be intimate with a partner.
Controlling their emotions
Highly intelligent people may struggle with impatience and anxiety more than the average person, psychologists told DailyMail.com
Highly intelligent people tend to be more analytical and logical than their more average counterparts.
However, Dr. Dakari Quimby, a clinical psychologist with HelpGuide Handbooktold DailyMail.com: ‘Being very intelligent doesn’t necessarily mean you’re good at controlling emotions.
‘Balancing one’s own emotions and those of others can be a challenge, especially for those who are more logical and reason-oriented than emotional.’
Difficulty regulating emotions goes hand in hand with increased sensitivity seen in some highly intelligent people, as problems with loud noises and bright lights can make them impatient and more prone to outbursts.
People with high IQs may also struggle with imposter syndrome as a result of success in their field, which can cause them to feel overwhelmed or anxious.
To sleep
Research has shown that people with a high IQ are more likely to be sleep deprived or suffer from insomnia
Because their minds are difficult to turn off, people with higher IQs may have more trouble falling asleep than others.
A 2022 study in the Journal of Sleep Research studied 182 people who were sleep deprived or getting a normal amount of rest per night.
They were then asked to complete cognitive exercises that tested math skills, memory and attention to test their fluid intelligence, ability to solve problems or think logically.
The team found that people with higher fluid intelligence performed worse on these tests after experiencing sleep deprivation. However, those with normal intelligence did not perform differently on the tests whether they had a normal night’s sleep or not.
This suggested that intelligent people were more sensitive to sleep deprivation.
Dr. Hartstein noted that this group may also have sleep problems because they “don’t take very good care of themselves.”
She said: ‘In fact, they may not really know how to relax, which affects their sleep quality and their ability to sleep well.
“They don’t really know how to charge. It overlaps with overthinking, but can also overlap with the inability to get things done or wanting to do things perfectly all the time, which shifts the focus on self-care and what the individual needs.”
