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SpeakerYou've seen the trope before, perhaps the broody brilliance of Sherlock Holmes or maybe the earnest but awkward genius of Peter Parker,
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Speakerthe frequent depiction of the intelligent person as being separate and alone, sometimes not by choice.
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SpeakerWhen people think of intelligence, one of the biggest stereotypes is that smart people tend to be loners.
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SpeakerWhile not every intelligent person is like this, in fact, many are very popular, there is some truth to this.
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SpeakerIntelligent brains operate differently, so to understand this better, we'll explore why intelligent people are more lonely.
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SpeakerThey don't fit in. Having a high level of intelligence can make someone an outcast.
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SpeakerIntelligent people spend a lot of time in the inner world, which can come across as detached and aloof.
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SpeakerThey often have ideas that can come across as confusing or boring to their peers, making it difficult to find common ground.
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SpeakerThis can make them more awkward in conversation. The things that they say and do are eccentric and odd that to others may just seem wrong.
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SpeakerAn article by the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted organization brings up the idea of overexcitabilities which are sensitivities and needs in specific areas.
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SpeakerAn intellectual overexcitability can lead to intelligent people craving conversations that are abstract and ideacentric, which can be difficult to get out of people.
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SpeakerThey may not get the same stimulation out of gossip as they would talking about philosophical ideas, art, or something that they're passionate about.
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SpeakerIntelligent people need lots of stimulation.
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SpeakerIntelligent people often need an extra challenge whether it's personally, academically, or socially.
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SpeakerFor example, they may be more emotional, energetic, and have a wilder curiosity about the world around them than others.
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SpeakerWhile this makes them stand out, it's also a cause for a lot of misunderstanding.
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SpeakerThe psychologist Valeria Sabater states that intelligent people may actually suffer from poor grades in school. This is often because the work isn't stimulating enough.
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SpeakerBut without context, it can bring them labels like lazy, difficult, or in some situations dumb when in reality, they are not in a situation where they can grow.
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SpeakerIn other scenarios, they may be perceived as cold or intimidating even though that's not the truth.
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SpeakerThese misunderstandings can create unnecessary labels or stigma making the person feel bad about themselves.
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SpeakerHigh levels of empathy. People with high intelligence often have a great deal of empathy towards others which can make things challenging.
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SpeakerTragedies in the world can hurt them and problems with other people can impact their well-being too.
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SpeakerAnother overexcitability from the SENG organization deals with emotionality and empathy.
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SpeakerHaving a high level of empathy makes it difficult when dealing with people and their issues, so people like this often will need more time to themselves.
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SpeakerSimilarly, news events and ethical problems can aid in bringing these people down, causing them to unplug.
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SpeakerWhile intelligent people may seem cold and distant, really, they feel so much that they need time to themselves to process.
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SpeakerToo much self-isolation can lead to loneliness, along with the stigma that their recharge time makes them appear cold.
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SpeakerTheir brains process information differently.
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SpeakerThose who are highly intelligent think differently from the people around them.
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SpeakerWhile this can make it hard to fit in and can be easy to misunderstand, there's more to it.
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SpeakerBeing able to process and form ideas quickly may cause them to ramble about things that might not make sense to others.
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SpeakerA psychologist Valeria Sabater states that a highly intelligent person's brain can bounce so many ideas of a single stimuli that their ideas may not be entirely coherent to others or necessarily accurate.
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SpeakerWhat makes sense to them might be difficult to explain to other people, which can create challenges like offending someone when they don't mean to.
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SpeakerAn article from the School of Life gives an explanation that the out-there and radical ideas that intelligent people may have can offend others unintentionally furthering the alienation.
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SpeakerThinking differently affects how they view the world and how the world views them.
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SpeakerIntelligent people have different brains which can lead to great things but also be alienating.
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SpeakerHaving difficulties fitting in, building connections, finding challenges, and emotionality can make finding your place difficult.
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SpeakerIt's not impossible, however. Getting involved in activities whether in your community or online with people that share your interests is a great way to build relationships.
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SpeakerThe world is a big place and now is an easier time than ever to get connected.
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SpeakerWe hope this video has helped explain some ways that intelligent people can feel lonely or different from others.
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SpeakerWhat have you learned about this topic? Do you have any more to add? Let us know in the comment section.
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SpeakerThank you so much for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, please give it a like and share it with someone who you think will benefit from it. Let us know your thoughts on it in the comment section.
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SpeakerRemember to subscribe to Psych2Go to go to keep up with our uploads, take care.