I know what you’re probably thinking right now.
There’s no way intelligence could be a bad thing, right?
I mean, smart people automatically get an advantage in life. If you’re a smart cookie, it’s much easier for you to succeed academically, find a job you love, and make financially clever decisions that will save you from debt.
But every candle throws a shadow. High intelligence does, indeed, have its disadvantages.
Here are the 7 signs you’re just a bit too smart for your own good.
1) You overthink the hell out of everything
Ready for my first piece of bad news?
Based on research, high intelligence is linked to increased chances of mood and anxiety disorders.
In other words, the smarter you are, the more likely you are to overthink yourself into a whirlpool of anxiety and excessive worrying.
This is probably due to the fact that your head is constantly buzzing with multiple streams of thought, and so there is a statistically higher chance that some of those thoughts are going to be quite negative.
Unfortunately, our brain has a tendency to magnify negative thinking for survival reasons (if you see danger, it’s going to be much more important to get yourself to safety than the fact that it’s beautiful weather today), which may be why your brain stumbles upon one worry after another and refuses to just… pay them no heed.
Luckily, it is entirely possible to learn how to manage your anxiety and minimize the impact your worries have on your mental well-being.
Yep, I’m going to say it. The magical package everyone goes on about is, indeed, effective: meditation, mindfulness, yoga, breathing exercises, you get the gist.
As a nearly recovered overthinker, I can confirm that these techniques do, indeed, work.
2) You suffer from impostor syndrome
Congratulations!
You’ve managed to overthink yourself into a hole of, “Am I even smart? What am I doing with my life? Everyone thinks I’m smarter than I actually am, and one day, it will all come out, and I’ll be revealed for the impostor I am!”
Thus another unfortunate side effect of high intelligence – you’re so smart that you doubt your abilities because you’re highly aware of how much there is you still don’t know or don’t have the skills to accomplish.
Impostor syndrome is essentially the complete opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect, which occurs when someone reaches a comfortable yet incomplete level of skill or knowledge and suddenly thinks they are much more capable than they are in reality.
A true hallmark of intelligence isn’t that you think yourself the smartest person in the room.
It’s that you realize it literally doesn’t matter if you’re the most intelligent one here because there is a vast universe beyond the walls of this room, and you are nowhere near understanding it all.
If your mindset veers toward balance and confidence, this line of thinking could be classified as humility.
If you’re full of doubt and anxiety, though, you may be suffering from impostor syndrome.
3) You struggle to find “your people”
According to experts, high intelligence is associated with increased loneliness.
This is because highly intelligent people may find it difficult to relate to others or to fit in, which makes them feel like they don’t properly belong and are utterly alone in the world.
The good news?
There is someone out there for everybody. It might just take a bit longer for you to find your people or your person, but it will eventually happen – as long as you put yourself out there and don’t give up.
4) You may excel at the art of pretense
Everyone wants to belong. And if we feel like we don’t, we will try anything to make that not be the case – especially as kids.
Lots of smart children learn early on that the only way to belong is to pretend they’re on the same intellectual level as others. This way, they’re not going to stand out, won’t attract any unnecessary attention, and might get by just fine.
Of course, this is a very unhealthy coping technique as it distances you from your authentic self and forces you to build friendships that aren’t based on honesty and trust.
In cases like this, you are genuinely too smart for your own good because your intelligence allows you to put on a very convincing front.
In other words, you become the master at hiding just how smart you are thanks to the exact thing you’re attempting to hide.
5) You’re used to taking shortcuts instead of putting in real effort
I’ve met plenty of gifted people throughout my life, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a high number of them are huge fans of procrastination.
Growing up, they didn’t have to put in much work at school because they were smart enough to get by with just a tiny bit of effort. This meant they had it pretty easy while the rest of us had to work hard.
Once adulthood hits, though…
That’s when their tendency to take shortcuts really shows its cracks.
See, studying for exams doesn’t only help you learn valuable knowledge.
One of its side effects is that you gain organizational and time-management skills, both of which come in handy once you’re an adult juggling a full-time job, house chores, childcare, and passion projects on the side.
If you’re used to taking shortcuts, however, you may find it very difficult to get everything done on time, organize your activities into structured blocks, and keep up with the amount of responsibilities that are suddenly on your plate.
Thus another disadvantage of high intelligence – everything is easy breezy, until one day, your lack of effort catches up with you.
Suddenly, you’ve got to learn how to work hard.
6) You could fall prey to arrogance
Remember how we said that highly intelligent people tend to underestimate themselves?
Well, it could also be the other way around. In fact, it is entirely possible for you to feel both at once – you might feel like an impostor in the context of your career and still feel like every single relative of yours is kind of daft compared to you.
But what if I told you that they may have something wise to say and plenty of experiences you could learn from – if only you swallow your arrogance and open your mind to them?
What if I said that even people who aren’t as intellectual or complex thinkers as you have some valuable advice that could help you out?
There are many different types of intelligence, after all, and while your uncle may not be into books or academia, his quick wit may surprise you.
Your aunt could be extremely practical, your cousin may be a pretty talented musician, and your niece might be very emotionally intelligent even though she can’t do maths for the life of her.
Your own intelligence can blind you to the talents of others. Don’t let it.
7) You struggle to fall asleep at night
The last unfortunate side-effect of having such a high IQ is that you may have issues falling asleep at night.
Given what we’ve discussed in this article, this probably doesn’t come as a surprise. After all, your mind is so full of interesting ideas or anxiety-triggering worries that it’s practically impossible to clock out within five minutes of getting into bed.
Chances are, you’re one of those people who toss and turn at night, unable to turn their brains off.
Fortunately, every sign on this list is something that can absolutely be worked on and overcome, which means that no matter how many disadvantages high intelligence brings, you’ve still got a pretty good deal here.
While you may be a bit too smart for your own good, you’re ultimately intelligent enough to do something about it. All it takes is making the first step.