Intelligent people and emotions!

Post Reply New Topic

Why might an intelligent person be more prone to emotional pain?

Everything is just way more intense.

more intense if your intelligent?

I don't think all intelligent people are the same way, and I've really been wondering where giftedness and aspergers diverge.

A LOT of the list of characteristics of gifted children, for example, overlap with the list of characteristics of aspergers.

But, that said, high intelligence feels like everything is exaggerated. One learns faster, thinks deeper, feels more intensely.

Intelligent people run the gamut.

I've seen supposed "geniuses" who show no Aspergian symptoms whatsoever.

I've seen supposed "geniuses" who travel around with an attendant, owing to their relative inability in the realm of self-care.

Also: there are many different kinds of "intelligence." I believe at least some people with Down Syndrome exhibit an enhanced 'social intelligence" which exceeds their accumulation of factual knowledge.

I'm going to go with emotional intelligence.

A high functioning sociopath doesn't have that. So it is not just about intelligence.

You can be extremely intelligent and have shallow emotions.

From having to put up with all the less intelligent people in the world.

Define intelligence.

you assume that we are 'more prone'

why do you believe this?

A psychologist told me once that in general highly intelligent people are less prone to mental ill health as they are better equipped to deal with life's problems and the stereotype of the tortured genius is a myth.

Perhaps that psychologist considered her/himself to be intelligent, or simply wanted to make that statement to appear intelligent.

Spending more time than necessary thinking + recognizing and understanding more than other people = seeing how crappy the world is.

Also, frustration and lonliness due to inability to find like-minded peers.

I can't agree more to this statement. We've been learning about loss of innocence relating to To Kill a Mockingbird in my English class, and I'm pretty sure that could have a great importance when it comes to emotional health with the sudden realisation that the world is awful.

I think intelligent people need more mental stimulation to feel happy. Boredom with triviality and a sense of alienation from others can lead to anhedonia and depression. It probably has more to do with not having the proper environment to thrive. The world is built for people with average intelligence.

Finally, someone who thinks the way I do! I know a guy with the mental age of a 7 year old (not Downs, another LD) but he is the most emotionally intelligent person you could come across! Sometimes I have been crying and stopped when he came in the room and he immediately asks 'Why you crying?' and if I say I haven't he would say 'You sad' then give you a hug!

In my case I am very emotional, but often can't figure out what the emotion is. My IQ is average with significant peaks and troughs. Psychopaths are a good example of people who are intelligent but not emotionally so. I read about a group of psychopaths who were taught about emotion. The doctors thought they were cured, so released them from prison. All of the psychopaths went on to use their new found knowledge to emotionally manipulate people!