It so happens that some of the brightest people suffer from insecurities and suffer from psychological complexes. Why does that happen? Wouldn’t it make more sense if all smart people were confident and successful?
Yes, it will be, but in reality, higher intellect often goes hand in hand with issues of self-esteem. Let’s explore some of the reasons why many smart people lack self-confidence.
Why do intelligent people suffer from insecurity?
- They overanalyze
A high level of intelligence doesn’t just bring benefits. There are disadvantages too. One of the most annoying side effects of above-average intelligence is overthinking.
A brilliant person tends to notice and analyze everything, even when there is no need for it. This habit often makes them think about hypothetical problems and worry about things that haven’t happened yet.
And of course, they overanalyze themselves. The tendency to overthink things can easily become the cause of an intelligent person’s insecurities and lack of self-belief. constantly wondering,
“What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough for this?”
They can think of 100 possible reasons why they failed, and it could backfire. Sometimes you just need to relax and do your job without too much analysis.
- Too high expectations
Gifted children are often faced with very high expectations from a very early age. They may come from a family where everyone has above-average IQs or they may be pushed towards one achievement after another by their parents.
It is this pressure from parents and teachers that makes a gifted child work so hard to meet these high standards that are set for him. After years of this rat race to success, they start to feel like whatever they do, it just isn’t good enough.
At the same time, not all smart kids are supposed to grow up to be CEOs and college professors later in life. Some smart people are happier doing mundane jobs without forcing themselves to achieve great things.
But unrealistic expectations from their childhood haunt them for life.
Being a highly intelligent child of demanding parents is a sure way to develop insecurities. These individuals may feel like a failure and even suffer from impostor syndrome, which causes them to write off their accomplishments and feel that they don’t deserve to be successful.
- Self-criticism
Self-criticism can arise from the first two traits. An overthinker who is faced with unrealistic expectations grows into an overly self-critical person.
It is as if they have noticed their shortcomings and faults under a microscope and have found faults where there are none. They overthink their petty failures and beat themselves up for days.
Since smarter people are more aware of themselves, they also focus a lot on their shortcomings and personal flaws. All this harsh self-criticism distorts their perception of themselves, making them look worse than they are. As a result, insecurity begins.
Remarkably, people with low IQs often consider themselves smarter and more competent than they are. This is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. It describes people’s lack of critical thinking skills, which causes them to incorrectly assess their abilities.
Smart people tend to experience the opposite — they have an excess of critical thinking and self-awareness. This may lead them to be very hard on themselves and even underestimate their abilities.
- Wired for suspicion
A truly intelligent person is never 100% sure of anything – be it politics, religion, or themselves. Critical thinking and the ability to see a situation from different angles are among the most important indicators of intellect.
Most things in the world are multifaceted. Life is full of half-tones and half-truths, and a really smart person knows that all too well. They know that perceiving the world in black-and-white terms is characteristic of narrow-mindedness.
This is why they are not sure of anything, including themselves. A person with above-average intelligence is blocked by doubt, and this often leads him to be indecisive and insecure.
Before making a decision or coming to a conclusion, they always ask themselves questions like, “Is this so?” “What if…” Sometimes they are so overwhelmed by self-doubt and suspicion that they decide not to act at all.
“The problem with the world is that intelligent people are full of doubts, and stupid people are full of confidence.”
Charles Bukowski
- They don’t fit
The smarter you are, the harder it is to match you. An intellectual person may struggle to find like-minded friends with similar minds and interests.
Gifted people are usually creative and think outside the box. Because of this, they do not blend in with the crowd and do not have much in common with those around them. As children and teens, they may experience rejection, which paves the way for low self-esteem and an inferiority complex.
Many intelligent people are also non-conformists. Some studies have linked decreased agreeableness with increased problem-solving, creative thinking, and intelligence. Truly intelligent people tend to think for themselves rather than mindlessly consuming what they are told. They have their own view of things.
While it is a high quality, it also has a flip side, and gifted individuals often struggle to connect with others. Because of this, they may feel like strangers who don’t belong anywhere.
Intelligent people also tend to be more choosy when it comes to social life. They realize they don’t have time for nonsense and randomness. A highly intelligent individual would rather spend his evening doing something meaningful than wasting it on chatter and shallow chatter.
Because of all this, people with high IQs can sometimes feel lonely and painfully different, which leads to feelings of inadequacy. After all, it is a natural human desire to be accepted by the group.
Are you an intelligent person confused by insecurity?
If you’ve recognized yourself in the above, I’m here to tell you this: No matter how society and other people make you feel about yourself, keep doing the thing you like best. Take advantage of your brilliant mind and don’t be afraid to stand out. It’s so much more rewarding than trying to get along with others.
