Comments on: Why Intelligent People Tend to Be Unhappy

By: Gilberto A. Resendiz

Gilberto A. Resendiz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:22:00 +0000

This didnt help at all Im doing a report on adults now children

By: Sharon A. Ryder

Sharon A. Ryder — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:26:00 +0000

I read many of the comments, it is great to read so many different people’s perspectives. I’m not sure if anyone mentioned what I am about to explain because I did not read this myriad in comments completely. I am a 16 year old girl, and I have been to many places in the world compared to the “average” teenager. As a small child in a private, Catholic, Chilean elementary school I was outcasted for being tall and having buck teeth. There always seemed to be something wrong with me, whether physically or socially. Eventually I moved to Massachusetts to go to a better middle school and live with my father, and entered the American Public School System. Being taller was no longer a problem, the characteristic that bothered the kids around me the most was my accent and my silent, observant, yet sometimes objective nature. From then to now I traveled to different parts of the country with my 70 year old father (the most intelligent man I know) and went on a few trips to my home country, Chile, with my mother, and recently to Peru. Within my short life I attained “indispensable” social skills, which I thought would help me to get people to like me. Now this is my problem, which I am sure many people of my nature encounter — not wanting to waste these skills on people that I do not enjoy being with, which is the majority of the people I have met. It seems that recently I have been alienated by many students at school, but now thinking about it, I realize that it has been entirely my choice. I have chosen not to conform to the mediocrity of the people around me, just because it does not appeal to me. Entirely opposing my parents’ belief system in order to become who I really wanted to be, I became a vegan (have been one for over a year) because it didn’t seem right to me to take anything from a sentient being, stopped wearing a bra because I do not find them very comfortable, and stopped caring about everybody else’s expectations they had for me. In this sense, I am truly myself and doing so has resulted in me being labeled as “weird”. WELL, to me, the majority of Americans are the weird ones, who lack intelligence, self-control, and morality, for the most part. I will not join this group of people in this mediocrity, and if the result of this action is alienation, I am proud to be an alien. You should too.

By: Davidmfife

Davidmfife — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:12:00 +0000

“da Vinci not for the painting” Actually realistic (esp from imagination) painting is a highly intellectual activity, it requires a very strong understanding of the way the world is constructed. I can assume from your comment that you are not a painter and speaking about something outside of your sphere of understanding.

By: Davidmfife

Davidmfife — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:12:00 +0000

By: John Bailo

John Bailo — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:45:00 +0000

Remember that SNL skit, “the Hominids”?

Steve Martin was an evolutionary leap who spoke like a modern human amidst a tribe of cavemen. Bill Murray was the slow witted leader who ruled by force. Martin babbled on about building dams and harnessing fire and made a pact with Murray that they would rule together, saying “You are strong, and I am smart”.

Then when Martin went to bed, Murray took a club and struck Martin on the head and finished by saying, “I am strong. And now I am smart”!

This is the society we live in.

By: Tom F

Tom F — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:50:00 +0000

If you look at the percent deviation chart for intelligence, you’ll see that the smartest people are very rare. So a very intelligent person will only meet meet someone at his level once every 100 people he or she meets. People like to communicate with others at their level. So think how lonely the most intelligent people are. One major factor in human happiness is the quality of their friends. Think how hard it must be to find friends when your more intelligent than 99% of people around you. There are many others factors in human happiness but if one lacks significantly in this category happiness is extremely difficult.

By: Chammy

Chammy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:21:00 +0000

I do not meant to gloat or seem arrogant but this is an important point to the argument: I have an above average IQ. In my high school, the less intelligent people (well some may have been intelligent but were just too lazy to show it) ruled the year. They bullied my friends and I for trying hard, for working hard to get good results. Now they have dropped out of school and doing nothing, and claim they are happy, while I have been accepted to the top university in my country to study psychology and sociology. In this respect, I know a lot more about what the author is talking about than you.

1. Intelligent people/hard workers have more responsibility. In most cases at work,( although there are quite a lot of exceptions which is a shame) the smartest people are at the top and therefore have more responsibility than less intelligent people/their inferiors in the workplace. I can give you an example from my life. I am taking advanced higher maths (first year university maths) while I am still in high school) and I have to work extremely hard to keep my grades up, but I know it will be worth it when I get my degree. In contrast, my friend from work dropped out of college and is now working in a dead end job. She will retire in 50 years in the same position she is in now, while I have hopefully achieved my dream of becoming a senior lecturer and senior counsellor in psychology. I will have more responsibility as I will teach the future generations and conduct experiments that will improve our knowledge of the human brain, while she sells books.
3. Look up average in the dictionary before using it in your argument. Do not use words you don’t understand, it makes you look like an idiot. And by analysing what you have said and using my knowledge of psychology, I am 95% sure that you are not an intelligent person, but you are jealous of those who are , and tried to form an argument against them which fell flat on its face. You formed this argument to make yourself feel better.

5. It doesn’t matter how intelligent you are, you either have morals or you do not. Hitler was a very clever man, but he was the most disgusting human ( I resent calling him a human being) that ever walked to face of the Earth. Some of the dumbest people in my year at school bully ‘geeks’ and have no idea of the consequences. They destroyed my confidence and that has left me damaged and afraid to talk to new people and large crowds. Perhaps the author was pointing out that intelligent people can see more outcomes because they have more flexible thinking, but it is up to their personality not their intelligence whether they act inappropriately or not

People which down’s syndrome have a view of the world that is like of a childs. They are unaware of reality and see the innocence in people and the world. The saying that ignorance is bliss is true. It is only when we become away of our ignorance that we feel sad.

7. That is a technique in English literature to emphasise their point. Just because you have not studied English writing as they have does not mean they are wrong

And you can be intelligent and religious. Why do you have to bring religion into this? Most geniuses have autistic characteristics and do not particularly like human company, but if that is what they like then why are you judging?

I am an atheist and proud of it. I am not a hardcore atheist who goes around insulting religious people and call them stupid for believing what they believe. I personally admire religious people for having faith in something that is attacked so often and called make-believe. I put my faith in my work, my studies, my friends, my sport, my family and my relationships, because I want to work hard, to discover and to be happy. Just because I am an atheist doesn’t mean I do not have faith, I have faith in my world not my religion.

I think that because I am an atheist I am more open-minded. I do not discriminate like you have just done, and I do not think I am better than people who have a lower IQ than me. I respect anyone who treats other people with respect when they deserve it, and I like anyone who tries hard to achieve their goals, whether it be big to them but small to the world. If we met in real life, I would not like you, and I would above all not respect you. You are a spiteful person who is trying to be more intelligent than you actually are, and this shows.

By: My name

My name — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

I do not agree about the writing skills. Maybe English isn’t his native language or he is just typing too fast and missing some keys. Who said Einstein knew how to write?
1. Smart people make the world go on so they are more responsible. If they don’t invent things or lead the things the world stops evolving (like in the midle ages when the church got rid of all the intelectually superior people, where would we be if they could continoue their work? Imagine where we would be right now)
2. When I see a physical problem I see the answer to it. More than 95 % people see only the numbers and the lines in an equation.
3. ”How do you know most of the world is average people? To be honest, you
are completely wrong, most of the world is really deprived of education.
IQ levels are falling”.
Actually an average IS made (in this case human IQ however we know more kinds of IQ) is made from all the IQ combined and divided with all the people so most of people are average (3 have IQ 100 1 has 75 1 has 125, then the average is 100, seriously i know that since I was in 3rd grade). In my country ALL the people that protest say ” we want above average pays” how is that even possible? People think. Oh and some of my friends (that are going to one of the best high school in our country) say this : if you pay enouf for the lottery you will get more money out of it and so its always profitable. Dude think everyone says that, it is a simple thing to know that you are playing against the odds.
4. Thats in human nature you can’t help it
5. smart people understand them better, but the question is if they care.
6. Some do some don’t but think about the fish… Do they care?
7. Actually it makes certain tension for the reader. Many great poets use it even more than a few times. I would tell you the name of that literatic element, but I know it in my language that is spoken by only about 2 million people. We actually have verbs for 2 people.
(me, (midva, vidva,),them)
8. Don’t take it literary, you say there are million things i have to do today -.-
9. Again don’t take it literary. That is NOT the reason, but the reason is that people exclude them from society. When I was going to the church study thingy the priest guy or whatever he is told us : Science and God coexist, god created science and science comfirms what God does. Btw they also use computers and that kind of things.
10. Reason because of people like you some people fell that way. I know i make people fell dumb but hey there will always be something to argue about. You think you understand the world so good but ask yourself this do you understand it or do you think you understand it? Please don’t be so impulsive and try to make world a better place, because in the end you will die sooner or later and all that you will leave behind is either a better or a badder world.

Fell free to disagree with me there will always be someone

By: henry

henry — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:23:00 +0000

You could not put it in any better way. Thank you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:59:00 +0000

Ok now let’s define “smart” ;P