11 Things Highly Intelligent People Do That Make Those With Average Minds Uncomfortable
Highly intelligent people have a tendency to make others nervous.
Andrii Iemelianenko / Shutterstock If there is one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that smart people often make others feel nervous or uncomfortable. It’s one of the main reasons why the “insufferable genius” is a trope in literature and TV.
Sometimes, it’s not necessarily their intelligence that makes people get all hinky. It can be anything from mannerisms to disorders or traits that tend to be more common among high-IQ individuals. Other times, it’s just the smarts. And more often than not, highly intelligent people don’t know what they’re doing to upset others. Speaking as someone who often has to be told to knock off certain behaviors, these things, in particular, tend to be serious offenders.
Here are 11 things highly intelligent people do that make those with average minds uncomfortable
1. Staring
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Are you the type of genius who gets caught up in your thoughts all day? Maybe you’re daydreaming about the many different ways that you could fix your life, or thinking about a brand new book idea. Daydreaming is a known sign of intelligence.
Regardless, you might not realize that you’re staring when you’re deep in thought. So, whether you realize it or not, you might end up giving people a blank stare that looks a bit unsettling when you forget there are people around you.
2. Avoiding eye contact
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Many highly intelligent people, for one reason or another, tend to avoid eye contact with people. This is particularly common among people who are either on the spectrum or otherwise distracted by thought.
Most people want a little eye contact when they talk to someone. If they don’t get eye contact, it makes them worried that something is wrong.
3. Being too quiet during conversations
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Most of us have seen a person who stays so quiet during conversations that it becomes unsettling. Intelligent people are more prone to this than regular people, simply because they are often deep in thought or deeply engaged with what other people are saying.
Studies show that being too quiet in a conversation can cause confusion or tension.
4. Overexplaining
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Highly intelligent people often don’t know when to stay quiet or when to explain everything. Many intelligent people choose to overexplain because people don’t understand how or why they would come to a certain conclusion.
Most regular people don’t mind it, unless it starts to eat into their time. It’s worth noting that overexplaining is often a trauma response. So, if the smart person in question was regularly taunted for their opinions or mistrusted, they could have developed this trait as a defense.
5. Talking to yourself
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There are few things that are as alarming to some people as seeing someone talk to themselves. For the average person, overhearing a person talking to themselves is a sign of mental illness or substance use.
What most people don’t know is that many brilliant minds talk to themselves. In fact, Albert Einstein was even known for having quick conversations with himself.
6. Disorganization
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Cluttered desks, disorganized files, weirdly structured mindsets… these things can make a typical person feel a little on edge. However, there is considerable evidence to suggest that disorganization is actually a sign of high creative intelligence.
So, if you can, try to pardon the cluttered desk you see. Geniuses are going to genius, even if it’s a bit messy.
7. Constantly questioning everything
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We all have met kids who were hyper-curious about everything and anything. Ask any parent, and they’ll tell you that their most intelligent children were the ones who were always asking, “Why?”
Questioning everything is a sign of innate curiosity. It's a major tipoff to a smart person. Now, if only they could stop doing it when it becomes annoying or redundant...
8. Preferring solitude
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It’s no secret that loners tend to be seen as unsettling characters, even if they’re not always alone by choice. People who prefer solitude have a sketchy reputation among many “mainstream” people.
However, that doesn’t mean they’re bad. In fact, being comfortable with one’s loneliness may be a key indicator that they are smarter than the average person.
9. Bluntness
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Being blunt is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can be incredibly off-putting and can suggest that you have lower emotional intelligence than the average person. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a sign of leadership genius.
In certain scenarios, being blunt can come off as rude, hurtful, or non-empathetic. But that style of communication can also help people figure out major leadership issues quickly.
10. Talking in nuanced ways
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Intelligence is not always about just understanding the basics. It’s about going above and beyond black and white thinking, delving into nuances. A lot of people can’t handle nuance in any way, especially if it involves criticizing themselves or others near them.
Being able to speak with nuance is a sign of a smart person. Hopefully, that smart person is wise enough to find people around them who appreciate that skill.
11. Being a nonconformist
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Finally, let’s wrap this up with the most obvious way to make a lot of “normies” uncomfortable. Most highly intelligent people don’t just march to their own drummer; they have their own darned orchestra.
Nonconformity and intelligence have become almost inextricable from one another. So, don’t hate on the weird ones of your group. They’re likely the smartest in the room.
Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer whose work has been featured in Yahoo, BRIDES, Your Daily Dish, Newtheory Magazine, and others.
