If These 11 Everyday Situations Stress You Out, You're Probably Smarter Than Most People
eldar nurkovic | Shutterstock If you're someone who finds themselves getting stressed at the most basic things, it could have more to do with your intelligence than you originally thought. Things like having to wait in line or attempting to read the IKEA directions for the dresser you just bought can leave you feeling rather tense and even a bit exasperated.
Even though certain simple things might not get on other people's nerves, if they make you feel stressed, you're probably pretty darn intelligent.
If these 11 everyday situations stress you out, you're probably smarter than most people
1. Waiting in long lines
PeopleImages | Shutterstock
According to a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers released by Waitwhile, a queue management company, customers are incredibly weary of long lines. Nearly one-quarter of consumers report feeling frustrated while queuing, up from 1 in 10 in 2023.
Those who hate waiting in line with a passion usually find it to be a waste of time because their minds just can't sit still long enough to get to the end of the line in the first place. The average person might use this time to zone out and get lost in their imagination, but not those that have a high intelligence.
Your mind simply can't work in that same way. Instead, you start running through everything you could be doing instead of waiting in the line. You even start thinking of ways that you could speed up the line so that you can continue along with your day, rather than having to be stuck in this one place.
2. People bragging about pointless things
ViDI Studio | Shutterstock
If an everyday situation like people bragging stresses you out, you're probably smarter than most people. You simply aren't able to understand why people spend so much of their mental energy bragging about superficial achievements.
For you, your focus is on success that produces real growth. Your brain immediately starts to wonder why they're putting all of this energy into something that is quite trivial, rather than putting their effort towards things that are more important and worthwhile to finish.
Bragging about things also just comes across as being unnecessary and even a little performative. You find it exhausting that someone would feel the need to broadcast their most basic accomplishments.
That frustration is your brain continuing to do what it does best, which is craving substance and noticeable change, which, to you, doesn't come from completing something menial and bragging about it to others.
3. People not following through
PeopleImages | Shutterstock
There's nothing more annoying then someone saying they're going to do something and they don't end up doing it at all. You're not someone who ever promises something only to break that promise later one. When you say you're going to do something or show up somewhere, your word is as good as gold.
Part of that stress has to do with the fact that there are usually consequences when people start flaking and not showing up in the way they promised. Your brain automatically starts anticipating that and how it will fall back onto you.
While others might just shrug it off and continue with their day, your mind is already thinking of all the extra work that you need to do. It's also just a bit of a let down when you put your trust into someone else and they just completely shift gears and disappoint you.
4. Making small talk
pics five | Shutterstock
Surface-level conversations can feel a bit annoying for you because of how much your brain craves a deeper more intense interaction with people. You're just instinctively searching for substance, even when you're just going to the grocery store to pick up a single item but are suddenly roped into a conversation with the cashier.
"Some people seem to navigate small talk effortlessly, while others... struggle no matter how much practice we get. It can feel more like guessing the rhythm of a song we have never heard before; the awkward head bob and slightly-off-beat half clap," admitted psychotherapist Kaytee Gillis.
You automatically want to skip the pleasantries and get into the nitty gritty, making it hard to stay present in the act of small talk. While others have no problem nodding and smiling while they talk about something mindless, your mind is craving something more substantial. When nothing's there, it can feel like a waste of your mental energy.
5. Slow walkers in crowded places
Andrii Iemelianenko | Shutterstock
It might seem like the most minor of inconveniences to someone else when they're walking behind a slow walker, but if these everyday situations stress you out, you're probably smarter than most people. Considering you have somewhere you're trying to be, it can be a huge annoyance.
You're already aware of your personal space in a crowd as it is, which means having to be behind a slow walker causes you to slow down and really be in the midst of all that chaos. Then there's the added stress of attempting to get around them, and when it's unsuccessful, that can just add to more irritation. Now you're just stuck behind them until they turn the corner or you're able to just cross the street.
6. Being in overly crowded or noisy spaces
Nicoleta Ionescu | Shutterstock
Considering your brain is able to pick up on certain sensory details that other people might not even think about, it can make it hard to be in spaces where a lot is going on at one time. Chaos isn't just annoying, it's also downright exhausting.
While others might be able to filter out the people walking and bumping into them, music blaring from speakers, voices overlapping as people have all of these conversations, your brain isn't able to do that in the same way.
"The brain isn't a passive receiver of the world. It constantly combines information from sight, sound, touch, movement, and timing to figure out what’s happening and whether it matters," explained neuroscience expert Hari Srinivasan.
You're taking in every single detail that's happening around you, to the point where you have zero energy to even be present in that moment. Crowded spaces make you hyperaware of yourself as well, meaning you can't just relax and enjoy the present.
7. Being ignored in conversations
Antonio Guillem | Shutterstock
When people are just talking past you or aren't doing their best to include you in the conversation, it strikes a particular nerve. Your brain is craving deeper interactions and wanting to understand what's being talked about right in front of you.
To be denied that can make you feel invisible. You're not just passively listening either, which makes it even worse. You have questions that you're dying to ask and information you're storing in your brain to maybe even bring up later.
When others are ignoring the thoughts you want to say, it can make you feel incredibly unwanted. It's less about ego and more about wanting to participate in a meaningful conversation. Since small talk is a bore to you, being able to engage in something that keeps your interest makes you want to be that much more involved.
8. Public speaking
foto-lite | Shutterstock
There's nothing that can stress you out more than having to participate in a public speaking engagement. It's not just having to stand in front of a crowed but about the pressure of performing and being understood. You're hoping that your words land in the way that you intend them to and you're able to hit all of your marks.
"A little adrenaline is a good thing. Calm is overrated in front of an audience. But stressing out the audience is not the goal. When you're getting ready to speak, prepare your emotional state, and leak good, relevant, appropriate emotions to the crowd," communication expert Nick Morgan encouraged.
The experience can just feel like a lot of mental anguish, and it doesn't matter how long you have to be on the stage. While others might just go with the flow and not really think about it, your mind is quietly running through every possible scenario, especially the bad ones. By the end of it, you're relieved that it's over but also exhausted because of how much energy you just exerted.
9. People who are always late
F8 Studio | Shutterstock
Even if they mean well, those who have bad time management skills can really throw you off in a way that it might not for the average person. You hate having to wait for someone because it shows that they just don't respect your time. Considering your brain is able to pick up on patterns in a way that other people don't, you're able to really notice when someone just isn't a punctual person.
"Late is when people start getting annoyed. They get annoyed because your lateness betrays a lack of respect and consideration for them — and so they get more annoyed, and more quickly, if they are (or think they are) your social or hierarchical superiors," explained psychiatrist Neel Burton.
If it happens once, you're able to just let it go because you can admit that things happen and can get in the way of someone being on time. But when it's a routine occurrence, it truly does grate on your nerves. You start thinking of the time being wasted and everything you could've been doing while you were waiting for them.
10. People who can't admit when they're wrong
Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock
No matter what evidence says, they simply refuse to acknowledge that they made a mistake. Instead, they double-down and dodge accountability, maybe even pointing the finger to someone else despite it being their own fault. But if a person being unable to admit that they're wrong will stress you out, you're probably smarter than most people.
You immediately notice the error that someone else made and your mind just automatically wants them to correct it. It doesn't have to be a big, dramatic apology or solution, but just a simple sentence that proves you're aware of the mistake. Watching someone just stubbornly hold onto their wrong idea just feels like they're doing themselves a disservice.
11. Being forced to multitask
PaeGAG | Shutterstock
Having to juggle multiple tasks at one time can stress you out more than it probably does the average person. Your brain simply wants to be able to give its full attention to one thing at a time. Having to split your focus feels like you're losing control over your own thoughts and actions.
"Humans do not multitask well, and when a person says that he or she does multitask well, he or she is probably wrong. The human brain can only focus on one thing and one thing only at a time," pointed out psychologist Jeff Comer.
You also don't feel like you're being efficient enough when you're forced to split your attention between more than one thing. The work isn't getting done in the same way that it would if you were devoted to completing one thing before moving on to the next. You simply don't like being pulled in multiple directions.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
