11 Things That Keep Highly Intelligent People Up At Night That Average People Don't Worry About
Their emotional intelligence and self-awareness are both a gift and a curse.
Kmpzzz | Shutterstock Despite having the capacity for peaceful solitude, meaningful relationships, and a healthier routine, highly intelligent people also tend to resort to complex, deep, and intense thinking patterns that can spark anxiety, existential crises, and sometimes even social isolation. Both in their personal and professional lives, they face a number of unique and personalized challenges that they're forced to confront and grapple with — from perfectionist expectations, to "proving" their worth, and even maintaining healthy relationships.
Of course, many of these things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about are tied to the character traits that promote their success. Their self-awareness, prosocial behaviors, and emotional intelligence are both a gift and a curse when it comes to navigating daily life.
Here are 11 things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about
1. Overthinking conversations
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Highly intelligent people often have the self-awareness and emotional intelligence to unpack and regulate their emotions in social situations, but that doesn't mean they're free from the shackles of overthinking. In fact, many highly intelligent people tend to think deeply about seemingly subtle things — from language, to word choice, and even energetic shifts in conversations.
It's one of the things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about, because they tend to read deeper into seemingly innocent and casual connections and interactions.
Of course, it's not always a bad thing to overthink your actions or prepare deeply for things; intelligent people tend to overanalyze, rather than overthink without purpose. But when it's taking away from quality sleep and an aura of peacefulness at night, it's worth mentioning.
2. Wasting time
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While it's true that highly intelligent people generally have more success in traditional institutions like the workplace, according to a study published in Personality and Individual Differences, they still occasionally worry about wasting time.
Whether it's overanalyzing their professional career, trying to balance work responsibilities with their personal time, or finding purpose in a society currently dominated by a "hustle mentality" and productivity, they're also thinking deeper about how to make the most of their time.
3. Meeting expectations
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Many highly intelligent people not only face unrealistic expectations and standards from the people in their lives — in the workplace, from their families, and in other personal relationships — they also tend to be perfectionists themselves.
Especially for people who grew up around parents with perfectionist expectations, meeting and exceeding expectations is a part of their daily life, and can occasionally be one of the things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about.
When they complete a task or say "yes" to a project, they want to put their best food forward, embody their intelligence, and do everything "perfectly," even if that means sacrificing a bit of their well-being and overthinking at the end of the day.
4. Decision paralysis
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Many intelligent people struggle with decision paralysis — having too many options or being overwhelmed by multiple decisions, sometimes in ways that prevent them from making any — that can lead to anxiety and overthinking. For many people, this paralysis stems from fear, but for intelligent people, it's often a symptom of having too many opportunities, fearing failure, or expecting a perfect result.
Whether it's about something as innocent as their diet or more influential, like a decision about their career, it's one of the things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about.
5. Maintaining deep connections
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Highly intelligent people generally prefer to seek out deeper, more meaningful connections in their daily lives. Even if it's having a meaningful conversation with a stranger, they tend to benefit emotionally and socially from steering clear of superficial relationships, small talk, and fake people.
While it's true that intelligent people tend to thrive with fewer relationships, as long as they're more meaningful and fulfilling, according to a study from the British Journal of Psychology, they may still be up at night considering their social circle.
Whether it's needing to cut off a toxic friendship or balance time between their solitude and deep connections, a highly intelligent person's need to overanalyze may sabotage their ability to relax before bed.
6. Loneliness
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According to psychologist Leon F. Seltzer, many intelligent people tend to grapple with social isolation and feelings of loneliness more than their average counterparts, oftentimes because of their expectations in relationships. If they can't find someone who's willing or able to invest in a deeper relationship with them — beyond superficial conversations and small talk — they'd prefer to be alone.
While this solitude often has a lot of opportunities and benefits for highly intelligent people, too much of it without purpose or direction, especially amid a less bountiful social life, can have consequences that lead to anxiety, rumination, and loneliness.
7. Burnout
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According to Seltzer, many intelligent people feel a societal and personal pressure to "prove" their worth and intelligence, leading to a cycle of unrealistic expectations, disappointment, and overworking themselves. Whether it's investing in personal passions or navigating their professional lives, they sometimes hold themselves to standards that are impossible to achieve — sparking fatigue, exhaustion, and burnout.
Even if they're aware of their toxic tendencies to overwork themselves, a study from Frontiers in Public Health argues burnout can negatively affect sleep duration and quality, which is why it's not surprising that it's one of the things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about.
8. Imposter syndrome
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Coupled with their perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, and pressures to "prove" themselves worthy of success, highly intelligent people also often grapple with "imposter syndrome," an unofficial diagnosis successful people often experience when they feel undeserving of their status or routine.
Even if they have the emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and skills to thrive and succeed in their role, environment, or position, they tend to overanalyze their status and grow doubtful of their abilities when experiencing imposter syndrome.
At night, when they're analyzing their experiences, unpacking their emotions, or planning for the next day, it's not uncommon for imposter syndrome to set in, making intelligent people question whether they're capable of meeting perfectionist standards and succeeding, even if they already are.
9. Unpacking their mental health
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Despite being more self-aware and emotionally intelligent than the average person, highly intelligent people tend to overanalyze their mental health, ruminate on situations, and experience more social isolation in ways that can promote psychological concerns.
Especially if they're not surrounded by meaningful relationships, support, or purpose in their daily lives, overanalyzing and thinking about their mental health is one of the things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about.
Unfortunately, according to a study from Intelligence, people with higher IQs are more likely to develop mental health concerns like ADHD, anxiety, or mood disorders, largely because of their self-awareness and tendency to overanalyze.
10. News headlines
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According to a study from Frontiers in Psychology, many people experience "information overload" from too much screen time, accessibility to news online, and social media that negatively affects their physical and emotional well-being.
When you have horror stories and negative headlines in reach all of the time, it can feel impossible to avoid the anxiety and pressure associated with them, especially for highly intelligent people, with higher rates of empathy and social awareness.
It's one of the things that keep highly intelligent people up at night that average people don't worry about, whether it's considering how they can help to address climate change or grappling with the anxiety of worldly conflicts.
11. Thinking about how others perceive them
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According to a study published in Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience, highly intelligent people tend to have higher rates of anxiety, worry, and nervousness, oftentimes because of their social and self-awareness.
They're more cognizant of shifts in energy in conversations or how people treat them in passing interactions, so it's inevitable that other people's perceptions of them keep them up at night, when the average person may not think twice about it.
They want to prove to other people that they're worthy, whether it's a co-worker or a close friend, so they burden themselves with overanalyzing conversations and language for the sake of putting their best foot forward.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
