Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down The Saddest Truths About Smart People

People Break Down The Saddest Truths About Smart People
Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

I love knowledge.

And I've always been envious of those that have it in spades.

I can't watch Jeopardy because it makes me sad.

Yet I love learning about all of the facts.

I've been told that power, much like ultimate wealth, apparently comes with a cost.

Make me believe it...

Redditor GoodDepthwanted to discuss the more somber life details about intelligence. They asked:

"What is the sad truth about smart people?"

I want an IQ of 180. But all the studying in the world won't get me there. Sadly... tell me about being brilliant!

Lost

The One Where Estelle Dies Episode 15 GIF by FriendsGiphy

“Intelligence is like four-wheel drive. It just lets you get lost in more remote places.' — Garrison Keillor"

No-Faithlessness5311

Mastery

"The smarter you get, the more you realise you don't know."

Crafty-Ambassador779

"I've noticed there's something weird with this, though. If someone hits a certain level of mastery in one area, they seem to think they can easily be an expert in all areas."

"As an example I used to be a professional carpenter that did work on mostly high end builds. The amount of Doctors and Engineers that were suddenly master plumbers, finish carpenters and electricians and 'knew' more than me after a few days of research was infuriating."

TheIowan

"facts and logic"

"They have no effect on dumb people's opinions."

theboomboy

"Persuasion (like teaching) is definitely a separate skill from intelligence. You can throw around 'facts and logic' all you want, but humans aren't robots. And what you/they consider factual and logical, may not be so."

ncnotebook

"I’ve found that people don’t like to be persuaded by logic and facts if they don’t have any logical facts to back their stance to begin with. They much rather go off hysteria and what they believe rather than what reasoning led them to that belief."

Vaxtin

Crushing

"Our school system (Australia) isn't built to deal with them. It crushes bright kids down to everyone else's level. The usual solution is just to give them extra work to do on top of the assigned work, when they finish that too fast. But to a kid, that's a punishment. In this way achieving beyond a certain accepted parameter is quietly discouraged."

theexteriorposterior

fools and fanatics

hocus pocus halloween GIFGiphy

"They are full of doubt compared to people who are not smart."

F**k-Reddit-Mods69

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. -B. Russell"

Paddlesons

So brains don't automatically equal brilliance and happiness... Who knew?

I Know what I Know

Think Season 2 GIF by NBCGiphy

"Being smart enough to know you're right while dealing with people too stupid to know they're wrong is soul crushing."

Stryker2279

"smartness"

"There's different levels of 'smartness' and different smart people go about life in different ways. But, I think universally young prodigies are typically isolated. They are at a level far above children their age, but are far younger than the people that match intellectually with (lacking life experience). Either way, a young prodigy can't connect with either group."

Firamaster

Potential

"They don't always find ways of living up to their potential."

Immediate_Aioli342

"To add to this, they're often told they should live up to their potential simply because it exists. The number of times myself and some of my current MSC colleagues have been told we are wasting our potential by not being physicians is soul crushing."

"And demeaning because it implies that pursuing anything other than the hardest, highest paid disciplines is a waste of you, regardless of what makes you happy. Truly sad to see smart people in careers or lives they hate because they did what other people told them they should do."

TinyBabyAlli

I should probably go back to therapy...

"Expectations. Never learning to study until it is too late. Being forced to learn outside of your age related interests. Being terrified of failure. Not being able to balance ambition and said fear of failure. Once again, expectations. My mother put so much pressure on me at such a young age I couldn't handle it. I have done well for myself as an adult, but will never be able to live up to those expectations set by her and others. I should probably go back to therapy."

Putty119

Levels

Praising John Goodman GIF by The Righteous GemstonesGiphy

"There are different types of intelligence. Being good at physics doesn't mean that you should manage people."

oliverismyspiritdog

Well I'm glad to only have average level intelligence. Who needs the stress.

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @mstarland's TikTok video
@mstarland/TikTok

Pregnant Mom Calls Out Husband For Falling Asleep While Watching Their Two-Year-Old

There's nothing quite like discovering how much louder actions speak than words when your partner falls asleep on the job.

Especially when you're 38 weeks pregnant.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jake Tapper and Mike Turner
CNN

GOP Rep. Ousted From Chairmanship By Trump Calls Out Colleagues For Russian Propaganda In Resurfaced Clip

Speaking to anchor Jake Tapper on CNN last April, Ohio Republican Mike Turner said that Russian propaganda had "infected" the GOP in a clip that has resurfaced after President-elect Donald Trump had him ousted as House Intelligence Committee chair.

At the time, Turner made it clear that his fellow Republicans were parroting Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine and its relationship with NATO members. That claim came after House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul, who said he thinks "Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base."

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @poorandhungry's TikTok video
@poorandhungry/TikTok

TikToker Dumbfounded After Discovering A Troll Signed Her Up For The Special Olympics

Some people are natural born givers and like to lift other people's spirits and find unique and fun ways to make them laugh.

TikToker @poorandhungry, or "Syd," is one such person who maintains a TikTok and Instagram account with funny parodies, quips, and skits that leave her audience rolling with laughter.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @myriamestrella8's TikTok video
@myriamestrella8/TikTok

Lesbian Speaks Out After She And Partner Were Targets Of Homophobic Bullying On Disney Cruise

A l Disney fan and her partner believe they were targeted in a homophobic bullying incident while traveling on a Disney cruise.

Myriam–a.k.a. @myriamestrella8–recounted the disturbing incident in the first of a couple of TikTok videos that went viral.

Keep ReadingShow less
Man walking by warehouse forklift
Pickawood/Unsplash

People Describe The All-Time Worst Jobs They've Ever Had

Dream jobs are the ones where they don't feel like work at all.

Very few are lucky enough to earn a living while fulfilling their passions. In contrast, others show up despite the arduous tasks involved in raising a family or living a comfortable life.

Keep ReadingShow less