A Sheeple's Perspective | theultimatetruth

A SHEEPLE'S PERSPECTIVE

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why - Mark Twain

A SHORT CRITIQUE ON THE ARTICLE: "6 REASONS WHY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE FAIL TO BE HAPPY".

Have you noticed that some of the most intelligent and deep thinking individuals out there fail to be happy?

They may have a loving life partner, family and be successful in their job; yet, there is something that occasionally makes them feel alone, sad and discouraged. As Ernest Hemingway said,“happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”

Here are six possible reasons why happiness in highly intelligent people is such a rare phenomenon:

1. Intelligent people over analyze everything

Many people with a high IQ tend to be overthinkers who constantly analyze everything happening in their life and beyond. This can be draining at times, especially when your thinking processes take you to undesirable, frustrating conclusions.

Have you heard the saying, ‘Ignorance is bliss’? It surely is – the less you understand, the more carefree and, therefore, happy you are. Being able to read people’s true selves and hidden motives is enough to make you feel disappointed with the whole world sometimes. Not even mentioning the feelings that come along with the reflection on philosophical matters, global issues and life’s timeless dilemmas that have no solutions.

This is a justification for the rapidly increasing 'zombie nation' of the current era.

Analysis, whether it be considered 'over-analysis' or otherwise, is a process whereby one can interpret their social interactions, environment etc. as well as those of others.

"Ignorance is bliss? Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance breeds hate through that very lack of understanding whether it be a chosen ignorance, or an 'undiscovered' level of ignorance. Ignorance breeds hatred, hatred breeds division.

So if one wishes to carry on in their carefree ignorance claiming 'bliss', how does that better ones self or mankind?

2. Intelligent people have high standards

Smart people know what they want and don’t settle for less than that, no matter what area of life we are talking about. This means that it’s more difficult for them to be satisfied with their achievements, relationships and literally everything that has a place in their life.

Moreover, many people with brilliant theoretical minds happen to have poor practical intelligence and somehow idealistic views of the world. So when their expectations face the raw reality of life and other people, it inevitably leads to disappointment.

Better yourself, others and your environment, why settle? Achieve better for one's self.

'High Standards' are Standard.

'Standards and Quality' can only be considered 'high' when there is a 'shoddy' baseline.

3. Intelligent people are too hard on themselves

Another reason why smart people fail to be happy is that they tend to be too strict with themselves. And here, I’m not talking only about one’s achievements and failures. Intelligent, deep thinking individuals often analyze themselves and their own behavior in such a rigorous manner like if they are intentionally seeking out things to blame themselves for.

Sometimes, you just lie there in your bed trying to fall asleep and suddenly recall a situation (which probably happened years or, at least, months ago) when you didn’t act the way you should have. This is enough to mess with your sleep and spoil your mood. Intelligent people often experience such kind of flashbacks into their past mistakes. All this cultivates guilt, discontent and other negative emotions that can poison one’s happiness.

This is called self reflection, self development, self management.

One can then learn from their past mistakes, and with this knowledge, move on positively, not making the same mistake next time around.

4. Reality is not enough

People with high IQs never cease to seek something bigger – a pattern, a meaning, a purpose. The deepest and the dreamiest of them don’t stop there – their restless mind and imagination don’t let them just relax and enjoy “the good things in life”. I guess the reality with its trivialities is just too boring for them. Such people crave for something fantastic, idealistic, eternal… and, of course, never find it in the real world.

Have you ever felt like you don’t belong here and should have lived in a different era or maybe on another planet? Deep thinking, highly intelligent people constantly feel this way. How can you be happy when you feel like a stranger to the world you live in?

What is the point of 'being' without meaning or purpose?

The real world??? Reality is not enough because this is not 'reality'. 'Fantastical, idealistic and eternal' cannot be found in this world/dimension, hence the very meaning of these words.

We are not truly flesh and blood, and death. We are spiritual beings trapped in The Matrix (with a zombie nation), and when one truly realises and embraces that, there's no going back to 'feeling at home' (if one ever felt at home in the first place).

So what exactly is there to be 'happy' about?

This world was never 'home' in the first instance and on that note I agree with you, this is just the world we live in'...for now.

5. Lack of deep communication and understanding

Being truly understood by someone is one of the greatest experiences a human being can have. How comforting it is to sit with a like-minded person somewhere quiet and have a meaningful conversation, realizing that this person understands your ideas and shares your views of the world…

Sadly, intelligent people rarely have this pleasure. Many of them feel alone and misunderstood, like if no one is able to see and appreciate the depth of their minds.

It’s now scientifically confirmed that in order to be happy, individuals with high IQs need less socialization than those with average levels of intelligence. However, it doesn’t mean that smart people don’t crave for human interaction and a good conversation. They simply prefer to talk about fascinating and meaningful things rather than discuss food, weather and one’s plans for the weekend. No need to say that nowadays, it’s particularly difficult to find a person to have a deep conversation with. Thank today’s consumerist and materialist society for that.

You answered that yourself - 'today's consumerist and materialist society'.

What essence/edification is there in knowing what someone else is having for their dinner tonight?

6. Many people with a high IQ suffer from psychological problems

There have been many studies that link psychiatric disorders, such as social anxiety and bipolar, with high IQs.

Could it be that these conditions are a kind of a side effect of a creative genius and a brilliant mind? Who knows, science is yet to unravel the mysteries of the human mind.

At the same time, the intelligent people who don’t suffer from any mental disorders are still prone to so-called existential depression, which often is a result of excessive thinking. If you are thinking all the time and analyze everything in depth, at some point, you start reflecting on life, death and the meaning of existence. Sometimes, it’s enough to make you want to re-evaluate your own life and, as a result, get sad for no obvious reason.

Social interactions and experiences as well as a predisposition to psychological/psychiatric disorders can all contribute to mental health conditions and as such can affect anyone.

Where is the study for those with a 'low-average IQ' and the reasons for their 'failing to attain happiness'?

Being as the average life expectancy in the UK is between 80 - 90+ (Public Health, England (2016), "Why am I here, and what is the purpose of my existence?" seems to be a reasonable question one should analyse in depth to me.

Whilst analysing, questioning and reflecting on one's purpose and evaluating one's self is not a psychological/psychiatric problem, I do conclude that if one becomes or is 'sad', after doing so, it is because they haven't yet found or attained their purpose!

That in itself is not 'no obvious reason'.

Whilst I do not profess to having a high IQ, (i.e. I'm no Einstein or Tesla), I can relate to the above matters and as such felt compelled to add this article to my website with my own view noted after each of 'the reasons'.

Happiness is a state of mind, that may or may not be attained by those from all walks of life. To restrict this study to those with a 'high IQ' is to dismiss the 'low-average', and place labels on the remainder.

For those who may fail to attain the state of mind of 'happiness', it may to some degree, be causal to the attitude held by those who are content with their blue pill, and/or 'the sheeple's view' - that it's ok to be a 'sheeple', and 'ignorance is bliss'. This can have a negative impact over a period of time on those who choose free thinking; standards of quality; self-analysis; self achievement; a conscious understanding of one's purpose and a better understanding of a 'theory of everything'.

Where would we be without the Einstein's and Tesla's of days past? What is the mind for if one does not use it for the very purpose it was given - to think for one's self? Who is the overlord to put the restriction on how far one's mind should stretch and/or develop?

In the generations that are to come, will they look back over history and note the extent of the average mind of this era was "...when is the latest piece of tech coming out?" . My immediate thought is 'Why rely on tech when there is a brain in our head that has the capacity to work 100% better than any modern 'operating system (OS)' when stretched, developed, 'free' and used to its full capability?'.

But please, feel free to continue to think inside the box. However, do not then ignorantly attempt to analyse the state of mind of those who acknowledge there is no box, and reach out to find their 'happiness' beyond the finite.