Is it possible to be smart and happy

Obviously the people saying so feel like they are particularly smart. Possibly because the more intelligent you are the higher your standards, so the less likely you are to be satisfied. Or because the more intelligent you are, the tougher your search for meaning and purpose. Or because the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to be tormented by some of the big pictures like politics, the environment, or world peace.

While they might have high standards and big picture concerns, research shows that people with high IQs are actually more likely to be happy; data from the research showed that people with the highest IQs were much happier than those with the lowest IQs. If you're wondering, those categorized as having the highest IQs fell between and , while those in the lowest category fell between 70 and Sure, you may be the smartest person in the room.

A genius who can solve complex mathematical formulas, program AI software, or engineer the latest technology. But you still may lack knowledge and intelligence when it comes to how to be happy and live a satisfying life. In fact, most research shows that there is a positive correlation between IQ and well-being…. If anything, intelligence is more of an asset to happiness than a cost, although this effect is often mediated by the fact that more intelligent people also typically have better health and better socioeconomic status overall.

Smart people know clearly what they want. Often they look at the world in an idealistic way, and it is difficult for them to give up their expectations. This prevents them from receiving satisfaction from life and feeling happy, and the reality of the world around them often just brings disappointment. In his book, "True Happiness" Martin Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, calls for a daily "exercise of gratitude". Just remember those things and events that make you feel grateful.

It will distract you from having negative thoughts and help you to look at many other things. Or try to keep a diary of the things you're grateful for, and every day, be sure to write in it about what you have family, health, friends, education, and freedom. Everyone wants to experience understanding in a close relationship.

But it's very difficult for intelligent people to talk to an interlocutor openly since they are often misunderstood. They want to talk about important and meaningful events and rarely are accepted and understood.

According to scientists , socialization for people with high IQs is an experience often more painful than loneliness. Try to reconsider your surroundings and get rid of people who pull you to the "bottom" or internally empty you. Find ways to make new acquaintances with people whose company you aspire to. Appreciate the relatives who sincerely love you - this is the best way to get rid of the feeling of unhappiness, according to psychologist David G. Many scientific works confirm that intellectuals often suffer from mental disorders.

The scientists couldn't find a direct dependence here, but the fact remains. The habit of constant analysis leads to frequent reflections about life, death and the sense of existence. All this in most cases leads to depression. The final and worst kind of self-sabotage is trying too hard to blend in. Intelligent people often let the world bully them for no reason other than their intelligence, which ultimately leads to them getting lost in a sea of feelings while not living based on their true values.

Could it be that the invisible barrier is one you set up in your own head? Self-sabotage is sneaky but not impossible to sniff out and turn off. Their responses? Money, success, and great relationships. We think we must earn it, and so we feel bad even asking for it. We get stuck chasing money, status, and power instead of focusing on activities we intrinsically value, like work we enjoy, hobbies we are passionate about, and being around people we like.

This cycle eventually leads them to self-sabotage and self-isolation which, in turn, brings them to a desolate conclusion: Being happy is not important. This is the sad end of a long line of misguided thought, and the only way to avoid it is to reflect on your happiness regularly, remember you have a right to it and proclaim it, and then prioritize the activities and people in your life that are most aligned with your true values.

Unlike Naval, I had the privilege of being born neither poor nor miserable. While I would always have considered myself pretty happy on average, I did feel the weight of intelligence at times, especially as a teenager. The more I studied psychology as part of my work and education, the more I realized whatever weight there was at any given time was mostly a result of my habits, not my IQ.