Does a high IQ help in life?

“Are you the smartest one here?” The teacher was furious. A seven-year-old student had just pointed out to her a mistake in front of everyone: in his diary she wrote: “I ask parents toДyou to school.” Max constantly stretched out his hand and gave out the answer before any classmate, even after numerous comments. For the teacher, he was like an eyesore, and other students have shown aggression more than once.

In every school you can find such a child. Sometimes it is ourselves. It is not difficult to guess what problems this can bring. But does a highly developed mind help to become happy in life?

IQ

The level of intelligence of a person is determined by testing, taking into account age norms. The final coefficient in many countries is considered a significant assessment that is taken into account when applying for a job.

“These abilities are innate,” says psychotherapist Gurgen Khachaturyan. – Like other innate or somehow acquired qualities, they require development. That is, in itself, high intelligence is just a fact, a phenomenon. Without some kind of improvement, transformation, it will not play a positive role.”

The burden of a smart person

Max was respected, but not loved. He was obviously annoyed by the wrong answers and corrected everyone, including the teachers. His manner of communication seemed to be all boasting and the desire to prove that the rest are fools.

He wasn’t really trying to put anyone down – he was just being himself. With a lively mind and absorbing knowledge at an amazing rate, he did not quite understand the impression he was making on others. And he could not control himself, refraining from advice and comments. Even the family sometimes kicked him out of the room while watching quiz shows.

“About the attitude towards people with high intelligence,” explains Gurgen Khachaturian. “There are two rules here. First, no one in the world loves those who are not like themselves. That is, hostility is caused by a person who stands out among his peers. And at school, children very often compare themselves with others – in terms of academic success, in sports. Being a “black sheep” in his first society, such as a class, a person will face rejection. Not because he is the smartest, but because he is different.

The second – a feature of our country, the post-Soviet space – is the traditional dislike for someone smart. I remember well how in the higher educational institution where I entered, the phrase “Are you an intellectual?” or the word “intellectual” was pronounced derogatoryly, as an attempt to offend. And at some point after the next question: “Do you think too highly of yourself?” I passed an IQ test and with great surprise, first of all for myself, found out that I really have a very high one.

“In the stories of Max and those similar to him, in fact, we are talking about the socialization of people with some kind of — continues Gurgen Khachaturian. — Features are different – for example, a lack of something or excessive development, giftedness. Anything that is out of the norm. There are always fewer such people than the rest, and therefore communication issues will always be acute. This is something to do from a young age.

So that special children do not withdraw into themselves, do not break away from the team, but interact with it, school psychologists, parents, and teachers should help them. Because, I repeat, high intelligence in itself does not give any big “buns” in life, you need to be able to use it.

From the fact that a person becomes a “thing in itself” with an intellect locked in a cranium, his social phobia only intensifies, and his abilities do not find proper application. By the way, pay attention to how socially phobic genius people are.

Does a high IQ make you feel satisfied with life? On the one hand, it is always nice to feel different from everyone else, to feel that you are looked at with admiration, sometimes envy. But very often a developed intellect makes people lonely. After all, sooner or later they are faced with the fact that they have no one to talk to. Probably, the athlete Ussain Bolt, who sets record after record, is bored every time competing only with himself. After all, there are no athletes who run as fast as he does now. In the same way, it is always difficult for brilliant people to find an interlocutor.

There is a risk that they will become more and more knowledgeable and even more detached from society. It does not add to life satisfaction. Socialization skills, communication with people are also necessary for those who are said to be the smartest.”

Today Max is a successful developer and programmer. In difficulties with socialization, he was helped by sessions with a psychotherapist and a passion for sports.

“Am I absolutely happy? he thought, hearing the main question. — Probably so. When I play football with my friends after work. And then at home, tired, without a single thought in my head, I plop down on the sofa and turn on some absolutely stupid comedy … “