3 Socially Isolating Problems Gifted People Often Face Despite Their High Intelligence, According To A Psychologist
Despite their intelligence, gifted people often struggle with simple day-to-day tasks.
NDAB Creativity | Shutterstock Highly intelligent or gifted people are often seen as extremely privileged and envied. It's assumed they get through life without working as hard as their peers. Receiving praise, whether in an academic setting or workplace, may seem as if it comes naturally to them because they can retain information and present ideas.
However, highly intelligent people face hurdles that most people would never expect. In fact, many of their challenges stem from social interactions. Their brains may be able to work through complex problems quickly, but they face problems that can isolate them from their peers and make it hard for them to connect to others.
A psychologist shared 3 isolating problems gifted people face despite their high intelligence.
In a TikTok video, Dr. Joey Lawrence, an Australian-based psychologist and director at Neudle Psychology, where leaders in neurodiversity provide affirming psychological care, explained that she often sees unique psychological problems in gifted people. These unique problems have led Dr. Lawrence to use her platform to address the psychosocial model of giftedness and point out that gifted people have differing psychological needs compared to others.
1. They can overcompensate when completing 'simple' tasks
This type of behavior can often be mistaken for OCD. In reality, gifted people sometimes struggle with day-to-day problems that most would consider simple.
Straightforward tasks become quite cumbersome, and gifted people are caught up in the nuances of a specific task that actually isn't helpful to what they're doing.
Lawrence admitted that sometimes when she's writing a report, she finds herself rewriting whole sections or doing different literature reviews that will take her away from actually writing the report and finishing it. Basically, stay on task can sometimes take much longer than it should.
2. They observe other people's behaviors through 'binoculars' and make assumptions about their character
Coined "binocular thinking," gifted people often observe other people's behavior from a distance and then create complex theories as to why they're doing what they're doing.
Because of this, gifted people often develop elaborate theories about another person's intentions and actions, which is very similar to their overcompensating for simple tasks.
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Giving an example of how it affects her, Lawrence explained that she'll have a conversation with another person in which she'll make assumptions about their intentions, and none of what she's thinking is accurate.
Gifted people are encouraged to put down their binoculars and just focus on the present moment and the social signals that they're actually getting instead of making up their own.
3. They can make leaps and judgments about certain situations
"Some people refer to it as intuition," Lawrence pointed out. "This can be a problem when you're sort of needing to justify how you've come to this conclusion."
Lawrence explained that whenever she's working on an assessment, she has to make a conscious effort to show her work and explain how she reached certain conclusions because her brain has already skipped over certain steps and figured out the solution.
Gifted people often have to think backward in a way that can be challenging, and sometimes their intuition leaves out key bits of information.
It may seem amazing to be a highly gifted person, and there are certainly benefits, but there are also drawbacks and struggles.
Gifted people have a hard time with social interactions, just like average people. We're not all that different from each other, and instead of judging someone based on their IQ, we should be looking at who they are at their core.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.