While there is some truth to the term “ignorance is bliss”, it doesn’t mean that you’re incapable of recognizing a bad situation just because your intelligence is below average. This is the reason why they have a tendency to feel depressed. This topic is up for debate within the mental health community, but we’d like to explore the topic here today. A … 7. And, being willing to appeal to a greater good — whether that be justice, truth and so on — is not the easiest thing to do, either. I don't need to watch them, because I don't want to be depressed, and I … They’re self-deceptions, serious errors in perception. Since mental illness often comes with a higher emotional sensitivity, smarter people suffering from depression and other illnesses also have a greater ability to “tune into” the suffering of others, to be more empathic, to have a greater understanding of the human psyche and that whole spectrum of creative study. Many of us make judgments about…, Jealousy in relationships is a complex feeling associated with passion and affection. One possible reason is because lower intelligence means it’s harder to complete job-related tasks, and thus get into a decent financial standing. Granted, a lot of them achieved fame and important positions in society. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock. It’s also important to remember that statistics are statistics, research is research – it helps give an overall picture of a diagnosis, but it should never trump actually exploring an individual’s case on its own. That’s because there’s research for and against the correlation, so it’s just a lot safer to say that it doesn’t really matter. A lot of the time they don’t have emotional skills to find peace in this confusing world. Intelligent people feel cursed by their intelligence. Being intelligent is great, but it does have some real downsides, according to science. On the other hand, if you live a life wherein your high intelligence was regularly rewarded, then it’d be quite easy for you to skew in the other way and develop a bit of an inflated ego and sense of self. It’s more plausible to state that, just like how arrogance and intelligence may be conflated with each other despite not necessarily having a strong correlation (being intelligent doesn’t mean you’re more likely to be arrogant, but you can most definitely be arrogant and intelligent), intelligence and depression are superficially linked. I'm a crier. There’s also the celebrated work of Lewis Terman, a pioneer of educational psychology in the early 20th century. Inteligencia y neuroticismo en relación con la depresión y la angustia psicológica: evidencia de dos grandes cohortes de población. Why Do People Struggle To Understand Depression? It is the most difficult feature of being intelligent. 80 of those children had IQs above 170. Somewhat strange, and very tied to their strangeness. Why Smarter People Are More Likely To Be Mentally Ill. Feb 24, 2014 05:13 PM By Matthew Mientka. Also the heavier … The “termites,” Lewis Terman’s children who were now middle-aged adults, demonstrated something interesting. Emotional Intelligence and Personality as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being. The Impact of a Tough Upbringing on Adult Relationships, Symptoms of Persistent Depressive Disorder. A research study suggests that highly intelligent people like to be alone. In many cases these … Recently, scientists discovered a quirky … While it is not uncommon for people to experience existential depression after a traumatic event, such as the death of a loved one or a natural disaster, gifted people may suffer from it spontaneously; that is, there is … They say ignorance is bliss, so to a more perceptive person, more negative experiences lead to a negative perception of life. In fact, intelligence has often been linked with positive things like educational success, good health and high-income levels. Because intelligent people are more prone to depression.. These people have a totally different perspective than regular people. Exercise is known to reduce anxiety and help you relax. As such, if you’re highly intelligent and struggle with a depressive, over thinking, worrying personality, you have a better understanding of suffering and “the human condition” – and thus, exhibit greater creative potential in one art form or another. Schizoaffective Disorder: History, Symptoms, and Treatment, 9 Differences Between Successful and Unsuccessful People, The Relationship Between Self-Abuse and Self-Esteem. During World War I, IQ tests started to catch on as a way to identify people of high intelligence- potential soldiers who could be especially helpful to the war effort. It teaches children to be obedient. Depression is linked with being highly creative or intelligent. Not all depressed people are very intelligent or the opposite – even if there’s some correlation towards both. It’s when we choose what to focus on and what to ignore in order to avoid responsibility. The statistics show that students with a natural aptitude in the humanities – subjects like linguistics and music, visual arts and performance – and to a lesser degree, arithmetic and sciences, have a stronger-than-average likelihood of developing manic depressive symptoms (bipolar disorder) later on in life. When including those who suspected depression, there was also a significant increase (95% CI [0.34, 0.37], p < 0.001). Same with women. Intelligence and emotional disorders: Is the worrying and ruminating mind a more intelligent mind? It’s all a spectrum, but one where not only the symptoms vary in severity, but where the factors vary wildly. Being in nature brings us joy. And let’s not forget that there are much larger factors at play when discussing depression, specifically brain chemistry and emotional/social circumstances. These are factors that tend to lead to issues with depression because you’re more likely to skew your thoughts towards cynicism and negativity with time – especially if you lack the emotional support and positive experiences needed to affirm a more positive image of both yourself and the world around you. But many also attempted suicide more than once or fell into addictive habits like alcoholism. All this does it further confuse the matter – but it also gives some interesting insight into how depression affects the brain. In fact, hundreds of stories seem to confirm…. One day soon you’ll be driving down... 2. The group became known as the “Termites” and consisted of 1,500 pupils with IQs above 140. I cry at the dumbest things, too. They always analyze bigger problems that they can’t solve in their mind. Getty. The results showed that highly intelligent people are 20% more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 80% more likely to be diagnosed with … My hunch is that being intelligent makes it harder to sell yourself a bill of goods. This isn’t meant to be a matter of generalizing all intelligent people, but rather, it’s a look at whether or not intelligence is a factor in depression and other mental illnesses. Highly intelligent individuals also tend to lead very active inner lives, being deeply sensitive and emotional. Creative intelligence, social withdrawal, emotional intelligence and the ability to “connect-the-dots” all seem to be indicators of a higher risk of depression – as well as manic depressive issues and schizophrenia. Official authorities and doctors never pin intelligence or IQ as a proper correlating factor for depression. Little details build entire lives. Another school of thought is that depression and intelligence are related, but depression causes a low IQ "to show up" so to speak. Intelligence and depression is not an obvious correlation. They come in all shapes and sizes, personalities and flavors, and from all kinds of familial circumstances. It’s undeniable: wisdom is so important for your self-image, self-esteem, and having a happy life. However, it can also involve ego and power.…, People have been talking about telepathy between twins for a long time. Every single adult in the world was obviously a child…, The main characteristic of schizoaffective disorder is that there are symptoms of schizophrenia alongside symptoms of a mood disorder (for example,…, Like the extraordinary human beings that we are, we crave success. Children with an IQ over 170 participated in one of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology. For this we recommend that you contact a reliable specialist. There’s existential angst, social isolation, emotional problems or continuous dissatisfaction from not reaching the high objectives a person with such capacities sets. Depression is a perception of reality that is skewed towards negativity. We're made to achieve it and to be capable…, Insecurity, affective dependence, low self-esteem, abusive bonds. As to why we get depressed, there are many inside factors and outside factors. However, there is indeed a certain predisposition towards excessive worry, self-criticism, and a distorted, usually negative, worldview. The first steps to answering these questions were taken almost a century ago, at the height of the American Jazz Age. In his study he discovered that almost 60% of them ended up developing a major depressive disorder. Getting out of that way of thinking only becomes harder the longer you’re in it because you stop trying at a certain point. Smart people know what they want and don’t settle for less … That said, we should mention there are exceptions, of course. Recent research shows a direct correlation, not between depression and intelligence, but between bipolar disorder and intelligence. In many cases these factors create ideal conditions for depression. There was 3.85 times the risk (an increase of 285%) for those of high intelligence of being diagnosed. © 2021 Exploring your mind | Blog about psychology and philosophy. In our society we have brilliant people that make the most of their potential by investing not just in their own life, but in society itself. Think of Hemingway, Emily Dickinson, Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allan Poe, even Amadeus Mozart. The truth, however, is that generally speaking school isn’t like that at all. Depression is a common but serious disease that ranges widely in severity. Every case is unique, and a little different. But no matter how smart you are, there will be things that you don’t get. Intelligent people are statistically much more likely to be depressed. You’re not actually intelligent. Geniuses like Sir Isaac Newton, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Charles Darwin suffered from long periods of neurosis and psychosis. But many studies have also revealed a disturbing link between intelligence and depression. Well, to start, higher intelligence doesn’t necessarily contribute to the development of any mental illness. I don't care how many awards they've won - I know they're good. Here comes the all important concepts you must understand! Not all depressed people think in one specific way, even if they’re prone to a specific type of thinking. Intelligent people more at risk of mental illness, study finds ... Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. 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