Quote: (11-08-2013 01:22 AM)Hades Wrote:
Most of the guys bitching about high IQ were too mature for their age intellectually so they were alienated from all their peers as children and young adults. This can worsen an already latent case of introversion and spur on a misguided case of misanthropy and generalized resentment.
Upon adulthood these kids (might) wake up to realize that being smart is not an advantage, they have absolutely no game or social skills to speak of, and it's going to take them a few years to catch up to their peers in terms of social skills (math, physics, all that shit simply does not correlate into the "real world" of interpersonal relationships).
They will catch up if (and this is a huge if) their naturally fragile egos can cope with the serious blows to their self-identity that naturally comes with rejection - especially if one has never really risked rejection before. Ego injuries over time can create a robust sense of self-esteem and confidence that they can't begin to understand.
That's generally why the most intelligent players are late-bloomers, their peers had to catch up to them in terms of maturity level - then the intelligent guys had to catch up in terms of basic (and more advanced) social skills. If they've never acknowledged their own needs for social skills and remain dishonest to themselves they inevitably develop some kind of narcissism.
I think that's a fair assesment for many, allthough I can't help but wonder if things would be different if smart kids went to school and high school with other smart kids. Less resentment, more opportunity to learn social skills because of less stupid kid bullying. If I ever get kids, I am not sending to a public school that's for sure.
In reality, I think some blame probably falls on parents. Since intelligence is about 85% inherited (Google it), smart kids have smart parents and I think many smart parents emphasize intelligence too much in childhood over teaching basic life skills like social skills and how to deal with conflict and confrontation.