<p>Steve, no one said you can't be sad if you are not smart.</p>
<p>i tend to be a lot more sad nowadays and that’s because i’ve realized i am aweful at evrything because i am not good enough or not smart enough.does that answer anything?it reverses the world upside down i guess.and the question too,right?which makes a whole new question i am not sure what.
can happier people be smarter?</p>
<p>Strongly believe so. Innocence is the origin of happiness; cluelessness is its mechanism.</p>
<p>The more you know, the more you have, the more you realize what you don’t know, what you don’t have, and what sucks. And human nature dictates that you will fixate more on what sucks, than what doesn’t suck.</p>
<p>I’m unhappy because I’m always a step behind my dream and my ambitions.</p>
<p>I’m unhappy too, life sucks right now, but that’s mostly because I have finals and I don’t want to study so I’m on this forum wasting time.</p>
<p>Anyone here read Flowers for Algernon?</p>
<p>Another good book along the same lines as “Flowers for Algernon” is “The Speed of Dark” by Elizabeth Moon, which is the story of a high functioning autistic man with gifted mathematical abilities who is facing the dilemma of whether or not to undergo experimental testing to cure him of his autism…</p>
<p>In response to the OP, I think very smart/gifted individuals are often perfectionists, and their perfectionism and desire to always do/be better interferes with their ability to enjoy or appreciate what they have accomplished - and this can make them appear unhappy. You can see this in gifted individuals in ALL fields (music, art, literature) and not just those fields where giftedness can be measured through tests (science, math etc). Also, gifted children often begin to perceive themselves as different from their peers beginning at an early age; like individuals with autism/Asperger’s they often have very different interests and do not fit in socially with other children. Emotionally, this can effect their happiness and self-esteem while still children, and can effect their ability to be happy throughout their adult life.</p>
<p>Wise people are unhappy.</p>
<p>The statement, “Ignorance is bliss” is much truer than most people realize. Of course, most of the people who don’t realize its validity are themselves ignorant.</p>
<p>[/not intended to come across as mean]</p>
<p>I pretty much agree with what a lot of people have been saying…
yes, and this is a generalization, but i think that smart people are able to look beyond simple pleasures of every day existence (food, friends, sleep etc.)-not to say that they don’t enjoy them, but they realize there is something more.
They start to search for that extra something, and begin to think more about the future and the way the world is. What they find when they think about the world is not always comforting. The world is a dissapointment (especially when you think about poverty, illness, etc.) What really is the point in life? and so on.
Plus, smart people realize where they want to go, and are discouraged by the fact that they want to get there but might be unable to (in other words ambition)
also, a lot of the time people who do really well in school are the most stressed/high-strung. That certainly would make u less happy.
Certainly, more pressure is put on smart people to succeed. And this can lead to unhappiness
I’ve also noticed that people who are not as smart are more content with what they have. It is only people who have drive and the smarts that strive for more and are really dissapointed when they can’t achieve it.
umm…I don’t think anything of this made sense lol.</p>
<p>Chocobok: you made perfect sense. I’d be shocked if anyone would be unable to understand what you said, especially on a forum like CC.</p>
<p>I think generally the ones that are happiest are the ones who know themselves the most, and understand what truly makes them feel happy and comfortable. It doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t try to challenge themselves, but it usually means that they are able to recognize certain situations or people that would drive them to a less happy place. The “people reader” friend who refused to be a counselor is a very good example of this.</p>
<p>In the context of CC, this is why some people choose less “prestigious” schools for a better environment AKA fit. In the end, what makes some happy (prestige) wouldn’t mean a thing for others who thrive on the school’s qualities and what the school can offer them, and not necessarily the name.</p>
<p>This thread is driving me to drink. I am so intelligent, I need exogenous chemicals to gain a superficial sense of pleasure because gosh darnit, I just know too much about the world to do so sober. I should form a club for fellow sufferers of this ailment.</p>
<p>To the poster above me, I am just going to hope that was sarcasm. I would suspect it is, but after browsing these boards for a while, I just don’t know anymore.</p>
<p>Intelligent and gifted people are often less happy because they believe that being intelligent and gifted is the only thing that matters in life.</p>
<p>^ yes, i agree with that</p>
<p>same goes for pretty people, or really, anyone lopsided in one area</p>
<p>nonsense</p>
<p>s</p>
<p>
Thank you for contributing in such a meaningful way.</p>
<p>In my personal opinion, smarter/gifted people are less happy with the world. Smarter people are thinkers, conceptualizers, problem solvers. This means that they think more about the environment around them and about life in general. The increased awareness of the world means that they can see all of the problems the world contains. They feel helpless to solve them, leading them to become less satisfied with life.
Furthermore, our country does not support the growth of intellectuals. Now, people may say that isnt true. The smart people do, after all, get the high-paying jobs and are the ones to change the world. But think about schools. How often is a smart kid tha popular kid? Very rarely. The smart kids are the outcasts, rejected for being different. Meanwhile, the athletes and the pretty people are the center of attention, the ones with a lot of friends. This isolation of the smart kids means that the smart ones feel lonely and unimportant, which means that they will not be able to reach their full potential. If they are supported and nurtured, they could become so much more, but nowadays, they just feel, dare I say it, invisible.
And this problem dos not end after school. Think about it. Who are the icons of society? The heroes? The people all the kids want to grow up to be? The athletes, the actors and actresses, and the beautiful people; basically, the popular kids from school. Our society worships these people and forgets about the intelligent ones. This lack of recognition means that smart people realize that there is no point to trying. They will never be remembered or acknowledged by society. So they dont challenge themselves, leading to them having boring lives, leading to them being less happy. I am not saying that this applies to every smart person in the world, but in my experience, this has been the case.</p>
<p>skinnyman, for your sake, I really hope you are being sarcastic. If not, get out from under that rock.</p>
<p>Skinnyman has got a point, in that we really place more emphasis on athletics, beauty pageants, etc., but sometimes you have to be smart enough to figure out what really matters. If you think all that matters is happiness, you’re halfway there.</p>
<p>I’m pretty damn happy.</p>
<p>If these people are happy on what their doing then they are.</p>
<p>For a Painter, loves to paint</p>
<p>Happiness should not be interpreted as all around party-ing or smiling all the way.</p>
<p>I think their just plain quite~ Not to showy to people</p>