Does other people's intelligence intimidate you?
@crimsonladybug (3112)
United States
February 5, 2012 5:35pm CST
I am a very intelligent person. I also know my weaknesses and know that I exist almost entirely in my right brain, with left brain functions (logic, math, science) operating at the bare minimum. So I am very smart about words and creativity. I can remember every grammar rule I was ever taught. I learned to "digitize" pictures for embroidery in the very first lesson I was given. I see things that other people don't (blue vs. orange tones in shades of red, green vs. blue tones in shades of grey...as an example) because of my eye for the artistic aspects of the world.
Meeting someone who is more keen than I at math or science doesn't bother me. I know I don't know those things and I have no interest in learning them. And I have not met a lot of people right brain dominant people who I consider to be more intelligent than I. My favorite singer (and one of my favorite people in the world) is. And I spend countless hours tossing myself back and forth between wanting to sit down with him and just talk about anything and everything that comes up and not wanting to talk to him at all for fear of sounding inferior because I know he knows I'm smart but he is brilliant and his brilliance intimidates me to no end.
Have you ever met anyone like that? Whose brain you really want to pick but at the same time you are afraid that they will be disappointed if they pick your brain?
3 people like this
15 responses
@Orson_Kart (6095)
• United Kingdom
5 Feb 12
OK, After reading this I do feel intimate! 
1 person likes this
@sql_cell (1427)
• Indonesia
9 Feb 12
if I meet people who are smarter than me, I would not assume it's in part a threat, especially if that person is your boss, or friends work together, just fun to meet people who are more clever than me, so I can know how the ability me, and learn more from people who have the ability on top of me. take a positive and a negative discard, may be applied wherever we are. whatever the situation
1 person likes this
@roberten (3128)
• United States
6 Feb 12
crimsonladybug, man or woman, we all put our pants on one leg at a time. I appreciate the intelligence of others but never worry that I am not smart enough to be in their presence. 
I feel equal as a human being. The things that makes us all special or unique set us apart in abilities only. I am superior at things that don't matter to others yet some may find utterly fascinating...such is life. What one can do does not necessary make the man. I may be excited to meet someone I admire greatly but I do not feel they would intimidate me simply because they are exceptionally intelligent.
I feel equal as a human being. The things that makes us all special or unique set us apart in abilities only. I am superior at things that don't matter to others yet some may find utterly fascinating...such is life. What one can do does not necessary make the man. I may be excited to meet someone I admire greatly but I do not feel they would intimidate me simply because they are exceptionally intelligent. 1 person likes this
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
6 Feb 12
A lot of times, people who are smarter than me in some areas can come across is a little bit intimidating. Mostly because they might look at things and talk about things in a way where it rather tends to fly right over the head of the average person. I've known some pretty smart people, but obviously they tend to not be a bit smarter, given the fact that they could slightly tone down what they say so more people can rather get the benefit of their knowledge.
That is really the problem with being an expert. The words that you say, yeah they might make perfect one hundred percent sense to you. To other people however, not so much. Therefore, you really just keep just looking at them. You'd like to ask questions, but there is just a certain feel about them, where you wonder if the answers you get would lead to more questions.
1 person likes this
@Kalyni2011 (3496)
• India
6 Feb 12
Thank you so much for this discussion,to be honest i have yet to meet a person, may be male or female, of the type you are talking of..
Best of luck.
Happy posting, cheers.
Kalyani
Best of luck.
Happy posting, cheers.
Kalyani
1 person likes this
@eljayo (1105)
• Philippines
6 Feb 12
Hi! WOW you really love yourself from how you describe yourself. I hope pride is not lurking in you. I don't easily get intimidated with intelligent people because I believe everyone of us has his/her smartness and abilities. You should not be bothered if you meet someone more intelligent than you. We are all unique and we learn from other people.;)
1 person likes this
@urbandekay (18278)
•
6 Feb 12
I think you are wrong to equate intelligence with creativity, this is equivocation, which is a surprise from one that claims to be "very smart about words."
all the best urban.
@jimbomuso (950)
•
19 Feb 12
Intelligence intrigues me because it contains so many aspects. I've know many people who're exceptionally gifted and have gone on to great things but everyone has a flaw to balance their strengths.
There are people who'd possible intimidate on an intellectual level but I'd be to busy being starstruck or gushing in a pseudo teenage reverie! It doesn't matter whose brain I pick I'll always learn something.
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
6 Feb 12
Oh, I've had quite a number of friends whom I would've loved to pick their brains off. I'm just amazed at how good their logical skills are. Once I had a conversation that went for almost 2 hours discussing a single topic. But I've never been intimidated with these brainy people. I don't see the point in being so if I want to learn things and improve myself. Besides, I think I can carry myself rather well when I'm with intelligent people. True, they might get disappointed if they picked my brain but if they're holistically intelligent, they wouldn't be disappointed :)
1 person likes this
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
6 Feb 12
To be honest I'm VERY intimidated by intelligent people. I try to relax and learn from them but on the other hand I think to myself that how can I be a personal friend with someone who's more intelligent than I am? I guess it's an old fear of not being able to measure up to the other person's standard that I had since I was a child. Nothing I could ever say or do wasn't - and still isn't - good enough for their high expectations, and I think that's why I almost flunked high school. I just lost my desire to try, I guess.
I know this sounds like a ramble, but I mainly avoid people who are more intelligent than me. I'm a simple gal, and always will be, and I feel more comfortable with people on my own level, which isn't very high.
1 person likes this
@neelia_lyn (2003)
• Philippines
6 Feb 12
I don't feel intimidated by intelligent people. I just get bored when they talk and talk about intelligent things that my not-so-intelligent brain can't absorb. There's one I know that could talk for hours about how he could do this and that and at the same time never notices that the one he's talking to is already snoring 
(he's actually bragging - so much talks but no actions!)
But I love intelligent people who actually knew how to get down to level with the one they're talking to so that they could easily understand each other
Good day!
(he's actually bragging - so much talks but no actions!)
But I love intelligent people who actually knew how to get down to level with the one they're talking to so that they could easily understand each other
Good day!1 person likes this
@didi13 (2926)
• Romania
18 Feb 12
You never had enough imagination to imagine the world without you. Even if you do not go with vanity, to paranoia, to believe that the world revolves around you, that is eager to hear what you say, you lacked intelligence, or ability to accept that not be more than photos Yellow, that, one, after you throw them away.
@Robswife2006 (1208)
• United States
5 Feb 12
Unfortunately I was never good in school. I received good grades for the most part but they were just passing grades. My problem was that I got distracted very easily & I couldn't seem to remember anything that I had learned. Soon after I stopped trying. Now when I talk to someone who I know is intelligent it makes me feel very stupid & intimidated. So usually I just avoid them after that. I figure we have nothing in common so why try to get to know each other.
1 person likes this
@jethdale (156)
• Philippines
6 Feb 12
i really believe that there is always somebody greater than us. no matter how intelligent we can be. The thing is we have to be passive and visual to everyone. If we some ideas, it will be much better if we share it to whose more intelligent that us. There maybe some instances that we might get intimidated but its worth a try and for sure the moment they insult us. they give some new inputs that adds our learning, making us more intelligent than what we had started lately
@craziestqueenever (1819)
• Philippines
6 Feb 12
No, I shouldn't be intimidated with their intelligence because it was given to them by God Almighty. I do believe in my own intelligence and in my own skills. I just considered that the intelligence of others as my inspiration to strive more and harder.
