Does intelligence guarantee happiness?
By leateagee
@leateagee (3667)
China
May 15, 2008 8:27pm CST
There are people born with great IQs. There are reported child prodigies. Where are they now? Do you think having a high IQ or being a genius guarantees that you will be happy? Having a great brain would surely be handy in solving life's problems. It's so easy to get a job, solve math problems, grammars in English, all sorts of equations. Answers to mysteries in life, maybe. What do you think?
2 people like this
9 responses
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
16 May 08
No I don't think it is, happiness I think is mainly truely connected to the heart, being intelligent as far as common sense is a good thing but intelligence for remembering school learnings is just a case of having a good memory..common sense and being in love is the main recipe for happiness i think.
@leateagee (3667)
• China
17 May 08
Okay. What if every time the heart beats, the mind thinks of practical reasons? It is the heart indeed that is very important if we want to be happy. =)
1 person likes this
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
18 May 08
I think for humans being in love or passionate about something can assure happiness, we seem to be forever searching for love also...
@IddiKlu (176)
• United States
19 May 08
NO! Read Richard Feynman's books about his life, and you will see that even though he was probably was one of the 10 smartest people of the 20th century, he was never content with his intelligence, and continually had to prove to himself and those around him, how smart he was.
Reading about him made me feel content with who I am. And yes, being very smart is a recipe for feeling lonely often, but the understanding of why that is so, is a great consolation and alleviates these feelings.
1 person likes this
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 May 08
So its a continues quest for Richard to prove his brain powers. The feeling of loneliness is usually due to the fact that noone can catch up with smart people. Intelligent people are always hungry for informations and would always answer in details so that they won't be misunderstood/mistaken to be crazy for having such a great answer. Thank you for responding. Take care =)
@muscare (3068)
• Australia
19 May 08
I tend to think that highly intelligent people would be more inclined to be less happy, being prone to frustration because everyday people can't keep up with their thought processes, or their conversations. I also wonder whether there's a superiority complex that some of these people would get, making it harder for them to make friends and keep them. I don't know the answer, and I'll never find out personally, LOL!
@leateagee (3667)
• China
20 May 08
LOL =) Intelligence doesn't guarantee happiness. Intelligent people are usually alone and still alone. But they have a choice to live normally. They can do that. Thank you for responding. Take care =)
@leateagee (3667)
• China
18 May 08
You've got a point there. Some people are happy with little things or thoughts from love ones. Others are happy with their accomplishments or success. These intelligent people have happiness too maybe in their satisfaction to solve a difficult problem. =)
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
16 May 08
I don't think intelligence guarantees happiness at all. I have read somewhere that the incidences of depression are much higher in those with a greater IQ rating. Maybe like somebody else said here, having an enormous intelligence might be quite isolating, as it would be difficult to find people to converse with and share things on the same level. I'd imagine it's also very frustrating to have the type of brain that looks for answers all the time, and has to analyse everything in life to pieces....that would certainly drive me crazy.
@leateagee (3667)
• China
17 May 08
LOL =) Intelligent people are very complicated people or they just make simple things into a complicated one. The simplier the better. =)
@IddiKlu (176)
• United States
19 May 08
Actually NOT being able to analyze what goes on in life would be maddening. Generating understanding for what goes on via good thought processes, is a very calming and satisfying exercise.
Determining what is correct before the masses get there (and they usually do in time) is very soothing and amusing.
And while they are still catching up, their muddled thinking is of minor, if any consequence.
Also, happiness and intellect are not connected. You can have both, either or neither.
You are right about it being isolating. Mostly because ones own company can be vastly superior to being with others who babble about nothing. No time wasted.
Frustrating would be not being able to come up with the right answers. There lies true madness...
1 person likes this
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
17 May 08
LOL I agree...maybe the more intelligent people think that things HAVE to be complicated.
I agree too that life is much easier when things are kept simple. :-)
@excellence7 (3655)
• Mauritius
16 May 08
It is not necessary that intelligence guarantee happiness. Because there are many people who are less brilliant than others achieve higher in life. So intelligence does not walk alone, you need contacts, wealth and ideas. But this is to be highly successful. Because some people have a degree but are less intelligent than those who don't possess one! It is indeed true, there are cases like this...So it is not only intelligence that guarantee happiness...it is also your ability to do things, your certifications and your current job.
@leateagee (3667)
• China
17 May 08
Yes, you're right. Intelligent or not, its how you combine different factors that affect our life to agree with our desired life that makes us happy. Indeed, it's the satisfaction to have the ability to do things. =) But intelligent people have all that. =)
@wooitsmolly (3613)
• United States
16 May 08
I think that a lot of very intelligent people find themselves lonely and frustrated. They may not be able to surround themselves with people of "equal" intelligence, which may make them feel very alone. I am only assuming here, since I am not one of these people 
@leateagee (3667)
• China
17 May 08
Yeah, I guess so too. It's very difficult for them to find people having the same interests and as much knowledge as they have. =)
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
22 May 08
How could intelligence find answers to the mysteries of life? Human intelligence no matter how high is always limited. If perfect knowledge could be gained by human intelligence then Stephen Hawking would know the secret of the Spirit.
@cautionhot01 (418)
• Philippines
16 May 08
I don't think so even though their intelligent, they are only human. They will undergo the same process like us. And you can't be too good in everything.
@leateagee (3667)
• China
17 May 08
Yes, we are humans. But it seems that this genuises can just easily find solutions to our problems. =)
