<p>Have you ever heard of <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/4-tricks-to-avoid-overconfidence.html">the Dunning-Kruger effect </a>? If you don't know the term, you definitely have experienced the principle. This psychological rule states that it's the most incompetent who are the most confident, while the most intelligent doubt their own abilities. Why? In short, dumb people are too dumb to understand exactly how dumb they are. Smart people are clever enough to know how much they don't know.</p>

Smart people are clever but clever doesn't mean smart. 

<figure><picture><source media="(max-width:600px)" srcset="https://www.incimages.com/uploaded_files/image/970x450/getty_466268301_2000132420009280153_325684.jpg"><source media="(min-width:601px)" srcset="https://www.incimages.com/uploaded_files/image/1920x1080/getty_466268301_2000132420009280153_325684.jpg"><img src="https://www.incimages.com/uploaded_files/image/1920x1080/getty_466268301_2000132420009280153_325684.jpg" alt="10 Problems Only Smart People Have" width="635" height="357"></picture><figcaption dir="auto">Getty Images</figcaption></figure><h2 dir="ltr">Smart people are more often alone.</h2><p dir="ltr">A fascinating recent study found that compared with the less gifted, smart people tend to spend more time alone. Why? "Those with more intelligence and the capacity to use it ... are less likely to spend so much time socializing because they are focused on some other longer-term objective," Carol Graham, a Brookings Institution researcher who studies the economics of happiness, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/03/18/why-smart-people-are-better-off-with-fewer-friends/?utm_term=.120dd32c018e" dir="ltr">explained to the <em dir="ltr">Washington Post</em></a>.</p><p>There's a silver lining for the exceptionally smart, however. While science suggests that they're likely to be less socially connected than others, it also suggests that this lack of human contact will impact their happiness less. So while you're more likely to be a loner if you're highly intelligent, that lifestyle is less likely to make you lonely -- presumably because you're too busy building a world-changing business or curing disease to be much bothered about missing bowling night.</p><h2 dir="ltr">They know how much they don't know.</h2><p dir="ltr">Have you ever heard of <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/4-tricks-to-avoid-overconfidence.html" dir="ltr">the Dunning-Kruger effect</a>? If you don't know the term, you definitely have experienced the principle. This psychological rule states that it's the most incompetent who are the most confident, while the most intelligent doubt their own abilities. Why? In short, dumb people are too dumb to understand exactly how dumb they are. Smart people are clever enough to know how much they don't know.</p><p dir="ltr">In real life this means it's actually the brightest who are often the most tormented by doubt and they're also the most likely to suffer from <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/13-ways-to-fight-back-against-impostor-syndrome.html" dir="ltr">imposter syndrome</a>.</p><h2 dir="ltr">They're more likely to fall prey to stereotypes.</h2><p dir="ltr">We tend to think of those who fall prey to bias and stereotypes as, well, kind of dumb. But one recent study, at least, suggested the opposite. A team of researchers found that because smart people are better at quickly picking up subtle patterns, they're also more likely to pair certain characteristics with certain groups based on flimsy evidence.</p><p dir="ltr">Or, as the <em dir="ltr">Atlantic</em> put it in <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/intelligent-people-are-more-likely-to-stereotype/535158/" dir="ltr">its write-up of the study's findings</a>, "these depressing results suggest there's a downside to being smart--it makes you risk reading too much into a situation and drawing inappropriate conclusions."</p><h2 dir="ltr">They're more easily distracted.</h2><p dir="ltr">If you find it hard to stay on task amid the hubbub off your office, I have good news for you -- that just might be a <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-unexpected-signs-you-re-smarter-than-average.html" dir="ltr">sign of your high intelligence</a> and above-average creativity. "More intelligent people may be more distractible at work <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3405772/Easily-distracted-work-Maybe-clever-Intelligent-people-difficulty-prioritising-tasks-workers-check-phone-200-times-day.html" dir="ltr">because</a> they have trouble prioritizing all of the great ideas they're always coming up with, according to a new study," <a href="http://time.com/money/4185972/smart-people-distracted-at-work/" dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Money</em> said</a>, reporting on one 2016 survey of more than 10,000 workers.</p><p dir="ltr">Another recent study out of Northwestern University <a href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/good-news-for-the-easily-distractible.html" dir="ltr">linked creative accomplishment with a reduced ability to ignore distractions</a>. Or to use the researchers' more technical language: "Real-world creative achievement was associated with leaky sensory processing -- or a reduced ability to screen or inhibit stimuli from conscious awareness."</p><h2 dir="ltr">They're weighed down by expectations.</h2><p>Having a great brain is wonderful, but having to deal with everyone else's expectations of the marvelous things you'll do with that brain? Maybe not so much. One study that tracked 1,500 super smart kids (their IQs tested at 140 or more) for decades found that many struggled to live up to their own and others' hopes for their lives.</p><p dir="ltr">When the study participants were in their 80s, researchers asked them to look back on their lives. "Rather than basking in their successes, many reported that they had been plagued by the sense that they had somehow <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10400121" dir="ltr">failed to live up to their youthful expectations</a>," <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150413-the-downsides-of-being-clever" dir="ltr">reports the BBC</a>. "That sense of burden -- particularly when combined with others' expectations -- is a recurring motif for <a href="https://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=351315" dir="ltr">many other gifted children</a>."</p><p dir="ltr"><em>Are their any other downsides to being super smart you'd add to this list? </em></p><video class="jw-video jw-reset" tabindex="-1" disableremoteplayback="" webkit-playsinline="" playsinline=""></video><div><span aria-live="assertive">Volume 0%</span></div><figcaption class="caption"><span><b dir="ltr">Inc. helps entrepreneurs change the world. Get the advice you need to start, grow, and lead your business today. <a href="https://inc.com/subscribe?cid=dan905:660:s00:CTA_&amp;utm_source=paidDisplayOn&amp;utm_medium=edit%20article%20footer&amp;utm_campaign=dan905:660:s00:CTA_" dir="ltr"> Subscribe here</a> for unlimited access.</b></span></figcaption><div>Oct 19, 2017</div><figcaption class="caption">The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.</figcaption><div><span>Read Next</span></div>

Being intelligent is great, but it does have some real downsides, according to science.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

<p dir="ltr">A fascinating recent study found that compared with the less gifted, smart people tend to spend more time alone. Why? "Those with more intelligence and the capacity to use it ... are less likely to spend so much time socializing because they are focused on some other longer-term objective," Carol Graham, a Brookings Institution researcher who studies the economics of happiness, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/03/18/why-smart-people-are-better-off-with-fewer-friends/?utm_term=.120dd32c018e">explained to the <em dir="ltr">Washington Post </em> </a>. </p>

<p>There's a silver lining for the exceptionally smart, however. While science suggests that they're likely to be less socially connected than others, it also suggests that this lack of human contact will impact their happiness less. So while you're more likely to be a loner if you're highly intelligent, that lifestyle is less likely to make you lonely -- presumably because you're too busy building a world-changing business or curing disease to be much bothered about missing bowling night. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Have you ever heard of <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/4-tricks-to-avoid-overconfidence.html">the Dunning-Kruger effect </a>? If you don't know the term, you definitely have experienced the principle. This psychological rule states that it's the most incompetent who are the most confident, while the most intelligent doubt their own abilities. Why? In short, dumb people are too dumb to understand exactly how dumb they are. Smart people are clever enough to know how much they don't know. </p>

<p dir="ltr">In real life this means it's actually the brightest who are often the most tormented by doubt and they're also the most likely to suffer from <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/13-ways-to-fight-back-against-impostor-syndrome.html">imposter syndrome </a>. </p>

They're more likely to fall prey to stereotypes.

<p dir="ltr">We tend to think of those who fall prey to bias and stereotypes as, well, kind of dumb. But one recent study, at least, suggested the opposite. A team of researchers found that because smart people are better at quickly picking up subtle patterns, they're also more likely to pair certain characteristics with certain groups based on flimsy evidence. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Or, as the <em dir="ltr">Atlantic </em>put it in <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/intelligent-people-are-more-likely-to-stereotype/535158/">its write-up of the study's findings </a>, "these depressing results suggest there's a downside to being smart--it makes you risk reading too much into a situation and drawing inappropriate conclusions." </p>

<p dir="ltr">If you find it hard to stay on task amid the hubbub off your office, I have good news for you -- that just might be a <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/8-unexpected-signs-you-re-smarter-than-average.html">sign of your high intelligence </a>and above-average creativity. "More intelligent people may be more distractible at work <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3405772/Easily-distracted-work-Maybe-clever-Intelligent-people-difficulty-prioritising-tasks-workers-check-phone-200-times-day.html">because </a>they have trouble prioritizing all of the great ideas they're always coming up with, according to a new study," <a dir="ltr" href="http://time.com/money/4185972/smart-people-distracted-at-work/"><em dir="ltr">Money </em>said </a>, reporting on one 2016 survey of more than 10,000 workers. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Another recent study out of Northwestern University <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/good-news-for-the-easily-distractible.html">linked creative accomplishment with a reduced ability to ignore distractions </a>. Or to use the researchers' more technical language: "Real-world creative achievement was associated with leaky sensory processing -- or a reduced ability to screen or inhibit stimuli from conscious awareness." </p>

<p>Having a great brain is wonderful, but having to deal with everyone else's expectations of the marvelous things you'll do with that brain? Maybe not so much. One study that tracked 1,500 super smart kids (their IQs tested at 140 or more) for decades found that many struggled to live up to their own and others' hopes for their lives. </p>

<p dir="ltr">When the study participants were in their 80s, researchers asked them to look back on their lives. "Rather than basking in their successes, many reported that they had been plagued by the sense that they had somehow <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10400121">failed to live up to their youthful expectations </a>," <a dir="ltr" href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150413-the-downsides-of-being-clever">reports the BBC </a>. "That sense of burden -- particularly when combined with others' expectations -- is a recurring motif for <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=351315">many other gifted children </a>." </p>

<p dir="ltr"><em>Are their any other downsides to being super smart you'd add to this list? </em> </p>

<b dir="ltr">Inc. helps entrepreneurs change the world. Get the advice you need to start, grow, and lead your business today. <a dir="ltr" href="https://inc.com/subscribe?cid=dan905:660:s00:CTA_&amp;utm_source=paidDisplayOn&amp;utm_medium=edit%20article%20footer&amp;utm_campaign=dan905:660:s00:CTA_">Subscribe here </a>for unlimited access. </b>

10 Problems Only Smart People Have

Smart people are clever but clever doesn't mean smart.

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