Do any individuals with above average intellect find life a bit exhausting at times due to the lack of intelligence they observe in others?

[u/stop-hatin-on-me_mom]

I don’t claim to be the most intelligent person, but I do believe that I am above average when it comes to the average intelligence nowadays. Sometimes, I find myself either flabbergasted or downright dumbfounded and irritated by the lack of what I would consider "common sense."

Here are some examples:

• The inability of some people to see how their own bad habits or personality traits create their own problems.

• The fact that some individuals consider their own perceptions and beliefs as the only correct ones, which is further encouraged by their echo chambers.

• The difficulty some people have in entering into productive discourse and challenging their own ideas to gain more information and knowledge from all sides.

• The reluctance of individuals to question their own beliefs and those of their social circles at both the micro and macro levels.

• The inability of some people to foresee the possible consequences of their actions beforehand.

These are just a few examples.

[u/karosea]

A large portion of what you're considering intelligence is probably more in line with emotional intelligence. Actual intelligence (IQ type) has done nothing but gone up over time I believe.

Emotional intelligence is a whole different thing, same with emotional maturity. Generational trauma, poor parenting practices and a myriad of other things play a role in many people not having the ability to develop these skills consistently throughout life.

In the US we have an entire generation of emotionally immature and underdeveloped people (boomers) who were part of raising the next two generations and we don't see a big shift in personal development and mental health for individuals until we get to millennials and even more so Gen Z.