Habits or Practices Dropped Silently by Individuals with High Intelligence Levels as They Mature
Highly Intelligent People Embrace Change and Let Go of Old Habits as They Age
Change is an inevitable part of life, and highly intelligent individuals, who may have once feared it, are learning to embrace it as they grow older. According to Nia Tipton, a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism, there are 11 things that highly intelligent people quietly abandon as they age, reflecting a shift towards emotional maturity, self-acceptance, and focusing energy on what truly matters.
- The need to win every argument
- Chasing external validation
- Overthinking and excessive worrying
- Living according to others’ expectations
- Trying to please everyone
- Dwelling on the past
- Taking everything personally
- Fear of being alone
- Resisting change
- Holding grudges
- Being overly critical of themselves
As highly intelligent people mature, they learn to dodge conflict and suppress their emotions less, understanding that avoiding discomfort means avoiding the things that are real. They realize that nothing about life comes easy, and avoiding discomfort means avoiding the opportunity to feel things and grow from them.
Highly intelligent individuals may have said "yes" out of obligation in the past, but with age and gaining more self-awareness, they're able to create healthier and stronger boundaries. They start to see the pattern in their relationships, particularly with emotionally unavailable people, and realize that it's not a real relationship.
Psychotherapist Ilene S. Cohen insists that it's important for highly intelligent people to take a step back and assess the balance in their relationships, ensuring they don't lose themselves in the process. As they get older, highly intelligent people start to see the value in changing things up and not allowing everything just to stay the same. They learn that life is unpredictable, and it's downright exhausting trying to have control over everything.
Nia Tipton covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience. Her article on the 11 things highly intelligent people abandon as they age highlights the emotional growth and self-awareness that comes with age. Highly intelligent individuals are learning to let go of old habits and embrace change, focusing on what truly matters in life.
[1] Tipton, N. (2021). The 11 Things Highly Intelligent People Quietly Abandon as They Age. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@niatipton/the-11-things-highly-intelligent-people-quietly-abandon-as-they-age-636e23dac4a1 [Accessed 27 Mar. 2023].
- As they mature, highly intelligent individuals shift their focus towards mental health, prioritizing self-acceptance and emotional maturity over the need to win every argument.
- Highly intelligent people learn to recognize the importance of mental health in their marriage, recognizing the need to suppress emotions less and dodge conflict in order to feel real experiences.
- Embracing change as they age, highly intelligent individuals start to incorporate health-and-wellness practices, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth into their lifestyle.
- Discarding the chase for external validation, highly intelligent people learn to create stronger boundaries and avoid relationships with emotionally unavailable individuals, focusing on what truly matters in their mental health.
- Highly intelligent individuals who have been overly critical of themselves begin to focus on their mental health, learning to accept themselves and let go of old habits, leading to a shift towards a focus on mental-health stories in their lifestyle.
