because highly intelligent people often over-index on their intellect and override their emotional, somatic, and intuitive signals. logic is powerful...but it’s veryyyyy incomplete on its own.
when you’re disconnected from the body, you can rationalize almost anything, including decisions that don’t actually feel right. the body is constantly giving feedback, but most people just aren’t trained to listen.
i made this mistake for years. learning to integrate intelligence with embodiment changed everything for me.
I have found so much healing through plant medicine too (just regular plants growing outside my door!) and yoga :-) I can't believe how disconnected I used to be from my body.
Agree 100% with you Meghan! Mind, body, spirit…and people in western society have far over-indexed on the mind. The body and spirit (gut, intuition, soul, etc.) are WAY more important than most realize or practice.
I agree with Melody's comment about ego. In my industry (different than Tim's), I see the same thing among high-performing people. They think their expertise in one particular area makes them equally proficient across the board. I think the faulty thinking is mainly driven by an out-of-balance ego. (I believe we all have an ego, and the challenge is to keep it in perspective, not to eliminate it.)
I think it is also appropriate to point out that making terrible decisions is hardly the purview of highly intelligent people, I see many, many other people, regardless of IQ, also making terrible decisions about how to conduct their lives. To the degree that ego is at play in all of this, it would seem that ego often overrules intelligence!
I think the issue is more about a bias towards intellect, and away from instinct. We all have both and all habitually lean on one more than the other.
I learned that from “The Master and His Emissary.”
Maybe one solution is to build a council of family, friends, and mentors we can use for ad-hoc peer reviews. It’s usually easier to spot other people’s errors than our own.
I can relate to the stock market with this advice. There so many financial planners who think their stock picks will beat the market but the obvious choice is so simple(like investing in a index fund) that they don't really accept it. They try to make this elaborate framework which convinces not just them but their entire audience as well, and when everything is burnt to ashes(like the real estate market) in 2008-2009, people don't understand what happened.
Not controlling our own desires, makes us believe that there must be something deeper than what is visible and in most cases as you said, the obvious choice is the right choice.
Smokers are yet another example of this. You tell a smoker that you are going to die if you keep having cigarettes. Does he stop? Noooooo... Even when he knows not smoking is the obvious and healthy choice. He doesn't stop because he believes it will not harm him/her in the short term, and they can stop later when things become easy. However, that later never comes, heart attack and stroke does.
Also, a lot of time it is related to your upbringing as well.
When I think of how smart people make bad decisions, it’s usually more global in terms of over, focusing on work or some other “measure“ of success, rather than leading a meaningful and fulfilling life that doesn’t over index on any one “stock”.
Thanks for this post. I've seen this pattern so many times with friends and family and myself. One heuristic I have is to go to the right people for the right things. For example - not going to my accountant for startup advice. Or assuming myself that my big-tech experience applies to opening a restaurant. We have to be humble in our own gaps and not discount luck and timing.
In my opinion, the type of person you describe is not intelligent. Someone highly competent in one field doesn’t make them an overall intelligent person. Intelligence requires admitting when we don’t know the answer, the willingness to listen, and, perhaps most importantly, the capacity to adapt our thinking, methods, and behaviors. To course correct. Intellectualizing dumb choices in an attempt to justify the choice is … not intelligent. But this whole idea fails to acknowledge the role that our emotions, like shame and fear, play in the decision-making calculus. That’s a whole other essay topic.
Ah, I started reading this one thinking "yeah, I've made some bad judgement calls" . But by the time I finished reading, I got validation that I had been listening to some so-called smart people and that's why I was stuck making the wrong choices. Glad I listened to my gut. I'm way happier now.
Thanks for this piece. Also, I'm a big fan - in fact, yours is the only newsletter I make time for,like saving the best for last. I keep it unread till I can read it calmly and not in a mad rush. Cheers!
My clients consistently undervalue themselves in business and in life. They are wildly talented but struggle with worth and that is especially evident in their personal lives. I can't cross the line as their business coach to share my insights on their personal life, I can only stand by and watch. In some cases, a spouse or partner will entirely thwart their business growth, but I have to leave that alone. It can be heartbreaking and dream killing, but they aren't able to see it.
you know why this happens?
because highly intelligent people often over-index on their intellect and override their emotional, somatic, and intuitive signals. logic is powerful...but it’s veryyyyy incomplete on its own.
when you’re disconnected from the body, you can rationalize almost anything, including decisions that don’t actually feel right. the body is constantly giving feedback, but most people just aren’t trained to listen.
i made this mistake for years. learning to integrate intelligence with embodiment changed everything for me.
Really interesting breakdown, Meghan. How’d you learn? (just curious)
lots and lots of coaching and plant medicine.
hoffman process was a big one — highly recommend going if you haven’t yet.
tbh, anyone who has the money to go should go.
I have found so much healing through plant medicine too (just regular plants growing outside my door!) and yoga :-) I can't believe how disconnected I used to be from my body.
yoga is the best.
don't even think twice - https://www.hoffmaninstitute.org/the-process/
Thank you for asking this question. So interesting.
Agree 100% with you Meghan! Mind, body, spirit…and people in western society have far over-indexed on the mind. The body and spirit (gut, intuition, soul, etc.) are WAY more important than most realize or practice.
same page!
I agree with Melody's comment about ego. In my industry (different than Tim's), I see the same thing among high-performing people. They think their expertise in one particular area makes them equally proficient across the board. I think the faulty thinking is mainly driven by an out-of-balance ego. (I believe we all have an ego, and the challenge is to keep it in perspective, not to eliminate it.)
I think it is also appropriate to point out that making terrible decisions is hardly the purview of highly intelligent people, I see many, many other people, regardless of IQ, also making terrible decisions about how to conduct their lives. To the degree that ego is at play in all of this, it would seem that ego often overrules intelligence!
Great point, Greg. And I agree that ego can be the driver here. Learning to control one’s ego is probably of utmost importance, I would imagine.
I’ve seen this happen more times than I can remember (especially in my industry).
I’m a personal trainer/joint strength and mobility specialist, who trains a number of 7-figure business owners.
Despite being intelligent in their domain, struggle to stick with a basic plan.
And this is after a thorough physical assessment on their current capabilities.
The culprit is the shiny new object that’s the latest ‘hack.’
Bulletproof joints in 4 weeks.
I don’t think so.
No smarter. No better.
Ha. I can feel that in my bones, because that’s been me before in that domain :)
I know, right?!
I’ve been just as guilty as you, Justin!
Physical changes and adaptations are a lot like building a successful business.
Slow.
I think the issue is more about a bias towards intellect, and away from instinct. We all have both and all habitually lean on one more than the other.
I learned that from “The Master and His Emissary.”
Maybe one solution is to build a council of family, friends, and mentors we can use for ad-hoc peer reviews. It’s usually easier to spot other people’s errors than our own.
Yep. That’s what I have. People who are each “masters of their domain.”
The ego is powerful and deceptive.
Right? I could have just written that 😂
I can relate to the stock market with this advice. There so many financial planners who think their stock picks will beat the market but the obvious choice is so simple(like investing in a index fund) that they don't really accept it. They try to make this elaborate framework which convinces not just them but their entire audience as well, and when everything is burnt to ashes(like the real estate market) in 2008-2009, people don't understand what happened.
Not controlling our own desires, makes us believe that there must be something deeper than what is visible and in most cases as you said, the obvious choice is the right choice.
Smokers are yet another example of this. You tell a smoker that you are going to die if you keep having cigarettes. Does he stop? Noooooo... Even when he knows not smoking is the obvious and healthy choice. He doesn't stop because he believes it will not harm him/her in the short term, and they can stop later when things become easy. However, that later never comes, heart attack and stroke does.
Also, a lot of time it is related to your upbringing as well.
I’ve definitely witnessed this a few time and also guilty of not listening to my gut more. My wife is really good at gut instinct…like, really good.
I'm guilty of all of this, which is exactly why I thought it might be interesting to write about :)
When I think of how smart people make bad decisions, it’s usually more global in terms of over, focusing on work or some other “measure“ of success, rather than leading a meaningful and fulfilling life that doesn’t over index on any one “stock”.
I am proof of that BUT at least we EVENTUALLY learn from it……
Thanks for this post. I've seen this pattern so many times with friends and family and myself. One heuristic I have is to go to the right people for the right things. For example - not going to my accountant for startup advice. Or assuming myself that my big-tech experience applies to opening a restaurant. We have to be humble in our own gaps and not discount luck and timing.
Years ago I heard this statement that stayed with me. “People never care how much you know, until they know how much you care “.
In my opinion, the type of person you describe is not intelligent. Someone highly competent in one field doesn’t make them an overall intelligent person. Intelligence requires admitting when we don’t know the answer, the willingness to listen, and, perhaps most importantly, the capacity to adapt our thinking, methods, and behaviors. To course correct. Intellectualizing dumb choices in an attempt to justify the choice is … not intelligent. But this whole idea fails to acknowledge the role that our emotions, like shame and fear, play in the decision-making calculus. That’s a whole other essay topic.
I see this all the time as well.
The belief that because they achieved a degree of mastery in one area, it equates to all.
That’s dangerous thinking that seldom serves them.
Ah, I started reading this one thinking "yeah, I've made some bad judgement calls" . But by the time I finished reading, I got validation that I had been listening to some so-called smart people and that's why I was stuck making the wrong choices. Glad I listened to my gut. I'm way happier now.
Thanks for this piece. Also, I'm a big fan - in fact, yours is the only newsletter I make time for,like saving the best for last. I keep it unread till I can read it calmly and not in a mad rush. Cheers!
My clients consistently undervalue themselves in business and in life. They are wildly talented but struggle with worth and that is especially evident in their personal lives. I can't cross the line as their business coach to share my insights on their personal life, I can only stand by and watch. In some cases, a spouse or partner will entirely thwart their business growth, but I have to leave that alone. It can be heartbreaking and dream killing, but they aren't able to see it.