What Smart People Do When They Are Not Accepted

It would be great to be around people who are tolerant and humble enough to recognize the intellectual superiority of those who have it. But the reality is usually quite different. If there is a common characteristic that defines mediocre people, it is their ability to blur and humiliate those by whom they feel overwhelmed, as if thus avoiding some kind of threat, as if humiliating intelligent people would make them smarter.

On the other hand, let’s face it: being smart in a mediocre environment is a disgrace like any other. But, if you really are as smart as you think you are, you will not try to show that you are above anyone else. What’s more, your attitude to this circumstance says a lot about you.

Beyond being politically correct, surviving mediocrity involves accepting yourself and understanding that you don’t have to provoke anyone to be so. Nor is it a matter of playing dumb to be accepted by the media, although sometimes it can be an effective way to go unnoticed and not suffer the wrath of those who feel threatened by you. In fact, if you really are a smart person, you can even take advantage of the circumstances without offending or feeling offended.

Smart people know how to accept that not everyone will like them

No person is a ticket that everyone likes. Being smart doesn’t make you nice or essential or good people.  Smart people don’t fall into the trap of thinking that being smarter makes them better people or someone others want to know.

Your ideas, your aspirations or dreams, your knowledge or your values ​​can offend a lot of people. That makes you a more competitive person and can make the inferiority of others evident, but this does not necessarily mean that you have to change.

Intelligent people recognize and accept that not everyone will like them and, consequently, they do not allow themselves to be offended or try to defend themselves against those who do not understand them. In addition, they assume that these types of people who do not like them are not bad people, but that they are different, and they accept them.

The smart ones ignore or dismiss those they don’t like

Accepting that there are people who do not like you does not imply integrating them into your world. Intelligent people know how to differentiate those people who do not accept them and decide who they relate to and who they do not. Being smart doesn’t mean putting up with everything they throw at you.

But, as they say, “courteous does not take away courage.” This is why smart people treat everyone with courtesy, regardless of their feelings towards those people and how unpleasant and offensive they may be. In this way it is easier to avoid future confrontations.

Sometimes this courteous treatment can involve swallowing a toad, even playing dumb. At heart this way of acting is very intelligent at times and can prevent unpleasant situations that lead nowhere. It can even be a real intellectual and emotional control challenge.

The smart ones focus on themselves

In order to hide their own incompetence or to try to appear more intelligent than they are, some people focus their energies on annoying and humiliating those who stand out or have proven to be more intelligent. This is very frustrating. But it is typical of intelligent people to learn to handle the frustration that this type of attitude generates.

To do this, instead of focusing on how irritating these people are and defending themselves against public offenses, smart people focus on themselves, who they are, their own values. It is not about defending yourself to others, but to yourself.

In addition, intelligent people try to discover what are those factors that trigger the attitude of non-acceptance of others so as not to provoke them. In this way it is possible to anticipate the situation and smooth it out, even change the reaction. The smart ones know that it is easier to change their perception, attitude and behavior than to ask someone to be a different kind of person.

The smart ones stop and breathe deeply in the face of inconvenience

Instead of reacting violently to an uncomfortable circumstance when they are not accepted, the intelligent are able to stop and take a deep breath to avoid being carried away by anger or negativity. In this way, the intelligent prevent the attitude of others from hurting them.

Pausing and breathing deeply allows you to control the adrenaline rush that certain situations cause, allowing you to be in a better position to carry on a conversation or pass by. Breathing deeply helps you avoid overreaction and continue with an open mind and a light, positive attitude.