There is a point in every smart person’s life where their brilliance becomes a thorn in the flesh.
You know your skills and have mastered them, you can also trace the origin of your traumas. You’ve even read all the books and underlined the important quotes.
But nothing has changed.
This is because merely having insight does not automatically spur transformation. Knowing why you're stuck is not the same as getting unstuck.
And the more intelligent you are, the more elegantly you can explain your own paralysis, with the most flowery words without ever moving.
What follows next is a period when your self-doubt become so strong that you begin to question your abilities.
However, though, the important thing is to note that while it is a step towards solving your problems, a mere diagnosis will not bring about any change.
What’s worse is that the more intelligent you are, the more seductive your stories become. You can out-argue your growth. You can rationalize stagnation so well that it almost sounds like wisdom. “Maybe I just need more time.” “Maybe this is who I am.” “Maybe the world is not ready for me.”
Sometimes intelligence doesn’t liberate. It anesthetizes. It gives you the tools to narrate your pain so beautifully that you forget to leave it.