I write rhymes, some i put to music ?

My guess is intelligence is measured in both cultural knowledge and memorized abilities of the mind. ...not having pillow talk with a lover in our culture is achingly lonely. ...keeping my mind active in both dreams and learning is never solitary

My take on this is that the video is largely correct that there is a correlation between intelligence (not necessarily of the emotional variety) and loneliness. Art as a coping mechanism is something i can buy into. But i do think that as maturity progresses most of the people in the emotional intelligence category learn to express their gifts and become good communicators. It is a question of connecting with your audience, of bringing forward those aspects of yourself that make an impression, of not being afraid to bring forward your own stories and do so with universal appeal.

I think I understand the video. What I've come to understand is the fact that a great many emotionally traumatized people turn to art, music, writing, in order to have an avenue of expressing their deep feelings. As I'm sure you know, most families do not have a good structure in which each member can be vulnerable and express their feelings, ie.needs, in a safe supportive environment. This is why I've resorted to psychotherapy. I can not be vulnerable with my "family", my siblings and I were not raised in a "safe" (emotionally) environment. Presently, my sister's family are geographically the closest and the most aggravating, due to the "gremlins" passed down from my parents through my sister and her husband to her offspring. I'm the "black sheep" and looked upon as the "crazy" uncle, both due to my Agnosticism and my choice of using psychotherapy. I am very fortunate though to be able to lay my soul bare to a dear friend who appreciates, respects my comments to her about my feelings and the importance of her friendship in my life. I think THIS is what the video is about, honesty, expressing emotions, being genuine, vulnerability. Thank you, Victoria, another very thought provoking post!

I had to watch this animation twice in order to gain a perspective that i can write about with clarity. I have learned that authenticity or painful honesty are not considered desirable social graces. People who are inherently and highly introverted generally struggle with social graces but conversely are high on the intelligence scale on at least one topic or emotional intelligence for purposes of this conversation. I'm not sure that this video has all of the cause and effect captured properly but there is a clear correlation between intelligence and isolation. I think we can look at this the opposite way and say that highly introverted people are more comfortable being alone and consequently develop hobbies, and interests (reading and introspection) that are based on solitude as coping mechanisms. We have all heard terms like "It's lonely at the top" or "geeks are loners". I confess that I have been equal parts introvert and extrovert in the span of my life. During my introvert phase i spent tens of thousands of hours on reading, education, or practicing music. During that time I worked with many highly intelligent, introverted, and analytical people. Some were probably on the autistic spectrum. But over time as my music skills grew i was thrown into a social arena. So learning to socialize properly was an occupational requirement. Here are some of the things i learned on the path to becoming an extrovert. First and foremost an amateur will prepare until they get it right but a professional will prepare until they will never get it wrong. This is the key to rock solid confidence. Next in order to succeed in the social game one must learn to keep the conversation and topics lite on initial meeting of a potential friend or lover as well as a myriad of other social skills to include the subtle skill of modeling and recognizing body language as indicators. These skills are part of a set of knowledge that I'll call social intelligence. I won't bore you with any more details but the take away message here is the fact that Intelligence is necessary to cope with both isolation and being in the spotlight.

I'm highly introspective, but I find the concept of emotional intelligence to be somewhat hard to nail down and don't know whether I'm very high in that category. But I'll make the assumption for the sake of argument that I'm among those the video describes, for the purpose of answering the question more fully.

First, am I lonely? Yes. No. Somewhat. Ugh, why is this so difficult?! Yes, I'm lonely. But the alternative is to spend more time with people, and I'm unsure that's an improvement for me. I've become accustomed to being alone, and I need a lot of solitude and quiet. That's at least partly a consequence of my extreme introversion (though I'm not especially shy, which I feel is too often conflated with introversion). So, I'm lonely but I need to be alone much of the time to function. And walling myself off a bit may have been a response to childhood ostracization, a coping mechanism of sorts.

I have been told that I am rather intimidating, which isn't my intent, but I come across as stoic and excessively serious. I tend not to smile unless I'm amused or making a special effort when meeting someone, but my default expression tends to be very serious and standoffish (resting asshole face, I guess). That wouldn't have a lot to do with emotional intelligence, but I also don't do well with idle chitchat, so I'm quiet in conversation, especially in groups, unless there's a good reason to speak up. Otherwise, I just have nothing to say or contribute. One-on-one, I can compensate a bit by asking the other person questions — because most people enjoy that attention and the ability to talk about themselves — and I can try to direct the conversation somewhat toward non-trivial matters.

As for finding comfort in art, I don't know that I feel that way. I appreciate art, and I enjoy artistic expression and creativity, but that doesn't seem quite like what the video was describing. It seems like any solo activity or hobby or interest could fill time and distract from loneliness.

What I do find, in regard to distracting from loneliness, is that anything that gets me out of my own head and away from the excessive focus on myself is beneficial. In particular, volunteering seems effective in that regard, especially if I can interact with people directly. It is social in some respect, it is focused on the needs of others, and I'm not dwelling on my own problems and depression and loneliness.

In terms of sharing who I am, well, written expression is probably the easiest way for me — as I think this comment illustrates. I can talk about myself in person, too, but to do so at length feels awkwardly self-indulgent and the conversation seems unbalanced. In writing, I can put it all down, and more precisely choose how to say what I'm thinking, and you can decide to read or not, to skim or pore over my words, without me feeling like I'm capitalizing on your time or imposing myself upon you. I don't think it helps alleviate any feelings of loneliness, though maybe slightly helps with a sense of isolation.

I also have a self-deprecating sense of humor, which probably reveals and conceals at the same time. I also skate the edge of "appropriate" humor, though some people would say it's well over the line. Those people are wrong. Nobody is hurt by what I say, no matter how irreverent. I don't attack anyone personally (except myself) for the sake of a joke. When I do tease someone personally, it's someone I know well enough to know where what they find funny versus insulting, and my goal is always to make them laugh, not just those around them. The people who think I'm over the line are generally those who insist that things like sex can't be joked about — scandalous! — or take offense at anything that challenges their religious views or social mores, which I'm rather likely to joke about at some point.

Anyway, did I answer your question? I feel like, in this wall of text, I must have, even if by accident. But if I missed the mark, please let me know.

I’ve never been afraid to have been called weird. I find it weird to conform to expectations. What’s that saying? You laugh at me because I’m different, I laugh at you because you’re all the same. Am I totally missing the point? These socio-behavioral videos y’all post are often difficult for me to interpret. Similar to if I were to post a video discussing mineral composition and structure in the mantle and the changes when the material is transported to Earth’s surface.

I'm not, but then I'm dumb as a stream bottom rock.

Eureka !!!!!... I am a freaking GENIUS !!

Maybe more aware of loneliness.

I believe so

I don't know.

Not necessarily more alone, but perhaps more comfortable being alone. At times I can feel alone surrounded by people, but can be perfectly content by myself or with other emotionally intelligent persons

What's intelligence?

I have occasionally described myself as an artistic-scientist or renaissance man. I actually believe both art and science are an intellectual manifestation of the same thing: being truthful within and without which means not to self deceive. Ones that know me well, understand I occasionally need loneliness yet more superficial acquaintances see me as very extroverted. The duality is me and I am truthful to both. I can be read like an open book as much as I can be opaque. People open up to me very quickly IRL because I emanate something that I cannot control (meaning I can't manipulate people).

I have no argument with this whatsoever. I've been lucky to find some receptive people in my lifetime, but still had a need to express myself in writing and music.

I personally feel that the answer is yes. I’ve seen so many of my more intelligent friends single and shut off from the world than my less intelligent friends. Those friends tend to either always be searching for a relationship or settling for whatever. But my more intelligent friends tend to wait for something that’s closer to ‘perfect’. Being 31 and single myself, I am also the one that my friends turn to when they have no clue what’s going on. I’m considered the smartest (or at least one of the smartest) person that a lot of my friends know.

It’s an interesting question though.