Excuse me while I sound like a hideous bitch for a moment. I was born with a good amount of intelligence. I don’t deserve credit for that, it just happened. But also over the years I’ve developed quite a lot of knowledge, and perspective, and emotional regulation and maturity. That I do deserve credit for.

When I feel like it, when I’m in the mood, I just run circles around people. And generally it’s not that I’m smarter, although I often am, it’s more that I’m aware of what I’m thinking and feeling and I know how to listen to those signals. I notice when I’m falling into a silly trap. I know when I’m full of shit and I can stop myself from saying dumb indefensible things. And I’m capable of at least feigning being cool and collected.

So, sometimes, I just calmly hit people with facts and perspectives that I know will bug them. And I back them into corners, etc. until they work themselves up into a little ball of anger and call me names or stomp off. And that amuses me.

So look I’m not a sociopath, I’m just sometimes a bit of a bitch and I’m trying to tell you, intelligence is great, but if you are unregulated, if you are a jumble of unprocessed emotions, then you are vulnerable to having people run circles around you. You are vulnerable to being yanked around for other people’s amusement. And note that repressed emotions are not regulated emotions. The repressed people are like little bombs and they are the easiest to set off.