Recently I got a little curious and ran an experiment in my classes (yes it was a nerdy move but stick with me). While I continued to be bubbly in conversation with my classmates in two classes, in one of them I did not discuss anything that interested me, such as philosophy or deeper and more meaningful questions. In that class I ended up getting invited to parties, hang outs, and got to know some people. In the one where I prioritized getting to know people for who they were and expressing some of my own interests, it seemed that people were more apprehensive.

My theory is that like in my past people can be apprehensive and fearful to approach gifted individuals. While I know I’m only speaking for myself in this case I see a lot of people on this subreddit facing similar issues with building connections. From what I’ve gathers it seems we have two options: wait for others who prioritize the same passions for depth we do, or skip the depth entirely and go with the herd. Personally I’m torn and don’t know what to pursue.