{"id":1145,"date":"2022-11-29T11:47:11","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T11:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/?p=1145"},"modified":"2022-11-29T11:48:24","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T11:48:24","slug":"to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/","title":{"rendered":"To Be Great Is to Be Misunderstood: What It Means and Why It\u2019s True"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote><p>Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.<\/p>\n<p>-Ralph Waldo Emerson<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What are your thoughts on this quote? Does it ring a bell and you immediately understand what it means? Or do you feel confused? Let\u2019s discuss what the meaning of this quote is and why gifted people often feel misunderstood.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #222222;color:#222222\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #222222;color:#222222\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#To_Be_Great_Is_to_Be_Misunderstood_%E2%80%93_The_Meaning\" title=\"To Be Great Is to Be Misunderstood &#8211; The Meaning\">To Be Great Is to Be Misunderstood &#8211; The Meaning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#Why_Do_Gifted_People_Feel_Misunderstood\" title=\"Why Do Gifted People Feel Misunderstood?\">Why Do Gifted People Feel Misunderstood?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#1_Their_ideas_are_unaccepted\" title=\"1. Their ideas are unaccepted\">1. Their ideas are unaccepted<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#2_They_dont_have_a_lot_in_common_with_most_people\" title=\"2. They don\u2019t have a lot in common with most people\">2. They don\u2019t have a lot in common with most people<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#3_Lack_of_engaging_conversations\" title=\"3. Lack of engaging conversations\">3. Lack of engaging conversations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#4_No_one_to_share_their_passion_with\" title=\"4. No one to share their passion with\">4. No one to share their passion with<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/#5_Different_aspirations\" title=\"5. Different aspirations\">5. Different aspirations<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"To_Be_Great_Is_to_Be_Misunderstood_%E2%80%93_The_Meaning\"><\/span>To Be Great Is to Be Misunderstood &#8211; The Meaning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This quote means that being gifted sometimes equals being too difficult to understand. This may result in social rejection.<\/p>\n<p>When someone is much smarter and more creative than the average person, they may look too eccentric to those around them. Their ideas may sound like nonsense because they are too far ahead of their time.<\/p>\n<p>The majority often rejects \u201clone geniuses\u201d, and we can see many examples in history where the brightest inventors, poets, and thinkers were ostracized by their societies.<\/p>\n<p>But I believe that this quote doesn\u2019t refer only to the outstanding people who made world-famous discoveries and achievements. The message it conveys can be applied to every creative mind, <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/personality\/deep-thinker-definition-signs\/\">deep thinker<\/a>, and intelligent loner who feels misunderstood.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s talk about the reasons behind this misunderstanding.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_Gifted_People_Feel_Misunderstood\"><\/span>Why Do Gifted People Feel Misunderstood?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Their_ideas_are_unaccepted\"><\/span>1. Their ideas are unaccepted<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If we are talking about a really gifted individual, their ideas may be too far ahead of their time. Some of the greatest thinkers, including Albert Einstein, have faced misunderstanding and criticism even in the <a href=\"https:\/\/daily.jstor.org\/why-no-one-believed-einstein\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scientific circles<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So, what to say about an average person talking to an eccentric genius like Einstein or Tesla? Most likely, such a person wouldn\u2019t understand a word.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_They_dont_have_a_lot_in_common_with_most_people\"><\/span>2. They don\u2019t have a lot in common with most people<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Being highly intelligent brings a certain degree of loneliness with it. It happens simply because a gifted person has very different interests than the majority of people.<\/p>\n<p>From favorite music to preferred pastimes, a highly intelligent person will choose things that aren\u2019t popular among the general population. I doubt that they would spend their time watching sitcoms and reality shows most people enjoy.<\/p>\n<p>This also means that they don\u2019t have a lot in common with the majority of people, which makes it more difficult for them to <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/how-introverts-make-friends\/\">make friends<\/a>. Sometimes this may leave a gifted person feeling alone and misunderstood.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Lack_of_engaging_conversations\"><\/span>3. Lack of engaging conversations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most of us wouldn\u2019t be able to maintain an intelligent conversation on quantum physics or 19th-century English poetry, would we? We are usually concerned with more mundane topics, such as current work issues, or our relationships with other people.<\/p>\n<p>But great thinkers aren\u2019t interested in discussing day-to-day happenings or having small talk. Their minds gravitate toward the big questions of life. Unfortunately, they can\u2019t find a lot of people to discuss these things with.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_No_one_to_share_their_passion_with\"><\/span>4. No one to share their passion with<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A gifted person is usually passionate about what they do. Be it arts, literature, or mathematics, they are pretty enthusiastic about their area of expertise.<\/p>\n<p>But what about their loved ones? Even if they support their genius in everything s\/he does, it can be tiresome to constantly talk about the things they know nothing about. So, the smart one may feel like s\/he is on a different wavelength to their family and friends.<\/p>\n<p>If a gifted person\u2019s family doesn\u2019t approve of his\/her passion, it\u2019s even more difficult. It\u2019s a sure way for a great thinker to feel misunderstood and rejected.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Different_aspirations\"><\/span>5. Different aspirations<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most great thinkers are uninterested in fleeting joys like fame and money, unlike the majority of people. They don\u2019t care about the materialistic side of life that much.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why they may feel misunderstood in our consumer society where everyone seems to be busy pursuing physical pleasures and material gains. They <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/feeling-like-an-outsider\/\">feel like outsiders<\/a> to this hectic world of stock markets and shallow celebrities.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, Ralph Waldo Emerson was right, and it\u2019s true that to be great is to be misunderstood. High intelligence and a lack of understanding from other people often go hand in hand. I hope that the meaning of this quote is clear now.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, a gifted person can be happy in a <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/small-circle-quotes\/\">small circle<\/a> of loyal friends and loving family members. After all, love and support of our nearest and dearest matters much more than the ephemeral approval of the masses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood. -Ralph Waldo Emerson What are your thoughts on this quote? Does it ring a bell &#8230; <a title=\"To Be Great Is to Be Misunderstood: What It Means and Why It\u2019s True\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/to-be-great-is-to-be-misunderstood-means\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about To Be Great Is to Be Misunderstood: What It Means and Why It\u2019s True\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1145"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1150,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1145\/revisions\/1150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}