There is a lot of silliness online regarding dating the intelligent man. After reviewing several articles, we're not sure if the reviewers are more interested in providing advice on how best to recognize and relate to the intelligent man, or more interested in trashing men, perhaps because they themselves have failed to land their ideal, or maybe just because trashing men is a popular social media hobby. Regardless, let's take a look at these one at a time. What we need on this subject is balance and clarity, for the sake of us all. Singling out a portion of the human race for negative stereotyping isn't a great idea no matter how you look at it.

What Are the Disadvantages of Dating Highly Intelligent Men? [ article ]

This author has dated more than one intelligent man and therefore apparently considers herself qualified to write this article wherein she introduces a set of negative qualities that every intelligent man will most likely possess because she herself has dated a sufficient random sample from around the world. So about how many "intelligent" men did she date? And how does she define "intelligent"? We will never know, but after all, this isn't exactly a formal academic or research-based study. One also has to wonder at the onset, why didn't she attempt a balanced article rather focusing on the negative? Maybe because negativity gets more click-throughs on Google? (it does, actually)

Now let's examine the negative qualities that each intelligent man potentially possesses:

Egos. They are used to succeeding and so dealing with a loss can be hard for them. Sulking and/or moping are not unheard of.

If you google self-esteem with the word "prisoners" you will find several studies that report high levels of ego and narcissism among prison inmates. In fact, they generally rate themselves with higher self-esteem values than the general population, and also demonstrate an inverse correlation compared to IQ. In other words, the more self-esteem the prisoner possesses, the lower the IQ in comparison with the non-prison population. Surprise! Who would have thought? So, it seems that less intelligent men, and women, are big egos too, bigger than normal. It's not hard to imagine a prisoner sulking around his cell after getting caught by the cops at the bus stop two blocks away from the bank he just robbed.

Lack of manual skillz. Because they've emphasized the brain all their lives, sometimes the brawn is lacking. They won't know how to change the oil of a car or build anything with their hands (that does not become a computer).

Okay, now wait a minute. This is such a Hollywood stereotype that applies, and often wrongly, to the super geeky. First of all, "brawn" refers to physical strength, not a gift of mechanical know-how, and changing the oil on a car is as simple as picking one's teeth, not in the same category as building a deck off the kitchen. The author seems confused as to which types of tasks take sufficient brains and which do not. An intelligent man who can build a computer has enough intelligence to build a deck also (but not necessarily vice versa). Whether he chooses to do so at any particular time, or not, depends on a host of factors. Perhaps his significant other could persuade him? Regardless, mechanical skills and deck building are far more related to nurture factors than IQ. A man raised by a father who enabled mechanical skills early in life will grow to be more inclined in this area, of course, but will this reasonably intelligent mechanical man in later life also be a six figure wage earner? Anything is possible. Perhaps what the author really wants is an intelligent man who can also do one-hand push ups, overhaul car engines, and be a whiz at molecular biophysics all at the same time. That's not overreaching, is it?

Single-mindedness. Similarly to the last point, sometimes highly intelligent people are so intent on their one area of specialization that they forget how interesting the rest of the world is. Although they have differentiation, they lack a broader intellectual curiosity.

Here we go again with a stereotype, and not sure how to define "broader intellectual curiosity" in the mind of the author because she doesn't define it and we can't read her mind. Does the software engineer also have to be Shakespeare scholar? Certainly, we know the type though. We get it. There are plenty of people obsessed or fixated in one groove, but these people can be just as likely low in intelligence as high in intelligence. One can be obsessed with card games or video games too. It doesn't have to involve job specialization. Regardless, to make a sweeping generalization of this kind begs for a crash and burn on the reality side of things.

So far, this author has dated only intelligent men who are ego-maniacal, obsessed weenies. Aren't all intelligent men like this? OMG! And it gets worse, as follows.

Bad teachers. Being a good significant other, you may become interested in their area of expertise. You may think learning about it from your partner is ideal. However, be forewarned: sometimes, the better one is at something, the harder it is to explain it. As an expert, it's easy to forget how hard it is in the beginning or at which points an amateur may get stuck. This can lead to frustration on both the part of the teacher and the student.

Well, have you ever read a better argument for the immediate reevaluation and possible termination of all intelligent male teachers? They are potentially ALL BAD TEACHERS, or else they're not intelligent--and btw, the unintelligent male teacher should also be fired. We know the unintelligent male teacher by the fact that he can communicate concepts well to his students (but he's just kinda dumb). The logic in this is inescapable. Actually, the inability to convey information to someone can apply to both genders, and to the not-so intelligent. This quality of "bad teachers" as applied to dating the intelligent man is just so ridiculous that even debunking it brings into question our own intelligence.

Snobbery. If you are not knowledgeable in their area, they can inadvertently make hurtful comments that reflect a disdain for your area of expertise. Watch out for this. Before you embark upon a serious relationship with this person, make sure they really respect you and what you do.

Being termed a snob is sometimes a matter of perception that says more about the finger pointer than it does about the so-called snob. Talk "over the head" of any narcissist and being called a snob will be the least injurious thing said about you. Have a refined taste in wine, for example, then pass on the Boone's Farm strawberry being offered at the Moose Lodge and try to get out the door before being called a snob. Besides, someone who might come off at one point as an accidental snob isn't really a snob. Being a snob is a state of being. Just try to get a membership in any local blue blood club in the northeast U.S. and find out what a snob really is. Besides, snobbery certainly isn't a condition that applies only to men, much less intelligent ones. People overcompensate for their inferiority in any number of ways. 

This is a category that really isn't meaningful or worth addressing. Dating the intelligent man is highly advisable. As a whole, they are far more diverse and unique than the author of this article would have you believe. Taking six negative and poorly defined characteristics and endowing intelligent males, or any subset of intelligent males, with them is a transparent exercise in poor journalism, if not vindictiveness.