Little is said about the internal tension that exists within highly intelligent women - an internal conflict that often manifests as a journey of learning about the concept of duty. Intelligence, by its very nature, is often paired with an insatiable curiosity and a thirst for learning, which fuels a longing for freedom and exploration. These women rarely accept authority without question, preferring instead to chart their own course. Yet, at the same time, many possess a deep desire to be loved in a stable, secure, and contained manner - yearning to belong to a man who embodies their ideal.
Many intelligent women are acutely aware that their innate drives often conflict with one another - and that their mental and physical "types" do not always align. A man who embodies the mountain - a stable provider - may excel in building empires but may not offer the fresh perspectives that come from a nonconformist lifestyle. Conversely, an outlier man, who naturally lives like a bird, provides the mental stimulation they crave, but his life may reflect the same instability due to his constant growth and evolution.
The former men are formidable, respected by the world for their mastery of practical affairs and their fierce dominance in their domains. However, they often lack the adaptability of their counterparts. While they offer the physical security that these women instinctively seek, their focus tends to be more pragmatic. The latter men, by contrast, align more closely with these women mentally. They are less inclined to defer to authority and more prone to questioning everything. However, this very nature - ever-evolving and unstable - is often reflected in the creative chaos that they struggle to contain within themselves.
This internal tension - the simultaneous desire for both freedom and stability - becomes a burden of awareness. Highly intelligent women are acutely aware that achieving a loving stable family life and raising children often demands sacrificing a part of themselves that longs for unfettered freedom to explore and learn. While it is not impossible to have both, achieving it often comes at the cost of their future offspring, who bear the burden of their absence. Thus, their decision to embrace duty becomes a deeply self-sacrificial one, akin to the sacrifices their fathers once made for them. As a result, their appreciation for their fathers deepens as they recognise the weight of this path.
More often than not, these women channel their need for freedom through the arts - whether through reading, writing, or other forms of creative expression - as a means of preserving their mental and emotional well-being. It is vital for them to nurture this aspect of themselves. Without it, the relinquishment of full freedom - and the awareness of such - can lead to profound resentment. These women understand that the idea of "having it all" is an illusion.
Men, by nature, desire to protect those they love, while intelligent women seek safety alongside freedom. The greatest challenge for these women is finding a man who can provide a level of security that allows them "enough" space to roam, within mutually agreed parameters. These parameters do not always equate to absolute containment - it is more about whether they feel confined, with the awareness that such boundaries exist.
These women cannot unlearn the awareness that comes with their intelligence. They must live with the knowledge that, in many ways, they have forgone paths they once mentally mapped out. In many respects, it is easier to exist in a state of blissful ignorance, much like a child - untouched by the weight of such awareness.
The true struggle for many highly intelligent women, in the end, lies in reconciling the tension between who they are and who they must become. It is about balancing the scales of freedom and security - and finding a man who can truly understand and honour the complexities of their being. The awareness they carry is both a gift and a burden. It is through learning to be grateful for such awareness - to nurture their future children in such ways of thinking - that they ultimately find their peace.
I would like to further clarify that both the mountain and the bird archetypes are usually ferociously intelligent in their own right, yet their intelligence manifests in fundamentally different ways - one in the mastery of structure, stability, and order - the other in adaptability, creativity, and intellectual rebellion.
Furthermore, both archetypes typically attain their own distinct forms of success. The mountain builds systems of control, ensuring stability for those who depend on him. His success is structured, deliberate, and often tied to legacy. The bird, by contrast, thrives in exploration, innovation, and the navigation of uncharted intellectual and creative landscapes. His success is driven more by the pursuit of ideas and experiences than by concrete empire-building.
For highly intelligent women, the internal conflict is not merely about choosing between these archetypes but about recognising that they embody aspects of both. They possess the mountain's deep-rooted sense of responsibility and the bird's insatiable desire for boundless exploration - which is why neither archetype, in isolation, feels entirely sufficient. The challenge, then, is one of self-integration - reconciling these competing drives within themselves - whether through relationships, creative pursuits, or philosophical understanding.
Lovely read, really enjoy your style, prose, and insights🍹