Sometimes the brightest individuals make the most blunder.

“What are some foolish things that clever people do?” posed a group of Quora users, who relied on their own experiences to answer the question. The responses shed light on some of the typical ways brilliant individuals unwittingly undermine themselves — and how they might overcome these obstacles.

We’ve highlighted a few of them below.

1. They spend much too much time contemplating and far too little time really accomplishing.

“Because brilliant people think so readily, doing becomes comparatively difficult. In moderation, research and preparation are beneficial, but they may create a perilous appearance of progress, according to Silicon Valley entrepreneur Chris Yeh. Smart perfectionists might get caught up in this type of ostensibly useful procrastination and spend more time nitpicking over minor details than completing jobs.

2. They stick to the herd.

Andrew Yang of Venture for America has written extensively about the pattern of top college graduates pursuing careers in the same few prestige areas, such as banking and consulting, rather than pursuing their hobbies.

“Many clever individuals frequently appear to be followers,” says Lee Semel, a New York entrepreneur. “This is largely because they grow up spending so much time satisfying others via academic and extracurricular performance that they never discover out what they actually enjoy to work on or do anything new.”

3. They grow fearful of taking risks.

People who are extremely brilliant are likely to be high achievers who are surrounded by others who are similarly intelligent and driven. However, fear of shame might limit motivation, resulting in people “not opening up or attempting something new that they know they aren’t naturally excellent at, because they fear losing the ‘Smart’ tag in front of their social group,” according to programmer Pankaj Kumar.

4. They give up trying.

People whose intelligence has helped them attain success are prone to becoming lethargic. “These bright people fail to further develop their inherent skills, eventually falling behind others who, while less skilled at first, weren’t as focused in being clever and instead spent more time training,” adds Semel.

5. They place a low emphasis on social skills.

Some educated people fail to see that intelligence is only one component of success, and that personal relationships are extremely important in the professional world. “They never strive to enhance their social skills, learn to network, or market themselves, and they frequently disparage others who thrive in these areas,” Semel adds.

6. They are unaware of their cognitive biases.

Danita Crouse, a consultant, says the brightest individuals get so used to utilizing their intellect that they don’t realize they’re functioning with a perspective that’s just as flawed as everyone else’s.

According to University of Toronto professor Keith Stanovich’s research, persons with high IQs are more likely to become closed-minded than those with lower IQs.

7. They value accuracy above anything else.

Many brilliant individuals, according to Semel, indulge in a hazardous mix of ego and logic, behaving as if being correct all of the time is lovable (it isn’t). It’s bad enough when they debate an issue about which they are ignorant, but it’s even worse when they insist on disputing facts against someone’s long-held convictions.

8. They link intellect with education.

According to Liz Pullen, a sociologist, an exceptional academic pedigree might lead some individuals to believe that where someone earned their college degree represents how brilliant they are. A degree from a prestigious institution is seen as a significant success in many circumstances, however there are numerous occasions where folks who did not complete college are more equipped for a job due to their real-world experience.

9. They put others down.

Sure, belief in one’s ability is necessary for success, but it’s easy for individuals who have been praised for their brilliance to become arrogant.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve seen intelligent individuals inadvertently give up the lion’s share in negotiations, and once or twice get downright tricked, because they felt brilliance gave them some kind of insurmountable edge,” says Tim Romero, the author.

10. They become engrossed in theory and lose sight of reality.

When intellectual people in positions of leadership focus only on theory and forget they’re dealing with actual people, problems might occur.

“This would be fine if it were just for fun or if the consequences were limited to those engrossed in these abstractions,” says Oliver Damian, a writer and designer, “but when these brilliantly complex systems result in things like subprime mortgage-backed securities, it becomes a big problem for everyone.”

11. They are overly self-reliant

Smart individuals sometimes fail to create the healthy support structures that are required for everyone to succeed. “Anyone may begin to slide down a slippery slope without a decent support system when they confront adversity, make a huge miscalculation, or fall prey to the sins of others,” explains Quora user Andrea Martin. How do you build a strong support network? “Methodically surround oneself with the most mature, kind, and capable individuals you can find.”