Since I'm checking in on this thread, and we've talked, I might as well reply to this.

This "overzealous jealousy toward intelligence", is a lifelong thing. I remember as a child being furious when I was recognized for kindness rather than academics, terribly envious of my friends who were in gifted classes, and reluctant to associate with anyone I suspected was smarter than I am, figuring they'd look down on me. I think the internet has actually made it worse - just a couple years ago I recall reading accounts of childhood giftedness on Quora and eventually breaking down in tears thinking what a useless failure I am by comparison. I mean, I went to college at 17 and dropped out because I was failing everything.

I'm pretty average, regardless of what old tests may have said: neurotypical as they come (did the aspie test twice, came out less than 50% AS traits both times), IQ barely over 100 (according to an online matrices test), but crappy schools duped me badly into thinking I'm intelligent. Also I worry sometimes that just being a pretty feelsy person puts me at a disadvantage. I'm into personality stuff and I sometimes can't shake the impression that logical-minded, object-oriented people are more evolved than limbic, values-driven people, since any animal can feel but logic and reason are what separates humans from the rest of the animal kingdom (unless the counterarguments that it's actually things like consciousness and self-awareness that distinguishes us are valid, then there's just the issue of logical people being more useful/valuable). If that's true it seems like another strike against me, another reason to worry.

But yes, putting intelligence on a pedestal is something I've been doing for as long as I can remember. To think that intelligence isn't important is hard to get my head around. How isn't it important?

To reply to a few of your other points: this person prides herself on her bluntness and claims some other people love her for it too. Unless it damages their ego, presumably the reason she's hated in some circles. The spiritual enlightenment comes from some comments about how people create their own hell by wanting too much, and dismissal of things like insecurity. These days I think I'm more scared/in awe of people like this than envious of them, I know I could never have that personality. I just want that kind of success and self-assurance, I think. And I might as well add this person is hardly my friend: rather some random person I keep running into on the forum. There are a few people like that; we've never even spoken.