As in so many other areas, family dynamics and your understanding of them are crucial. I first became interested in the subject in the early 60's after reading about Bigfoot in "Boy's Life" magazine. My interest continued through high school then went to the back burner when I enlisted in the Navy and later married and raised a family. When my interest was rekindled a few years ago my family took it in stride. Several of my younger but now adult nephews have told me they loved vacations to Montana when I was a teen because of the "cool" stuff I was into. I'm retired but have shared my interest with co-workers at the Montana Military Museum where I volunteer and they have expressed interest when I bring up the subject.
WRT the I.Q. issue, some high I.Q. people have difficulty adapting to new ideas/situations. Some of that could be related to Asperger's Syndrome which often goes undiagnosed in adults, particularly in the U.S. where it has only been officially recognized since about 1994. Mine tests north of 150 but I've always been fascinated by the unknown and have only become more open minded as I mature (that has a much nicer ring to it than "age").