I gave up my intellectual mind at least 40 years ago as I recognised that it would not guarantee or contribute to my happiness, success or fulfilment-- this mode of thinking would tend to impede my spontaneity, joie de vivre, sense of adventure, wonder and curiosity which I deem to be my raison d'être for living.
I've found from my experience that, in many cases, intellectuals have fixed and rigid mindsets and, as such, become inflexible and even intolerant and arrogant. Being insular and inward-looking, they find it hard to accept the views of others, even their colleagues' or peers'.
Their thinking tends to be along this line: I'm an authority on this subject....'.
Such people don't make good company and might not attract others to become their friends.
They can also be awfully boring. I attended a social dinner many years ago and happened to be sitting next to an academic whose field was chemistry. He went on non-stop for a hour telling me and those around that he had written over 50 research papers and had received various awards. His wife seemed ravished by his outpouring.
The hallmark of a mature person ( Confucius in 600 BCE used the terms ' superior person' and 'the gentlemen' ) lies in their humility, grace, broadmindedness, tolerance, kindness, generosity, respect for others , sense of humour, willingness to share and co-operate, and, last but not least, their altruism as manifested in their charity and contribution to society and the nation. Confucianism regarded people as part of society and that they were measured by the good they contributed.
Tolstoy in his later years suffered from a deep spiritual crisis. In his Confessions, he wrote that intellectualism stifled his life. He looked at the common people and was amazed that they were able to bear sorrow with such courage and equanimity which he would be unable to. He said that as soon as he cast away his intellectual life, he was cured of his existential angst. What a revelation!
I conclude: happiness and fulfilment is found in understanding ourselves and our place and station in life, in living in simplicity and in harmony with our fellow-men, in kindness, humility and humaneness. All this has nothing to do with being 'intellectual'.