Editing Lisa Simpson (section)

===Personality===
{{quote box |width=30em |bgcolor=transparent |align=right |quote=[Lisa is] a good soul. I love that she is so compassionate. She is wise beyond her years. She has remarkable optimism, despite the fact that she's disappointed so often.|salign=right |source=—[[Yeardley Smith]]<ref name="Freeman">{{cite news |title=Local actress finds a voice in 'Simpsons' |date=November 20, 1994 |work=The Washington Times |first=Paul |last=Freeman}}</ref>}}

Lisa, despite being a [[child prodigy]], often sees herself as a misfit within the Simpson family and other children due to possessing an unusually high level of intelligence. She shows characteristics rarely seen in Springfield, including spirituality and commitment to peaceful ways,{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=78}} and is notably more concerned with world affairs than her life in Springfield,<ref>{{cite news |title=Eat my lab coat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2003/oct/30/research.highereducation2 |work=The Guardian |date=October 30, 2003 |access-date=March 19, 2010 |author=Gross, Michael |location=London}}</ref> with her rebellion against social norms being depicted as constructive and heroic, yet she can be self-righteous at times.<ref>{{harvnb|Pinsky|2001 |p=46}}</ref> In "[[Lisa the Vegetarian]]", an increasing sense of moral righteousness leads her to disrupt her father's roast-pig barbecue, an act for which she later apologizes. Like most children her age, she thinks in images rather than words.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Lisa the Vegetarian |episode-link=Lisa the Vegetarian |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cohen, David X.; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=October 15, 1995 |season=07 |number=05}}</ref> Episodes often take shots at Lisa's idealism.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=229}} In "[[Bart Star]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 9)|season nine]], 1997), Lisa, who is departing from her typically more genuine nature and apparently looking for a new cause to crusade over,{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=230}} defiantly declares that she, a girl, would like to join the football team. In the 1990s, it was considered odd to allow a girl to play football. However, when coach [[Ned Flanders]] reveals that several girls already play for the team, she hesitates and claims football is "not really [her] thing". She then expresses distaste about a ball made of pig's skin, but one of the girls informs her that their footballs are synthetic and that proceeds are donated to [[Amnesty International]]. Upset by being unable to gain [[Self-righteousness|moral superiority]], Lisa runs off.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Bart Star |episode-link=Bart Star |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cohen, David X.; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=November 9, 1997 |season=09 |number=06}}</ref>

Lisa is said to have an [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]] of 159,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Homer's Enemy |episode-link=Homer's Enemy |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Swartzwelder, John; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox |airdate=May 4, 1997 |season=08 |number=23}}</ref> and in "[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 10)|season ten]], 1999) she becomes a member of the [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] chapter of [[Mensa International|Mensa]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=They Saved Lisa's Brain |episode-link=They Saved Lisa's Brain |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Selman, Matt; Michels, Pete |network=Fox |airdate=May 9, 1999 |season=10 |number=22}}</ref> Even prior to becoming a Buddhist, Lisa at times is seen meditating.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Dead Putting Society |episode-link=Dead Putting Society |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Martin, Jeff; Moore, Rich |network=Fox |airdate=November 15, 1990 |season=02 |number=06}}</ref> When unable to attend school due to a teachers' strike in "[[The PTA Disbands]]" (season six, 1995), she suffers [[Drug withdrawal|withdrawal]] symptoms because of the sudden lack of praise.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=201}} She even demands that her mother grade her for no obvious reason.<ref>{{cite episode |title=The PTA Disbands |episode-link=The PTA Disbands |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=[[Jennifer Crittenden|Crittenden, Jennifer]]; [[Swinton O. Scott III|Scott III, Swinton O.]] |network=Fox |airdate=April 16, 1995 |season=06 |number=21}}</ref> In ''[[Planet Simpson]]'', [[Chris Turner (author)|Chris Turner]] writes that these traits make Lisa more realistic because "No character can aspire to realism without a few all-too-human flaws."{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=201}}

Although she is wise beyond her years, Lisa has typical childhood issues, sometimes requiring adult intervention. One episode to show this is "[[See Homer Run]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 17)|season seventeen]], 2005) where she goes through a developmental condition which causes her to get into trouble at school.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=203}} In "[[Lost Our Lisa]]" (season nine, 1998), she tricks Homer into allowing her to ride the bus alone, only to become hopelessly lost and in need of aid from her father.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Lost Our Lisa |episode-link=Lost Our Lisa |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=[[Brian Scully|Scully, Brian]]; Michels, Pete |network=Fox |airdate=May 10, 1998 |season=09 |number=24}}</ref> Chris Turner writes in ''Planet Simpson'' that incidents like this illustrate that "Even when Lisa's lecturing like a college professor or mounting yet another protest, she never becomes a full-grown adult trapped in a child's body."{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=203}} In ''[[The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer]]'', Aeon J. Skoble states that although Lisa is an intellectual, she is still portrayed as a character who enjoys normal childhood and girl activities, plays with Malibu Stacy dolls, loves ponies, obsesses over teenage heartthrobs such as [[Brother from the Same Planet|Corey]], and watches ''[[The Itchy & Scratchy Show]]'' along with Bart. He writes, "One might argue that this is typical childhood behavior, but since in so many cases Lisa is presented not simply as a prodigy but as preternaturally wise, the fondness for ''Itchy & Scratchy'' and Corey seem to be highlighted, taking on greater significance. Lisa is portrayed as the avatar of logic and wisdom, but then she also worships Corey so she's 'no better [than the rest of us]'."<ref>{{harvnb|Skoble|1999 |pp=31–32}}</ref> Lisa occasionally worries that her family's dull habits will rub off on her, such as in "[[Lisa the Simpson]]" (season nine, 1998) she worries that the "Simpson gene" will make her a dimwit later finding out the gene only goes through the male side.<ref>{{cite news |title=Men on TV: Dumb as Posts And Proud of It |date=April 9, 2000 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/09/arts/men-on-tv-dumb-as-posts-and-proud-of-it.html?pagewanted=3 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 8, 2010 |author=Gates, Anita}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Lisa the Simpson |episode-link=Lisa the Simpson |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=[[Ned Goldreyer|Goldreyer, Ned]]; Dietter, Susie |network=Fox |airdate=March 8, 1998 |season=09 |number=17}}</ref>
 
She is also concerned that Maggie may grow up to be like the rest of the family and tries to teach her complex ideas. Chris Turner writes in ''Planet Simpson'' that "Lisa embarks on quests to find solace for her yearning spirit ... but the most reliable source of truth she finds is the one she always believed in: her family. It is from the other Simpsons that Lisa draws stability, meaning, contentment."{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=233}} Her loyalty to her family is most clearly seen in the flashforward "[[Lisa's Wedding]]" (season six, 1995), in which she must reconcile her love for them with the distaste of her cultured fiancé.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Lisa's Wedding |episode-link=Lisa's Wedding |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=[[Greg Daniels|Daniels, Greg]]; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox |airdate=March 19, 1995 |season=06 |number=19}}</ref> In the episode "[[Mother Simpson]]" (season seven, 1995) she meets her paternal grandmother [[Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)|Mona Simpson]] for the first time.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Mother Simpson |episode-link=Mother Simpson |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=[[Richard Appel|Appel, Rich]]; Silverman, David |network=Fox |airdate=November 19, 1995 |season=07 |number=08}}</ref> Mona is also well-read and articulate, and the writers used the character as a way to explain the origins of Lisa's intelligence.<ref>Appel, Rich. (2005). Commentary for "[[Mother Simpson]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>