bpt: Thank you.
aries: I agree. Hypocracy IS very often the reason to go OTD.
Itche: She is NOT going off because of her brilliance. She has PLENTY of space to “move”. (The library is still open). She KNOWS all the answers to Yiddishkeit. But the example of Yiddishkeit she’s seen by her parents is not the emes. They’re hypocrites and she views Yiddishkeit like that. AND, as I already mentioned before, she is emotionally sick. AND her “mentor” is as messed up as her who makes matters worse. (BTW, in spite of her brilliance she has zero common sense.)
I’ve no doubt your friend didn’t go OTD because he’s bright. How many frum bright people do you know? (Not to mention the previous gedolim like the Rambam etc.)