I'm convinced you can't reach the level of success TAYLOR SWIFT has unless you're a really bright person.  Of course, smart people still make dumb choices.  And Taylor opened up about hers in the February issue of "Vogue".

--She was asked how she approaches her "romantic life".  She said, quote, "I think I am smart unless I am really, really in love, and then I am ridiculously stupid."

--Unfortunately for Taylor, she must be feeling particularly brainy these days because she isn't seeing anyone.  She said, quote, "I got nothing going on!

--"I just don't really feel like dating. I really have this great life right now, and I'm not sad and I'm not crying this Christmas, so I am really stoked about that."

--The Christmas full of crying she's referring to was back in 2010 . . . around the time she broke up with JAKE GYLLENHAAL. 

--As always, Taylor's pain is our gain.  She's been working on her fourth album and she seems to be mining that famous breakup for material. 

--Taylor said, quote, "There's just been this earth-shattering, not recent, but absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak . . . and that will turn out to be what the next album is about.

--"The only way that I can feel better about myself . . . pull myself out of that awful pain of losing someone . . . is writing songs about it to get some sort of clarity."

--Taylor was asked if she's learned anything about relationships . . . seeing as she's been in so many bad ones.  She has.  She now looks for "Red Flags".

--Here's one of them . . . and it could be what came between her and Jake Gyllenhaal. 

--She said, quote, "I can't deal with someone who's obsessed with privacy.  People kind of care if there are two famous people dating.  But no one cares that much.

--"If you care about privacy to the point where we need to dig a tunnel under this restaurant so that we can leave?  I can't do that."