When I was in grade school, as soon as I knew the answer to a question, I excitedly raised my hand to share what I had to say. As I came closer to junior high age, this trait was seen as an irritant to some of my peers, who mocked and labeled me as an arrogant know-it-all, especially when I was nearly the only interactive student in the class that day. Being a sensitive individual, I started withholding my ideas, but when the new school year started, I forgot my previous problem and returned to my old habits of enthusiastically answering every question.
As I got even older, others would mention me hogging classroom attention. By this time, I was more aware of the welfare of those around me and feared I may be impeding on others’ opportunity to think and learn, so I returned to keeping my peace. Now, I rarely, if ever, add to the classroom conversation out of laziness and habit.
Further, as I’ve grown and become more socially apt and open with people and understanding them, I find myself asking questions I already figured the answer to, just to help smooth and continue a social interaction. Also, as I’ve tried to explain some intriguing concepts that, to me, are simple and easy to understand, some people get confused and tell me I’m a very deep person. To me, things are never “deep;” they just are what they are and should not be shied away from. As I’ve considered the phenomenon of “depth,” I find that even water is not necessarily deep unless it is over your head. When I feel myself delving into discussing a "deep" or complicated matter and if my audience is one whom I'd consider possibly unable to really comprehend it or if I'm not in the mood for technical explanations, especially if it may lead to confusion, I say, "I'm sure there's more to it than that," or something similar (but I also say this when I'm keeping a secret; somewhat ironic, eh), even if I know what the "more" is.
Most recently, some of my professors, in describing some assignments, ask us to write as if we are writing to a group of people who have twenty more IQ points than us. When I have written in this manner, some of my peers or professors who have read my drafts basically ask me to dumb down my papers, even though I’ve written in a manner that I consider would be comprehendible by someone with an IQ of 170. Regardless, these classroom editors do not understand what I am talking about. However, other peers have read the same paper and admire it.
You should never have to dumb yourself down. Unfortunately college is only about giving them the answers that they want regardless of the discipline. It's all a game of jumping through hoops and the only time in you life where in order to be successfull you have to bite the bullet and give in. Think of it as bootcamp. Suck it up and cave, to get the piece of paper. Then when you are all done and out there in the real world... your learning begins, you will find youself and your insight will matter...I know you will wow the world.
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