The Misperception of Ratios

I spend a lot of time in the clouds thinking about big things and then people get the impression that I have a mountainous intelligence. That if I am able to think about these lofty things that I am equally or even more greatly gifted at lower levels, the ordinary things in life. Like a mountain with a peak in the clouds but a broad base supporting it. But that is not true. It would be more accurate to view me as a skyscraper, reaching those heights, but not any more gifted than anyone else. To continue with this analogy the supposedly humble few story office building is a lot less fragile and certainly a lot more practical with just as much space in it.

I remember a friend appraise my behavior after a party asking in effect why I could not make some ordinary small talk. I think he was running up against the same bad assumption that other people do when talking or dealing with me. I am not perfect or even that much more intelligent that other people. I just have a different aspect of intelligence, things that other people find hard I find easy and conversely I am often stumped by things other people find uncomplicated. The reason I do not make small talk is that I find it deeply difficult, as hard as other people find mathematics or to memorize all those historical dates.

I have been told that it is clear that I care very deeply about doing the right thing. And so people are mystified as to why I do not extend common courtesies like saying thank you for dinner. I am not sending a message when I forget, I just forgot. I try to remember every time, but for all my seeming intelligence that does not prevent me from making very basic mistakes. I am not perfect and I feel bad when I disappoint people by not being better than I am.

I do try, I do apologize when I realize I've wronged others, but I am just a flawed mortal like you. I am not disproportionately gifted Hermes.