you're only truly becoming an idiot once you've accepted that you're becoming an idiot.

Proud to be an idiot ;D

I know plenty of idiots who disprove your theory.

what about self-loathers who call themselves idiots even if they're not

just like when normal-sized and skinny girls always call themselves fat

From a social point of view, what's so important about being smart anyways? When I meet someone, I value qualities like kindness much higher.

.. But although I get the feeling it may bother you more than it bothers me, I am in a similar situation. One thing that bothers me about science is the pressure to be brilliant. I'm in a field where some people are super enthusiastic and really live and breathe biology, people who are really brilliant. Then there are people like me who have a life with interests beside biology. I don't live for my studies and my ultimate goal in life is not being the world's most brilliant researcher .. And if I wanna continue in science, it feels like I'd have to compete with brilliant people of that other sort.

It's not a major problem, but it's a little disheartening perhaps. I probably have a higher overall life quality, though.

I think you do. Man, I couldn't live and breathe science. I would go nuts. That's why my grades were average in school while other people were getting A's across the board.

Still, I find having outside interests broadens my understanding of science. It puts it in perspective. People who live and breathe science I find often don't see past the experiment or journal article. Sure, they may have more immediate knowledge than I do but it is nothing I couldn't quickly look up. I, on the other hand, want to know that what I'm doing is helping the world at large. I get a better picture of that by having a life outside of work. That then motivates me to stick to it. Also, thinking more broadly helps me to think more creatively. Science usually happens in microsteps, but the big thinkers are the ones who make the big strides and I've found the big thinkers are the ones who don't get bogged down by the details. There are pros and cons to both sides, and we need both kinds of scientists to temper each other.

Sorry for being pretentious but, define normal-sized.

There is no such thing as 'normal sized.' Calling something normal means that there has to be an abnormal... I don't like the word normal.

Plus why was loose lips banned? :confused:

It was at his request.

People get banned at their own request here?
That's... awkward.