Title. I’m not that smart – I’m just good at math, statistics, and coding. People think I’m smart only because these are areas most people know very little about. It doesn’t really translate to general intelligence. I play a lot of video games, scroll TikTok too much, and never read – I’m legitimately not that intelligent.
It makes me cringe every time someone I really respect mentions or suggests that I’m “smarter” than them.
Today, my boss set up a meeting to ask clarifying questions about a report I made and joked that she “needed things dumbed down” for her. It makes me feel like crap when she says that because she’s WAY more knowledgeable than me and I respect her greatly – and the implication feels awkward.
My dad and my sister say I’m “smarter than them” all the time which makes me uncomfortable because not only do I feel like it’s untrue, but they are both smart and talented at things I absolutely suck at or know nothing about.
I know they’re compliments, but I have no idea what to say in response. I just feel so uncomfortable every time it happens. I feel the need to compliment their intelligence every time they say it, but then I fear they suspect I’m being disingenuous.
What’s the appropriate response?
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