>>12289862I mean, you'd have to be some kind of underachiever, or just exceedingly stupid, to never run into people smarter than yourself. I've never been a teacher myself but I imagine just like in any business, experience is just as valuable. They can be smarter, but they won't have the years to decades of raw experience you do. So there's still stuff you can teach, or in work, that you can use to remain ahead.
But there's no inherent shame to meeting people smarter than yourself. If anything I think it's a healthy sign. It means you're not plateauing in some safe loser job somewhere without ever exposing yourself to a competitive environment. I have an IQ of 143 myself. Every time I've met someone smarter than myself, I've been better off for the experience. They always teach me something that I can use, and they always spur me on by reminding me that I can't stay still, I have to improve. I've been in a few places where I was the smartest person in the room for too long straight, and it makes you lazy. It demotivates you. And it twists your views, literally makes you stupid in the long run because your own insecurities, own human flaws start to take over and there's no-one around forcing you to face the facts. I believe this is what's at the heart of the idea that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Whether it's power, or intellect, if the only person who can criticize you is yourself, it'll never lead to anything good. Your own internal world will slowly become your reality, instead of the real reality out there. And you won't even notice, because there's no-one around, no stimulus available, to remind you.
Which is why I've learned to love surrounding myself with at least some people smarter and wiser than myself, to offer perspective, to keep me going in the right direction, and to always keep me on my toes, questioning things. Intellect isn't a matter of ego. Don't feel ashamed, or proud, just because you were born different. You didn't earn that.
