Henry_Best:
The Dunning-Kruger effect explains that.
Or it's opposite.
People around me consider me smart. The often tell me so. So often in fact, that I suspect that I am actually retarded, and that some hidden protector has gone ahead of me and told them to say that. Humoring me for some reason ... keep me working for a ridiculously low wage?, or providing an outlet for their cruel humor?, or is it that every lab needs a screamer? ... I dunno.