> it would appear to me that you have the problem that you are trying to "prove" to yourself that you are smart in every encounter and this manifests by trying

> it would appear to me that you have the problem that you are trying to "prove" to yourself that you are smart in every encounter and this manifests by trying to be the smartest guy in the room. I get the same impression. > The smartest guys that I know will say "I don't know" when asked a question that they don't know. That to me is the essence of intellectual confidence. Yes, exactly.