I think that's a function of the school system. I had access to "honors" classes and so forth, but they weren't that advanced or challenging, so there was a pr

I think that's a function of the school system. I had access to "honors" classes and so forth, but they weren't that advanced or challenging, so there was a pretty low ceiling on what you could accomplish in school. Since kids couldn't distinguish themselves by accomplishing more or harder things, and there was nothing glamorous about grinding out a 99 versus a 98, the "smartest" kids were the ones who didn't have to work hard or answer questions. I remember sometimes I would pull out a blank sheet when the teacher started collecting assignments and try to finish it in before she got to my desk, because there was no other way for it to be an accomplishment. With the level of accomplishment fixed at a low level, the only way to prove you were more capable was by being flamboyantly undisciplined.