There is a parallel with one of pg's other essays, 'Why nerds are unpopular'[1]. He says (I paraphrase): 'nerds care more about being smart than being popular'.

There is a parallel with one of pg's other essays, 'Why nerds are unpopular'[1]. He says (I paraphrase): 'nerds care more about being smart than being popular'. But that's another way of saying nerds think the tests you have to pass to be popular are (on balance) a waste of time, ie bad tests. [1] http://paulgraham.com/nerds.html http://paulgraham.com/nerds.html