I agree. Once, I read a piece that alleged "you're not a true intellectual until you've contributed an original thought to the existing paradigm". No one at sch

I agree. Once, I read a piece that alleged "you're not a true intellectual until you've contributed an original thought to the existing paradigm". No one at school had ever said anything of the sort; as we all knew, true intellectuals got incredible grades and were lauded by the system as genius PhDs. I don't know how to stop these appraisals of fake proficiency without dismantling the entire school system. There are so many students today that feel the burden of "being smart" and strive to prove it to everyone who's watching, who don't realize that they're not actually that smart, and that most people who are watching don't particularly care.