I think you're looking at this problem in the wrong way. Apply some of that intelligence of yours and try to figure out why you have to "dumb yourself down" to

I think you're looking at this problem in the wrong way. Apply some of that intelligence of yours and try to figure out why you have to "dumb yourself down" to have a good relationship with your friends. Conversation is a real skill. Communicating your ideas in terms that someone else can really understand and find interesting isn't always easy. And on the flip side, truly understanding what someone is saying and finding value in it for yourself isn't easy either.