> Lots of people seem to think I'm a really clever guy.
> 
> My interests include such topics as computer programming, cryptology, 
> data compression, digital signal processing, fractals, music theory, 
> artificial intelligence, logic design, and so forth.
> 
> One time, I spent 4 hours shifting algebra, and managed to correctly 
> derive the binomial theorum from first principles. Another time, I sat 
> down and learned to program in PostScript in my lunch break, just for 
> the hell of it.
> 
> Lots of people think I'm clever, but am I?
> 
> My hypothesis: I'm actually not very intelligent at all. But because I 
> have no life and I'm too stupid to get bored, I make up for intelligence 
> by persistence.
> 
> Basically I'm the sort of sad loser who will spend 4 hours trying to 
> work out something, when normal people would give up and go do something 
> productive. If I were *actually* intelligent it would only take 4 
> minutes to work out. I don't think I figure things out more quickly than 
> other people, it's just that I'm too stupid to get bored. My tiny little 
> brain is captivated by irrelevant things like the binomial theorum for 
> hours on end, while any healthy individual would go find something more 
> entertaining.
> 
> In a directly related mannar, I'm beginning to realise that I'm not 
> actually very good at playing music either. Even the simplest keyboard 
> exercises baffle me. It seems that I can play the Widor Toccata, not so 
> much because of my vast skill, but because I've expended a ridiculous 
> amoung of time practising it. A *geniunely* talented musician would 
> probably pick it up in a few minutes. That's why it's marked as only 
> "moderate" difficulty. But it's taken me 9 months so far, and I still 
> haven't mastered it yet.

Yeah, maybe you have a mild form of Savant syndrome...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savant_syndrome
or maybe Asperger's syndrome...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger%27s_syndrome
I wouldn't worry about it too much.
My theory is, if you were really retarded, you'd be much smarter.
There's a good paradox for you.  =)

After you worry about that for a while, you can worry about
actually being too average to matter. There's nothing worse
than unintended mediocrity.

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