A Mathematician's Secret: We're Not All Geniuses
Colin Percival wrote one of my favorite response to a question about mathematicians here:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=228233" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=228233</a><p><pre><code>  You have to be smart to do make a significant contribution to 
  mathematics, and I don&#x27;t believe that people can &quot;become 
  smart&quot; past a very early age. However, it&#x27;s possible for 
  someone to be smart despite not having been recognized as 
  such, depending on which fields his intellect is applied 
  against. Finally, it&#x27;s definitely possible for someone who is 
  smart but has never done well in mathematics to make a 
  contribution to mathematics -- if he can develop the interest 
  which is necessary for him to apply his intellect 
  appropriately.</code></pre>