Benjamin,
One of the things we write about here - alot - is perfectionism. The way I look at it is that we have strong, clear vision about how things 'should' be and have a hard time accepting that no one (not even ourselves) lives up to that vision.
I tell my friends to try to learn to have amphibian eyes - to see the vision above the water and the reality below at the same time.
I promise that if I'm careful enough to never make offhand remarks that lack forsight, than I'll be hiding the vast majority of what makes me fun and amazing, yes? Also, if you've noticed that 'dumbing down for work' makes life go better, than how do you know that you aren't dealing with a person who is currently dumbing down for work? There is also the potential for missing amazingness in areas that you never knew existed. I bump into those all the time.
This all sounds nice, but I find that I can't really make it happen unless I have a core group of people that really 'get' me so I'm not always so dissapointed that averagely intelligenced people are 'newsflash' average in intelligence! Maybe respect needs to be earned, but love, appreciation and gratitude doesn't. You get to focus on whatever you choose, and I've never-ever met a person that I can't find something to be grateful for in, because that's my decision, and because it is really there.
Best Wishes,
Grinity
