For feeling this insecure?

[Aramiss]

Recently I've felt really 'thick'. I just feel like everyone around me is more intelligent and it gets me down.
I'm a bit 'ditzy' and I forget things alot, or forget why I went upstairs, that sort of thing. My maths skills are quite poor. If I have to do quick calculations, it often takes me a few seconds, and I feel flustered and embarrassed as a result. It's like I get a mental block. My general knowledge is shocking (except world geography, I'm quite good at that). I'm very slow when it comes to 'getting' jokes, things like that.

I've got a decent education - I've got a degree and a teaching qualification (would you believe), and achieved one or two other things not many people have, but I still feel like I'm not very bright. I don't know why I put so much importance on it either.
How can I shift this really unhelpful way of thinking?

I think we all have our moments when we don't feel as bright as we feel we should. However, I bet others don't perceive you the way you do yourself. When you're feeling like this, consider your achievements. Think about whether you're a good person, a good friend, a good parent (if you have kids). I bet you'll find tons of positives.

I really wish you'd tell us more about the things you're good at. I have no doubt there are many. All of those things you feel insecure about mean absolutely nothing, and please believe me that no one sees these "faults" except for you. None of us are good, or great, at everything. Please just let it go and appreciate yourself for who you are.

Well for a start you must be pretty bright to have a degree and your other qualifications. Everyone forgets why they went upstairs, and general knowledge is just useless information.

I'm what you call a 'grafter'. I work very hard. Every exam I've ever taken I've got high marks because I take time to really understand it all properly.
I don't see myself as intelligent because I got a degree. I got the degree because I worked hard.

I get what you're saying. The problem is anything I think I might be good at, I just think 'but that's easy, anyone can do that'.
For an example, I can fly and land a glider by myself, yet I don't feel particularly proud of it because I feel like anyone can do that with practice ! Just not many choose to!

It's a terrible way of thinking, I know. I want to shift it.

Where on earth did you learn to be such a jerk to yourself? Good grief. Do you always shit all over your achievements? Are you ever proud of what you've worked hard to achieve?

Intelligent people have to work hard to get degrees, op. Intelligent people know the value of working hard and appreciate the rewards that come with doing so.

@Aquamarine1029 I've been like this most of my life 😞.

Then I highly recommend therapy. You are too valuable to lead a life incapable of being happy and proud of yourself. You have got to invest time into understanding where this mindset came from, because you'll never shake it until you do.

It sounds like you're experiencing low confidence from past programming. Could that be true?

Can you remember when you started seeing yourself as 'thick'? Go into that situation and 'rewrite' the story you're telling yourself.

And I'd recommend analysing whether your assumptions about yourself are actually true. Dispute those negative thoughts.

Then keep repeating the new positive beliefs you created about yourself until you feel them to be true.

Do you need to come across as intelligent to everybody you meet or be mentally stimulating with your knowledge and brilliance? It’s never occurred to me that it might be a trait I need. I assume that if the people around me were looking for knowledge or mental stimulation, they’d go to a museum or listen to a podcast or read a book. It’s my job to be a good friend and partner, good fun to hang out with, enjoyable company, great sex, provide loyalty and support and so forth, not stimulate their intellect. It seems to do me very well.

Look around you at your friendships and relationships: you’re clearly offering these people plenty for them to want to be in your life, and if you asked them what it was I very much doubt anything to do with intelligence would have much to do with why.